Thousands bid farewell to singer Mendonça

Thousands bid farewell to singer Mendonça dpa 6 hrs ago | The Brazilian star singer Marília Mendonça (26) died in a plane crash. Her death triggered nationwide consternation and mourning up to the presidential office. Relatives mourn in front of the coffin containing the remains of Marilia Mendonca.... "The whole country is shocked by the death of one of the greatest artists of her generation," head of state Jair Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter. "The feeling is that we have lost someone very close to us, because Marília was always present in our lives through her songs." Brazilian singer Marília Mendonça died in a plane crash. Friends, relatives and fans said goodbye to Mendonça in Brazil. Thousands of people paraded past the musician's coffin in a sports hall in the city of Goiânia, as seen on Brazilian television. Many people cried and hugged each other. The Goiás state government expected up to 100,000 mourners. Mourning all over the country The Latin Grammy winner died in the crash of the small plane on its way from Goiânia near Caratinga, according to the fire brigade of the state of Minas Gerais. According to the report, there were five victims: the pilot and co-pilot, Mendonça's producer Henrique Ribeiro and her uncle and advisor Abicieli Silveira Dias Filho were also killed. There was initially no information on the cause of the crash. The Brazilian news portal "G1" and the newspaper "Folha de S. Paulo" reported that the plane carrying Mendonça crashed into a power line. A video posted on Mendonça's Instagram account had previously shown her walking to a plane with a guitar case in her hand. "Concert weekend in Minas Gerais," it read. In 2019, she won the Latin Grammy Brazilian football star Neymar, who was said to be Mendonça's friend, tweeted, "I refuse to believe it." Music greats such as Caetano Veloso and Gal Costa bid her a fond farewell on Twitter. Mendonça was one of Brazil's best-known and most popular singers. She had 40 million followers on Instagram, and in 2019 she won the Latin Grammy with the album "Em Todos os Cantos". She was nominated in 2017 and 2021. Mendonça conquered Brazil with intense and romantic lyrics and melodies. She revolutionised "sertanejo", a type of Brazilian country music, internationally known through the song "Ai Se Eu Te Pego" by Michel Telo. For a long time, the genre was almost exclusively dominated by men. Mendonça strengthened the female tone and also sang about feminist themes. Hits like "Infiel" with its angry complaint about her aunt's unfaithful husband made Mendonça the "Rainha da Sofrência", the queen of suffering. But the songs were not only well received by many women. Mendonça was one of the most listened to artists in Brazil on streaming services like Spotify.