Virada Cultural has a show in honor of Rita Lee at Anhangabaú

Virada Cultural opened this Sunday (28) with a show on the Anhangabaú Stage in honor of singer Rita Lee, who died on May 8. The space was one of the venues where the Virada Cultural do Pertencimento 2023 attractions took place. Retired metalworker Wilson Pestana, 75, danced and sang throughout the show. He said that he accompanied the singer throughout her life and that Rita was always one of her idols for her dynamism. “I’ve seen a lot of her shows since the festivals. She is not present, but her son is and that is also very important. I would like to put a wig on him so he can become his mother”, he joked.

Carla Maria Barreira, 55 years old and also retired, left the south zone of São Paulo to watch the show. Thrilled, she said that, despite loving all the songs, she never had the chance to see Rita perform. Carla praised the tribute, which was well deserved, according to her. “I like strong revolutionary, independent women, and I see myself in her a lot. I love Rita and the whole family, they are beautiful. I’m passionate about the songs because they have lyrics that really touch us, just like her, because she’s part of our lives too. As a person, as a human being, a woman as a feminist,” she said.

Rita’s son, Beto Lee, said it was very moving to pay this tribute to his mother’s career and life. He also said that the tributes had already started last year, but, with Rita’s death, the celebration gains new weight. “She only left us in body, because in heart and soul she is here with me, she is here with everyone. It was exciting and delicious. Let more cultural turns come. She loved playing at Virada Cultural, which is the face of São Paulo because it is an event that runs 24 hours a day for a city that runs 24 hours a day”.

Singer Paula Lima, who was one of the guests, singing Nem Luxo Nem Lixo, also highlighted the emotion of participating, also because this edition of Virada adds the value of belonging, which brings several meanings to the event. “Within this Virada singing Rita has a very special flavor. Rita is part of every woman’s life, she is part of Brazilians’ lives. She is an inspiration, an example, an iconic woman who was always ahead of her time, believing in Brazil, in Brazilians, and I think this is a moment for us to strengthen this and celebrate this very powerful existence.”

Débora Reis, the singer who took over the vocals in the homage, taking to the public remarkable songs from Rita’s trajectory such as Things in Life, Doce Vampiro, All Women in the World, Ovelha Negra, Jardins da Babilônia, Ando Meio Offline, from the Mutantes phase, among others, he said that he was a backing vocalist in the band from 2000 to 2014, which he considers a period of great learning.

“Today I thought I was going to cry, that I wasn’t going to make it, because it’s the first show we do after she’s gone. But I ended up being more nervous about the sound than I wanted to cry, so it was great because it wasn’t a crying re-release. And Rita didn’t want that either. I hear her voice saying ‘go sing, man! Gonna cry? No, animal’. So I’m sure that up there she was thinking ‘have fun and have fun with the people there, please’”.

Bassist Lee Marcucci, from the band Tutti Frutti, in which Rita participated in the 1970s, also participated in the tribute, singer Manu Gavassi, who sang Esse tal de Roque Enrow, lyrics that tell the story, through the eyes of a mother, of her teenage daughter that changes its behavior when knowing the musical genre. At the end of the presentation, Débora Reis, Paula Lima and Manu Gavassi sang together the classic Launch Perfume. “You know the affection I have for Rita. It is an honor to be here”, said Manu Gavassi.

For the Secretary of Culture, Aline Torres, the homage was beautiful and moving, especially when seeing the audience crying and singing Rita Lee’s songs. “It was the first concrete tribute from the city of São Paulo. Everything was very well designed and when I told Mayor Ricardo Nunes that I was going to invite Beto Lee, he said it would be great to start Sunday like this. And indeed it was, because everyone was very emotional both on stage and in the audience. It was awesome,” she celebrated.

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