Roberto Leal obit

Portuguese singer Roberto Leal dies at age 67 in São Paulo.

The singer, known for the songs 'Arrebita' and 'Bate o pé', had been hospitalized for 5 days at Hospital Samaritano and died as a result of kidney failure caused by a tumor.

 He was not on the list.

Portuguese singer Roberto Leal died in the early hours of this Sunday (15), in São Paulo , at the age of 67. The information was confirmed by the press office of Hospital Samaritano, where the singer was hospitalized. He became known for the songs "Arrebita" and "Bate o pé".

The singer leaves behind his wife, Márcia Lúcia, and three children.

The death occurred due to a malignant melanoma (tumor) that progressed, reaching the liver and causing hepatorenal failure syndrome. The singer underwent cancer treatment for two years. According to the singer's press office, Leal was admitted to the hospital last Tuesday (10).

The wake will be held on Monday (16) at Casa Portugal, from 7 am to 2 pm. The burial will take place in the afternoon, at the Congonhas Cemetery, in the South Zone of the capital of São Paulo, informed the singer's manager for more than 40 years, José Sá.

"It was a fierce fight; he had been battling it for three years. It started in his eye, then spread to his leg, spine, and later we discovered it had taken over his body," the businessman explained, referring to the tumor.

"We maintained the normal schedule. In those three years, we canceled 6 shows because he had to stay in the hospital. Every 15 days he would come, Monday and Tuesday, and then continue with the schedule," said the manager.

Roberto Leal had been living in the city of São Paulo for several years.

The singer's eldest son, Rodrigo Leal, spoke of his father's passion for the Portuguese football team Benfica and for Brazil.

"He used to say that an artist can never reveal which football team he supports, nor his religion. He was very authentic, very Catholic, and in Portugal he had a passion, which was Benfica. In Brazil, we supported the teams from our colony, Portuguesa de Desportos and Vasco da Gama, in Rio de Janeiro. He always got very excited about Benfica; it was our revenge for not being able to win the championship here with Portuguesa, but with Benfica there it happened almost every year. It was one of his passions," he said.

The last thing they talked about, Rodrigo recounts, was a Benfica game. "Just father-son talk to cheer him up, you know. He was very serene, lying down. I told him that Benfica won 2-0 at home; he was a die-hard Benfica fan. If there was one thing he would stop to do on the weekend, when he didn't have a show, it was watch Benfica. He was authentically Portuguese," he said.

But Roberto Leal's love was for Brazil.

"Brazil, what I told you, is true. I challenge you to tell me how many artists have received this kind of attention, this kind of affection in other countries. Portugal calls him a Brazilian Portuguese. And he has a song that says that, 'I am a Brazilian Portuguese.' He was a guy who truly fell in love with Brazil. If you look at my father's discography, you'll see that. He recorded in Maranhão, Recife, Piauí, São Paulo, etc. If you search through his discography, you'll see that he allowed himself to be mixed in. That's his great artistic work," he said.

In his 45-year career, Roberto Leal sold over 17 million records and recorded more than 400 songs. These include tracks such as "Bate o pé" and "A festa ainda pode ser bonita".

Born in Macedo de Cavaleiros, in northern Portugal, the singer moved to Brazil at age 11 with his parents and nine siblings. In São Paulo, he worked as a shoemaker and a vendor at a fair.

In 1978, he starred in the film "The Miracle - The Power of Faith," inspired by his own story.

In the late 1980s, he moved back to Portugal to dedicate himself to the European music market. During this period, he hosted a television program in the country.

More than 20 years after the release of "Arrebita," the singer's popularity was revived when, in 1995, Mamonas Assassinas released "Vira-vira," which satirizes his songs.

In interviews, Leal often said that he felt honored by the group.

He returned to Brazil in 1998 and, two years later, released the album "Roberto Leal sings Roberto Carlos". He continued producing albums and compilations. The last one, "Arrebenta a festa", was released in 2016.

In 2018, he ran for state representative in São Paulo for the PTB party, but was not elected.