Samba singer and composer Noca da Portela died on Sunday, May 17, at the age of 93. He had been hospitalized in São Cristóvão, in northern Rio de Janeiro, since the end of April.
Noca da Portela, whose real name was Osvaldo Alves Pereira, had been hospitalized since April 30. On May 11 he was transferred to the intensive care unit because of pneumonia.
The Portela samba school posted a note of condolence on social media. “Noca da Portela leaves a legacy of love for Brazilian popular music, for samba and for our Majesty”, the school stated, decreeing three days of mourning.
Born in Minas Gerais, Noca joined Portela in the 1960s after being introduced by Paulinho da Viola. He was part of the school’s Trio ABC and won the samba-enredo contest seven times. Among his works are “Recordar é viver” from 1985 and “ImaginaRIO, 450 Janeiros de uma Cidade Surreal” from 2015.
Samba celebrities paid tribute online. Carlinhos de Jesus wrote: “My condolences to the family, friends and to Samba! Rest in peace!”. Roberta Sá lamented: “What sadness!! Thank you, master 💙”.
