João Chagas Leite, Pillar of Gaúcho Nativist Music, Dies at 80

Overview

• Family members and bandmates confirmed he died on November 11 while hospitalized for cancer at the Hospital de Caridade de Erechim.
• A wake was held in Erechim, and burial is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Wednesday, November 12, at Cemitério Pio XII.
• He was celebrated for signature works including “Desassossegos” and “Ave Sonora,” which became staples of the regional repertoire.
• Over more than five decades, he authored about 300 compositions and won 13 traditional music festivals.
• He adapted to a left‑hand impairment by playing the guitar inverted and later with a thimble, and his hometown of Uruguaiana decreed three days of official mourning.