Son says Rita Lee dubbed lung tumor ‘Jair’

Speaking about his mother’s recovery, singer and guitarist Beto Lee revealed that Rita Lee, 74, nicknamed the lung tumor “Jair”.

“That’s Rita”, said Beto, in a post on social networks.

The singer-songwriter underwent treatment for lung cancer and, according to her family, was successful. She underwent radiation and immunotherapy sessions.

“Best news ever. He kept his head high, ready to fight and faced it all with his usual good humor,” said the son.

Rita was diagnosed last year, after undergoing tests at the Albert Einstein hospital in São Paulo. She and her husband, musician and composer Roberto de Carvalho, published, earlier this week, a photo in which the artist appears sitting in a garden, next to a swimming pool.

Away from the stage for ten years, the rocker currently writes children’s books and is an activist in defense of animals. A recent exhibition at MIS (Museu da Imagem e do Som) celebrated her career with photos, costumes and installations that recalled the different phases of the singer.

Beto Lee also celebrated the presence of Branco Mello, 60, lead singer and bassist of Titãs, in a concert by the band at the Rock Brasil festival, over the weekend.

“Still recovering from two major surgeries, I went on stage and played several songs with my titanic brothers. A little more I’ll be back with everything”, said Branco, called by Beto a “highlander”.

The musician was hospitalized last year, in São Paulo, after discovering a tumor in the hypopharynx (region of entry to the esophagus) at an early stage. The disease is a recurrence of a cancer treated in 2018 and was discovered in routine exams.

Beto Lee has been part of the Titãs since 2016.