Popular singer Linda de Souza, popular in the 80s and a figure in the Portuguese community in France, died on Wednesday at the age of 74 in a hospital in Chisors, Normandy.
“Her son Jono Lanza and I are saddened to inform you of the death of Linda de Souza today at 10:10 a.m.,” her agent told AFP.
The singer was transferred to the emergency room of the Gisours hospital on Wednesday morning, “respiratory disorder and positive for COVID-19,” Fabian Lecouvre said in a press release.
The announcement of his death sparked reactions in Portugal and France.
“Linda de Sousa remains in our memories as an example of determination and loyalty. She was a French symbol of Portuguese settlement and therefore a symbol of Portugal,” Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said in a statement.
French Culture Minister Reema Abdel Malak hailed it as “a unique journey”. “Set out with a cardboard box to win her freedom, rose to the heights of fame and faced many trials,” she tweeted.
Most famous in France in the 1980s, she was inspired by the story of her secret crossing of the French border with her son and only a “cardboard suitcase” as luggage, which she describes in the book. Cardboard box Released in 1984 and sold over 2 million copies.
The Queen of Variety, Linda de Souza, whose real name is Theolinda Joaquina de Souza Lanza, was born on February 22, 1948, in Peringal, in the south of Portugal.
She had to flee “a tyrannical family” in Salazar, a very conservative Portugal, where single mothers like her were not tolerated.
Between French genres and Portuguese songs, he would sell millions of records throughout his career, mainly in France.
He filled the Olympia for two series of concerts in 1983 and 1984, then continued to make broadcasts to promote his autobiography, sometimes with his son Joao Carlos, nicknamed “Jeannot”.
He last appeared on stage from 2015 to 2017 with the Tender Age Tour.
Published in 2015, My 40 golden songs Reissued by Linda de Souza in November on a box set by Marianne Melody, a label dedicated to the heritage of French-speaking song.
