Gal Costa, a Tropicalia Movement Icon From the 1960s, Died at the Age of 77

A press representative confirmed the death of singer Gal Costa, but they did not provide any additional information about the tragedy.

On Wednesday, singer Gal Costa, an icon in the Tropicalia and Brazilian popular music movements who had a career spanning nearly six decades, passed away. Gal Costa was a popular singer in Brazil. It was the year 77. A representative of the press has confirmed her passing, but they have not provided any additional information.

The dark-haired soprano with wild curls was best known for lending her distinctive voice to a number of well-known compositions, including Ary Barroso’s “Aquarela do Brasil” (Watercolor of Brazil), Tom Jobim’s “Dindi,” Jorge Ben Jor’s “Que Pena” (What a Shame), and Caetano Veloso’s “Baby.” Her hair was described as having “wild curls.”

Alongside a photo of him hugging her, President-elect Luiz Inácio da Silva wrote on Twitter, “Gal Costa was among the world’s best singers, among our principal artists to carry the name and sounds of Brazil to the whole planet.”

The tweet was accompanied by a photo of him holding her. “Her talent, technique, and courage enriched and renewed our culture, cradled and marked the lives of millions of Brazilians,” is how the author describes the impact that she had.

Maria da Graca Penna Burgos was born in the state of Bahia, which is located in the country’s northeastern region. She emerged on the scene at the same time as future legends such as Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, and Maria Bethania.

Before forming Doces Bárbaros, each member had already established themselves as a successful solo artist. During Brazil’s two-decade-long military dictatorship, their collaborative side project became an important counterculture reference, leading to the recording of an album, as well as a tour and a documentary.

In 2011, Costa was presented with a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his extensive body of work.

She continued to perform up until the point where she was almost finished, but she had to temporarily stop doing shows so that she could get surgery on one of her nostrils. Her subsequent performance was supposed to take place in Sao Paulo on December 17th.