João Chagas Leite
Brazilian singer (1945–2025)
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João Chagas Leite (August 22, 1945 – November 11, 2025) was a Brazilian gaúcho singer.
Life and career
Leite was born in Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul on August 22, 1945.[1] He began his career in the late 1960s and gained prominence when he participated in California da Canção Nativa, in Uruguaiana. He blended, milonga, vaneira and other frontier rhythms.[2] Throughout a career lasting five decades, he became a renowned interpreter of native music, winning numerous awards in native music festivals.[3]
He performed at the Latin America Memorial, in São Paulo, as well as internationally in Uruguay and Argentina.[4]
Due to a physical disability in his left hand, Leite had to play the guitar in an inverted way until he learned to adapt.[5]
Leite died on November 11, 2025, at the age of 80, after suffering from colorectal cancer.[6]