A huge crowd poured into the hometown of Marilia Mendonça, one of Brazil's most popular singers, who died the day before in a plane crash at the age of 26.
Star of "sertanejo", a musical genre close to "country" and very popular in the country, the singer perished in the crash of a small plane-taxi in the state of Minas Gerais (south-east).
His body was transported on Saturday to his hometown, Goiania, the capital of the state of Goais (center), where his admirers flocked in large numbers to a stadium where a large public vigil is to take place.
"It's a huge loss"
They began to queue at dawn for a chance to enter the stadium which can accommodate 15,000 spectators and where floral arrangements were arriving continuously, AFP journalists noted. Around 100,000 people were expected, Goias State Governor Ronaldo Caiado said. “We came to say goodbye to Marilia Mendonça and thank her for spending these years of her life singing for us and helping our hearts fly,” a student told G1 news channel, Davi Dyeimes Linares, who drove 130 km to be among the first in the queue
“It's such a strong emotion that we don't know how to express it.
It's a huge pain for all Brazilians, ”for his part reacted to AFP Matheus Alves, 22 years old.
“It's a huge loss.
It's such a shock that I have no words to describe it, ”said Gustavo Lacerda, a 16-year-old teenager, before singing one of Marilia Mendonça's songs.
Neymar and Jair Bolsonaro paid tribute to him
The singer, along with an uncle who worked with her and who was also killed in the crash, are later to be buried in a small private ceremony in a cemetery in Goiania.
Immensely popular in Brazil, Marilia Mendonça had 39 million subscribers on Instagram and 22 million on her YouTube channel.
Nicknamed the "queen of suffering", she was known for her ballads on love and heartache, but also on the emancipation of women. His death drew tributes from many personalities, from Brazilian music legend Caetano Veloso to football superstar Neymar, to President Jair Bolsonaro, for whom Brazil is "in shock". “She was one of the greatest artists of her generation,” he tweeted.
Just before the accident, the singer had posted on social networks a video of her boarding and having a meal inside the plane, announcing "a weekend of shows".
Authorities said the aircraft struck an electricity pylon near Caratinga airport, but it is not known whether this caused the crash or whether the plane was already crashing.
Air Force officials continued the investigation on the spot on Saturday.
The twin-engine crashed near a picturesque waterfall near this town, where Marilia Mendonça was scheduled to perform.
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