Rita Lee
Rita Lee Jones de Carvalho (born Rita Lee Jones; 31 December 1947 – 8 May 2023), known professionally as Rita Lee, was a Brazilian singer, songwriter, writer, television presenter and activist. Known as the "Queen of Brazilian Rock", she stood out as one of the most influential figures in the country's popular music, recognised for her reinvention and versatility in musical and audiovisual production. She began her career in rock, but over the years explored psychedelia, pop rock, disco, new wave, pop, bossa nova and electronic music, promoting a pioneering hybridisation between international genres and domestic traditions. This trajectory enabled her to move beyond the underground circuit of the 1960s and 1970s and achieve widespread success with romantic ballads in the 1980s, contributing significantly to the Brazilian musical revolution.
Born and raised in São Paulo, she began her musical journey in 1963, joining the Tulio's Trio and, later, the Teenage Singers (which would become Os Seis). She rose to domestic prominence as the vocalist and instrumentalist of the Tropicália group Os Mutantes. She achieved solo stardom with the album Fruto Proibido (1975), recorded with the band Tutti Frutti and regarded as an essential milestone in the history of Brazilian rock, serving as a reference for generations of guitarists. In 1976, she established a romantic and creative partnership with the multi-instrumentalist and composer Roberto de Carvalho, with whom she co-wrote most of her repertoire. Together, they revolutionised pop music in Brazil and released a series of commercially highly successful albums, including Mania de Você (1979), Lança Perfume (1980), Saúde (1981) and Flagra (1982), the last of which is one of the best-selling Brazilian albums of all time. Her compositions, marked by sharp irony and advocacy for female autonomy, became constant presences in the charts, with songs such as "Ovelha Negra", "Agora Só Falta Você", "Mania de Você", "Lança Perfume", "Baila Comigo", "Saúde", "Banho de Espuma", "Flagra", "Desculpe o Auê", "Erva Venenosa", "Amor e Sexo" and "Reza".
Her visibility was reinforced through year-end specials on TV Globo — Rita Lee Jones (1980), Saúde (1981), O Circo (1982) and Rita e Roberto (1985) — and through her work as a presenter on programmes such as TVLeezão (1991), Saia Justa (2002) and Madame Lee (2005). As a writer, she published nine books during her lifetime and two posthumously, with particular note for her first autobiography, which sold seventy times the average print run of a book in Brazil. She also presented radio programmes and appeared in films and series, winning the Troféu Calunga for Best Supporting Actress in 2006. A committed vegan, she defended the rights of animals, women and the LGBT community.
With more than 55 million records sold, Lee is the most commercially successful female Brazilian artist in history. A pioneer in large-scale domestic tours, she became the first Brazilian singer to perform in gyms and stadiums, attracting 500,000 spectators over a three-month period with the highly successful Tour Brasil 83. Among her distinctions are 12 Brazilian Music Awards, three APCA Awards, three Troféus Imprensa, two Latin Grammys and the honorary prize from the União Brasileira de Compositores (UBC). She was also listed by Rolling Stone Brasil among the greatest Brazilian voices and artists of all time.
Pérolas
- 2016-01-15T00:00:00.000000Z
Reza
- 1970-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z
Ao Vivo
- 1970-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z
Balacobaco
- 1970-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z
Rita Lee 3001
- 2000-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z
Rita Lee
- 1993-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z
Zona Zen
- 1988-07-01T00:00:00.000000Z
Flerte Fatal
- 1987-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z
Rita E Roberto
- 1985-09-01T00:00:00.000000Z
Bombom
- 1983-05-27T00:00:00.000000Z
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