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LifestyleBrazil

Brazilian pop star Marilia Mendonca dies in plane crash

November 6, 2021

The 26-year-old Latin Grammy winner had posted a video that showed her walking toward the plane earlier in the day. The plane crashed between Marilia Mendonca's hometown and Caratinga, north of Rio de Janeiro.

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Singer Marilia Mendonca with a microphone, pointing upward
Marilia Mendonca was on her way to a concert when the airplane crashedImage: Andre Cardoso/TheNEWS2/ZUMA/picture alliance

Brazilian singer and Latin Grammy winner Marilia Mendonca died in an airplane crash on Friday, her press office has confirmed. The 26-year-old country star was on her way to a concert. 

The statement also confirmed the deaths of four other passengers including her producer Henrique Ribeiro and aide Abicieli Silveira Dias Filho. The pilot and co-pilot were also killed in the crash, which took place between Mendonca's hometown of Goiania and Caratinga, a small city in Minas Gerais state north of Rio de Janeiro. 

Minas Gerais state's civil police also confirmed the death but did not provide details about the cause of the accident.

Earlier in the day, Mendonca had posted a video that showed her walking toward the plane, guitar case in hand. 

Nation mourns her loss

Brazil has been overrun by a wave of sadness as fans, musicians, politicians and football players take to social media to express sorrow and disbelief over Mendonca's death. 

"I refuse to believe, I just refuse,'' Brazilian football player Neymar said on Twitter. The Paris Saint-Germain star was a friend of Mendonca's.

A crashed airplane next to trees and a source of water, with rescue workers surrounding it
The singer had posted a video of her walking toward the plane earlier in the dayImage: Minas Gerais Civil Police/AP/picture alliance

The government also offered its condolences, with President Jair Bolsonaro referring to Mendonca as "one of the greatest artists of her generation."

"The entire country receives the news in shock," he said, adding that it felt like "we have lost someone very close."

Rising star of sertanejo

Mendonca rose to fame by mastering the Brazilian country music style sertanejo. Her album Todos os Cantos won her the 2019 Latin Grammy for best sertanejo album. She had been nominated for the same category this year for her album Patroas.

In addition to writing songs about love, Mendonca also tackled several feminist issues. She used her platform to denounce men who control their partners and called for female empowerment.

Mendonca is survived by a son, who turns 2 next month.

see/msh (Reuters, AP)

Correction (November 6, 2021): An earlier version of this article misspelled the name of Abicieli Silveira Dias Filho. DW apologizes for the error