Brazil’s Queen of Rock dies at 75 – .

Rita Lee was a founding singer with the Brazilian band Os Mutantes, known as Brazil’s “Queen of Rock.” 

Rita Lee’s legacy 

Lee co-founded Os Mutantes, meaning the Mutants, in 1966. They played Tropicália music, a politically charged genre that blended traditional Brazilian sounds with the pop and psychedelia coming from the U.S. and the U.K. The music of Os Mutantes was influential on later artists including Kurt Cobain, Beck, and David Byrne.  

Lee began her solo career while still recording with Os Mutantes, and she continued to make music after she left the group in 1972. Her many No. 1 hits in her home country in the 1970s and ‘80s include “Ovelha Negra” (“Black Sheep”), “Chega Mais” (“Come Closer”), and “Baila Conmigo” (“Dance with Me”). Lee’s 1981 song “Lança Perfume” (“Spray Perfume”) was a dance club hit in the U.S. as well as reaching No. 2 at home.  

Lee also recorded with the band Tutti Frutti and as a duo with her husband, Robert de Carvalho. Tutti Frutti’s 1975 album “Fruto Proibido” (“Forbidden Fruit”) set a Brazilian record for album sales. Lee hosted several TV and radio programs, including the talk shows “TvLeeZão” and “Saia Justa” (“Tight Skirt”). 

Tributes to Rita Lee 

Full obituary: Billboard 

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