By - iMediaBuzz Team
Singer Gal Costa, an icon in the popular music movements of Tropicália and Brazil, who enjoyed a career spanning nearly six decades, died on Wednesday. She was 77 years old.
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Her death was confirmed by a press representative, who did not provide any further details.
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Arya Barroso's "Aquarella do Brasil," Tom Jobim's "Dindy," Jorge Ben Jor's "Que Pea," and Caetano Veloso's "Baby" are just a some of the songs that use the soprano's distinctive voice.
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"Gal Costa was one of the best singers in the world to take the names and sounds of Brazil in our lead artists to the entire planet," President-elect Luiz Inácio da Silva wrote on Twitter, along with a photo of him hugging was.
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"His talent, technique and courage enrich and renew our culture, sustaining and marking the lives of millions of Brazilians."
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Costa was born in María da Graca Penna Burgos in the northeastern state of Bahia and came on the scene alongside future legends Veloso, Gilberto Gil and María Bethania.
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All were already successful soloists when they formed the band Dosas Barbaros.
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Their joint side project became an important countercultural reference during Brazil's two-decade military dictatorship, inspiring a record, tour and documentary.
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In 2011, Costa was awarded the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
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She remained an active performer almost to the end, having recently suspended the show undergoing a surgery on one of her nostrils. Her next concert was scheduled for 17 December in So Paulo.
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