Brazilian singer and friend of Neymar Marilia Mendonça dies in plane crash

Brazil is in turmoil. On Friday, Marilia Mendonça, a 26-year-old singer who has 39 million subscribers on Instagram and 22 million on her YouTube channel, died in a plane crash. The drama took place in the state of Minas Gerais, while she was in a small plane taxi to provide representation in the southeast of the country.

Star of “sertanejo”, a musical genre close to the “country”, Marilia Mendonça died with her producer Henrique Ribeiro, her uncle Abicieli Silveira Dias Filho as well as the two pilots of the plane during the crash, according to the site G1. According to police, the probable cause of the accident was a collision with an antenna.

Before takeoff, the Brazilian singer had posted on social networks a video of her boarding, and having a meal inside the plane. She then announced “a weekend of shows”.

The death of Marilia Mendonça sent shock waves through Brazil. Many Brazilian personalities have reacted with emotion to the death of the singer, who began her career in 2014 and was one of the first women to establish herself in the “sertanejo”, a genre traditionally dominated by men.

President Jair Bolsonaro praised“one of the greatest artists of her generation”. “I refuse to believe it, I refuse”, also wrote, on Twitter, the footballer Neymar, whose singer was one of his great friends.

Very close to him, she had participated in 2019 in the birthday of the star of PSG organized in Paris. Marilia Mendonca appeared in the reception hall singing “happy birthday” to her.

“I’m crying. I think I can’t even believe it”, said musician Caetano Veloso.