Singer Gal Costa, one of the emblematic voices of the Brazilian Popular Music generation of the 1960s, passed away in São Paulo on Wednesday morning (November 9). She was 77 years old. Costa’s death occurred while she was taking a break from her performances following surgery to remove a nodule in her nasal cavity. The cause of death has not been revealed.
Costa, born in Bahia and known for her unique vocal timbre, was one of the few female artists to be part of Tropicália, a cultural movement of the late 1960s that, celebrating the blending of Brazil’s cultural traditions with influences foreign, changed paradigms and resonates to this day.
Along with names like Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, and Rita Lee, she was part of a group of artists who recorded Tropicália’s manifesto album, Tropicália: ou Panis et Circencis, in 1968. Considered one of the most important Brazilian albums of all time, Panis et Circenses was also instrumental in Costa’s musical career. After the release of the album, she was widely called the “muse of Tropicália”.
“Tropicalia was a great discovery for me. I was listening to Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and I felt it was time to break with everything I considered ‘sacred’, which was singing like João Gilberto. Every young person who makes music today looks towards Tropicália”, said Costa in 2015 in an interview for Folha de São Paulo.
In her more than 55-year career, Costa has released more than 40 albums, including the iconic -Fa-Tal- Gal a Todo Vapor (1971) and Índia (1973), and four of which have been nominated for a Latin Grammy at the category of best Brazilian popular music album. In 2011, Costa was also honored with a Latin Grammy for Musical Excellence. One of Costa’s recent musical partners was the late sertaneja music star Marília Mendonça, with whom she recorded the single “Cuidando de Longe” in 2018.
Among the many Brazilian personalities who have paid tribute to the late MPB artist is the newly elected President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. On his Twitter account, the politician described Costa as “one of the greatest singers in the world.”
“Her talent, her technique and her audacity enriched and renewed our culture, and marked the lives of millions of Brazilians,” she wrote.