Os Mutantes founder Rita Lee has died at 75
Os Mutantes co-founder Rita Lee has died aged 75. Lee was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and died at home in São Paulo.
A statement posted on Instagram reads: “We announce the death of Rita Lee, at her residence, in São Paulo, capital, late last night, surrounded by all the love of her family, as she always wanted.” Lee was one of the founding members of Os Mutantes in 1966, one of the most influential bands in the history of Brazillian rock. She left the group in 1972 and embarked on a successful solo career.
Over the course of her life as an artist, Lee sold over 50 million records and made more than 20 studio albums. Aside from music, she was a political activist and fought against the military dictatorship of Brazil during the 1960s. She was also a passionate animal rights activist and vegan. Lee won seven Latin Grammys and was handed a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ in 2022.
In 2008, Lee told the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone: “I was not born to get married and wash underwear. I wanted the same freedom as the boys who used to play in the street with their toy cars. When I got into music, I realised that the ‘machos’ reigned absolute, even more in rock music. ‘Wow’, I said, ‘this is where I’m going to let my fangs out and, literally, give them a hard time.’”
Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has paid tribute to the late musician, and said she “helped transform Brazilian music with her creativity and daring”. He also said Lee “confronted machismo both in life and in music and inspired generations of women in the world of rock and the arts”.
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