Brazilian singer, composer and pianist Benito di Paula died at 84 at Hospital 9 de Julho in São Paulo, after complications from cancer. Born Uday Velloso in Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, he rose to national prominence in the 1970s and became one of the era’s most recognizable voices in Brazilian popular music.¹

Accounts of his career converge on the importance of his musical signature, but frame it in slightly different ways. One account emphasizes his fusion of traditional samba with piano and percussion, a style he called “samba de pianeiro” — piano-player’s samba — and credits its rhythmic piano approach with helping refresh the sound of Brazilian samba.¹ It traces his recording career from his 1971 debut album through the breakthrough of “Retalhos de Cetim” in 1973, followed by hits including “Charlie Brown,” “Bandeira do Samba” and “Tudo Está no Seu Lugar.”¹

Another account places his work in the more romantic, popular strand often described as samba-joia. It notes that his music also drew on bolero and romantic song, and that making the piano a central instrument distinguished him from samba’s more customary percussion-and-strings setup.² That view stresses his reach across radio, stages and generations, as well as a 2025 São Paulo Carnival tribute by the Águia de Ouro samba school.²

The reports also differ in emphasis between the public performer and the private loss. His extravagant television-era appearance — long hair, formal clothing, jewelry and bow ties — became part of his public identity, while his later work included recordings released in 2017 and 2021.¹ His son, musician Rodrigo Vellozo, offered a more personal farewell: “Te amo, papai! Obrigado!” — “I love you, Dad! Thank you!”²

Together, the accounts portray an artist whose career extended well beyond his peak commercial years, with a repertoire still being revisited by fellow musicians and newer listeners.