BRAZIL. (THECOUNT) — Marília Mendonça, the most-listened to artist in Brazil on Spotify in 2019 and 2020, died today in a plane crash, according to her public relations firm.

A sertanejo country music star in Brazil, Mendonça had more than 38 million followers on Instagram. She was a feminist icon who sang about empowering women.

Advertisement

Mendona’s plane went down in a rural region of the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, her PR firm said. She was traveling to a concert at the time of the crash. Four other people with her died. Photographs and videos show the plane lying just beneath a waterfall.

On Friday, Mendonça posted a video to social media showing her walking toward the plane, guitar case in hand.

News of the crash rocked Brazil. Known as “The Boss” to her millions of fans, Brazilians worldwide shared their grief online.

DEVELOPING::

Geo quick facts: Minas Gerais, a large inland state in southeastern Brazil, is known for colonial-era towns dating to the country’s 18th-century gold rush. With cobblestone streets, ornate mansions and baroque churches decorated by the sculptor Aleijadinho, these towns include São João del Rei, Tiradentes and Ouro Preto, the old capital. The famous steam train Maria Fumaça (“Smoking Mary”) links Tiradentes to São João del Rei – wikipedia.