Remembering Rita Lee: Brazil's Black Sheep
- Sofia R. Willcox
- May 8, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: May 8
In May 2023, newspapers across the globe reported the death of Rita Lee, with headlines proclaiming her “Brazil’s Queen of Rock”, “Tropicália Pioneer”, and “Os Mutantes Founder”. In May 2025, they echo these tributes with renewed interest, prompted by the release of a recent documentary. While these descriptions are accurate, they do not fully capture the breadth of her legacy. Rita Lee was all of these things – and more. Her impact extended far beyond her 40-record discography.
Rita’s musical journey began under the influence of her mother, a pianist, who sparked her early interest in music. She later studied with Magdalena Tagliaferro, a renowned Brazilian classical musician. The piano – traditionally associated with femininity and delicacy – played a crucial role in shaping her artistic development.
Rockabilly and Rebellious
Rita Lee’s youth and early career unfolded in 1960s Brazil, a period marked by military dictatorship, characterised by authoritarianism, censorship, political persecution, exile, and widespread human rights abuses. Even today, silence often surrounds this dark and appalling chapter in Brazilian history. Many victims suffered physical and psychological trauma, social marginalisation, disappearance, torture, and death.
Despite the repression, the “years of lead” did not stifle Brazil’s cultural revolution. Like many of her generation, Rita Lee was deeply influenced by the British Invasion and the countercultural movement. Rebellion, defiance of authority, and a transgressive spirit became part of her identity from adolescence.
Her first bands were Tulio Trio, where she sang backing vocals in tribute to Ray Charles, and Teenage Singers, her school band, where she also played drums. Teenage Singers attracted the attention of renowned Brazilian artists Prini Lopez and Tony Campelo (brother of Celly Campelo, a pioneering woman in Brazilian rock). This led to the group providing backing vocals on several records in the early 1960s.
Revolution–Evolution: They All Wanted to Change the World
In 1964–1965, the Teenage Singers crossed paths with the Baptista brothers, members of the rival band Wooden Faces. Eventually, they joined forces to form the Six Sided Rockers. Their record label suggested adopting a Portuguese name to better resonate with the audience, and so O’Seis was born.
Over time, the band was reduced to a trio, initially called Os Bruxos. Known for their extravagant performances, provocative lyrics, and use of alternative effects and techniques, they were ahead of their time, employing equipment that had not yet even arrived in Brazil.
Their debut took place on the television show O Pequeno Mundo de Ronnie Von, hosted by rising star Ronnie Von. Inspired by a science fiction book he had read, Von renamed the band Os Mutantes. Their appearance on the show is widely regarded as the birth of psychedelic rock in Brazil. They quickly captivated Brazilian youth, although their musical and visual experimentation was seen as subversive by conservatives and the military.
Os Mutantes: Brazilian Beatles
The British Invasion arrived in Brazil in the 1960s, leaving a lasting legacy through movements like Jovem Guardaand bands such as Os Mutantes. They are considered Brazil’s band most comparable to The Beatles. The original line-up consisted of Rita Lee, Arnaldo Baptista, and Sérgio Dias. However, as time passed and members departed – most notably Rita herself – the band transitioned into a progressive rock outfit.
Before these changes, the original trio had preserved their hallmark eccentricity from the Os Bruxos days – extravagant performances, humorous aesthetics, costumes, and experimental techniques. They were pioneers in fusing Brazilian rhythms with international rock influences.
Their distinctive sound drew the attention and praise of major music figures, including Sean Lennon and Kurt Cobain, who even left a note for one of the members during Nirvana’s brief tour in Brazil in 1993.
Their career was cemented through frequent appearances on television and at festivals. These events, organised by TV networks such as Excelsior and Record, became a significant cultural phenomenon in Brazil during the 1960s, often showcasing protest songs and launching the careers of iconic Brazilian musicians.
MPB and Rock Make Peace: Tropicalismo is Born
A pivotal moment came with the performance of Domingo no Parque at the 1967 Festival de Música Popular Brasileira. This event signalled a musical truce between Brazilian rock and MPB (Música Popular Brasileira). Just months earlier, in July, a march had protested the use of electric guitars, opposing the foreign influence in Brazilian music and calling for the preservation of national identity. The performance by Gilberto Gil and Os Mutantes that day gave birth to Tropicália.
Tropicalismo, or Tropicália, emerged as a cultural and musical movement in Brazil during the 1960s, rising in prominence amid military dictatorship. It served as a bold form of artistic resistance, merging traditional Brazilian styles with avant-garde, psychedelic, and rock influences.
Artists involved in Tropicália sought to disrupt the political and cultural status quo by championing hybridity, diversity, and critique. Through irony, satire, metaphor, and ambiguity, they cleverly subverted censorship and addressed controversial issues – offering veiled resistance. Many of the movement’s artists were ultimately arrested or exiled, leading to its eventual decline.
Starwoman in the Tropics
After a series of disagreements with her bandmates, Rita Lee left Os Mutantes in 1972 and relocated to London, where she was profoundly influenced. While in the band, she had adopted a feminine, hippie persona, but her time in Britain exposed her to glam rock—particularly the aesthetics of David Bowie and Mick Jagger.
She embraced Bowie’s androgyny and adopted a distinctive red fringe, cementing her image. Returning to Brazil, she formed the duo Cilibrinas do Éden with Lucinha Turnbull, who is celebrated as Brazil’s first female guitarist. Their style blended Brazilian rock with folk. Eventually, they met the band Lisergia and together formed Tutti Frutti.
Their glam rock sensibility attracted fascination – and, at times, controversy – due to its androgynous style and flamboyant visuals, which challenged Brazil’s conservative norms. One notable incident was Rita Lee’s arrest on trumped-up drugs offences by the military regime while pregnant – a clear act of repression against the youth movement.
Patroness of Freedom
In numerous interviews and in her autobiography, Rita Lee discussed the male-dominated and overtly sexist environment of the music industry, especially within rock. She was among the first female musicians in Brazil to write songs, arrange music, and play electric guitar.
With an acerbic wit, irreverent character, and eccentric style, she released songs that became feminist milestones. Her lyrics explored taboos in conservative society, tackling female identity and self-affirmation head-on. Topics included gender equality, female sexuality and pleasure, and menstruation.
Her rock ’n’ roll spirit never dimmed, continually challenging the establishment – even as her musical style spanned multiple genres. She spoke openly about her use of drugs and alcohol, which eventually led to addiction and a period of rehabilitation.
One of her most iconic performances was a cover of É Proibido Fumar with Gilberto Gil, where they openly advocated for the legalisation of marijuana. This became a cause she championed publicly, and during her final tour, she was arrested once again – this time for promoting legalisation.
Rita Lee became an icon across generations – not only to 1960s youth or her legion of female fans. She made her mark on telenovela soundtracks, charmed younger audiences with children’s music and books, and paved the way for future artists like Paula Toller and Pitty. Her influence crossed borders, earning admiration in countries such as France and even catching the attention of King Charles, as reported in a 1988 Daily Mirror headline.
Offstage, Rita Lee was just as iconic. Long before it was mainstream in Brazil, she adopted vegetarianism, became an environmentalist, and advocated for animal rights. After retiring from live performances, she embraced ageing with defiance – eschewing hair dye and cosmetic surgery, pushing back against the ageism and greyphobia of the industry. In 2016, she published her autobiography, candidly addressing long-silenced taboos, including her experiences with abortion and childhood abuse.
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