The singer and composer Marília Mendonça, one of the most recognized artists in Brazil, feminist icon and winner of a Latin Grammy in 2019, died this Friday in a plane crash that has caused a huge commotion in the country.
Mendonça, known as the ‘Queen of suffering’ for her melancholic and deep style, has passed away at the age of 26, at the height of his artistic career, which began when she was a child, writing lyrics for successful compositions.
The plane crash in which the artist died occurred at 3.30 p.m. local time (6.30 p.m. GMT), when the device fell on a rocky area near a waterfall, in the town of Piedade de Caratinga, in the state of Minas Gerais (southeast). In addition, the other four occupants of the plane died in the crash: its producer Henrique Ribeiro, his uncle and advisor Abicieli Silveira, the pilot and the co-pilot of the plane.
The first line of the investigation opened to clarify the causes of the tragedy points out that the plane collided with some high tension cables before hitting the ground, just two kilometers from the runway.
The singer had planned to give a concert in Caratinga, about ten kilometers away from the scene of the accident, before 8,000 people. According to the images released of the accident, the aircraft, a Beech Aircraft model and which had all the papers in order, according to the Brazilian authorities, fell into an area that is difficult to access for rescue teams because of the rugged terrain.
Icon of the ‘Feminejo’
In recent years, Mendonça became a reference for contemporary Brazilian music, especially Sertaneja music, one of the most popular styles of the South American giant that revolutionized with various issues on female empowerment.
All this transformation of a genre until then dominated by men and joined by other Brazilian singers, led to the creation of the genre ‘Feminejo’, in which women are the protagonists.
Born on July 22, 1995 in the municipality of Cristianópolis, in the state of Goiás (center), Mendonça he started composing when he was barely 12 years old. The table cuts off writing songs such as ‘It’s With Her That I Am’, ‘Until you come back’ and ‘Take Care of Her’, which became popular in the voice of other artists.
In 2016, he began to emerge on the Brazilian music scene with the release of his first album, which he named after himself and included hugely successful songs, such as ‘Saudade do Meu Ex’, ‘Folgado’ and ‘Unfaithful’, this last song was the most sung and played of that year in Brazil.
The following year, he published his second work, ‘Realidade’, which has already earned him a nomination in the Grammy Latino, but it wasn’t until 2019 that won the prestigious award in the category of Best Sertaneja Music Album for his project ‘Todos os Cantos’.
Mendonça received this recognition when she was pregnant with her son Léo, who will be two years old in December. The renowned artist He was currently resuming his concert schedule after the stoppage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused almost 610,000 deaths in Brazil.
Upheaval in culture, politics and sport
The unexpected loss of Mendonça has generated a torrent of reactions from the cultural, political and sports world of the country. The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has said that the “whole country” is “in shock” for the death of “one of the greatest artists of her generation, who with her unique voice, her charisma and her music won the affection and admiration of all”.
In addition, the progressive ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro’s greatest political antagonist, sent his condolences “to the relatives and millions of followers of Mendonça’s music, charisma and irreverence.
Along the same lines, renowned Brazilian artists, such as the singer Anitta or the singer-songwriter Caetano Veloso, have also expressed their sadness on social networks. “One of the nicest women I’ve ever come across in my career “, has stated Anitta, while Veloso, one of the greatest exponents of Brazilian Popular Music (MPB) has published: “I’m crying. I can’t believe it.”
The same reaction has had the Brazilian forward Neymar, Paris Saint-Germain player, who cannot believe what happened either: “I refuse to believe it, I refuse”, has expressed the star of Canarinha.
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
