Rubén Rada dies at 83; Uruguay mourns music icon

Rubén Rada, one of Uruguay's most influential musicians, died on Wednesday, August 26, at the age of 83, after a month-long battle with bilateral pneumonia. His family confirmed the news in a statement on his social media, saying he passed away at 3:30 PM local time Source: infobae. The government of Uruguay declared official mourning for Thursday, with the national flag at half-mast and a public wake at the Palacio Legislativo Source: infobae.

The farewell

Hundreds of people gathered spontaneously on Isla de Flores street, a candombe landmark, to honor Rada with drums and music, fulfilling his wish expressed in his song "Muriendo de plena": "When I die I don't want crying or sorrow, I prefer to be waked dancing a rich plena" Source: clarin. The Senate interrupted its session for a minute of silence, and President Yamandú Orsi paid tribute, saying, "Thanks for your creativity, for your joy, for your generosity" Source: infobae.

A legacy of fusion

Born in 1943 in Montevideo's Barrio Sur, Rada began performing candombe at age 10 and later co-founded pioneering bands like El Kinto and Tótem, blending candombe, jazz, and rock Source: elnacionalve. He released over 40 albums and received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 Source: emolcl. At the time of his death, he was active with projects including a tribute to Tótem planned for October and a new series "¿Quién va a cantar?" launched on his 83rd birthday Source: lavozar.

Controversy over tribute

A separate controversy emerged when cartoonist Nik published an AI-generated tribute to Rada that showed the musician with 12 fingers and other anatomical errors. Fellow cartoonist Liniers criticized it, writing, "12 fingers? I prefer the tear" Source: La Voz del Interior. This reignited debates about Nik's methods, as he has faced plagiarism accusations in the past Source: La Voz del Interior.