Singer Gal Costa died Wednesday morning, her PR agency confirms.
Known for her honey-smooth voice, she was one of Brazil's biggest stars.
Since the 70s, she has produced a long line of albums and won several awards, including a Grammy Award.
Would have played in Stockholm
During the late 60s, she was one of the main voices in the influential Brazilian counterculture movement Tropicália, which mixed Brazilian rhythms with Western popular music.
She sang with, among others, Gilberto Gil and Tom Jobim.
Gal Costa was supposed to play at Nalen in Stockholm in April next year during the Selam festival.
She was also one of the confirmed acts at the Primavera Sound music festival, which she recently canceled due to health issues.
The president is grieving
During the day, newly elected president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva tweeted a picture of him embracing the artist and wrote:
“Gal Costa was one of the greatest singers in the world, one of our foremost artists who took Brazil's name and sound to the whole planet.
Her talent, technique and boldness enriched and renewed our culture, shaping and shaping the lives of millions of Brazilians”.