The wake will be held in the Hall of Lost Steps at the Legislative Palace.
On Thursday, the Uruguayan government declared official mourning for the death of musician Ruben Rada, with the national flag flying at half-mast and funeral honors at the Legislative Palace in Montevideo, where his wake will be held.
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Rada, a key figure in Uruguayan music, died at the age of 83 after a month-long battle with pneumonia. His family announced the news with a message of gratitude to the medical team and the public for their support.
President Yamandu Orsi bid him farewell, thanking him for his “creativity and joy,” while Vice President Carolina Cosse affirmed that “our Negro Rada will always be present.” The Secretary of the Presidency, Alejandro Sanchez, remembered him as a “generous and dedicated” figure in his country.
The wake will be held this Thursday in the Hall of Lost Steps at the Legislative Palace, from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. local time, and will be open to the public to pay tribute to one of Uruguay’s great artists.
Cuando yo me muera, no quiero llanto ni pena
Prefiero que se me vele bailando una rica plena
Rubén Rada pic.twitter.com/FkgfXlgcvm— Juan Manuel Karg (@jmkarg) August 27, 2026
The text reads, “When I die, I don’t want tears or sorrow. I prefer to be kept vigil over dancing a rich plena.”
Born in Montevideo in 1943, Rada began his career in the candombe comparsa Morenada and later joined groups such as Los Hot Blowers, El Kinto Conjunto, and Totem, pioneers of candombe-beat.
Rada sang every genre: tango, milonga, murga, plena, cha-cha-cha, bossa nova. Carlos Dopico, a Uruguayan cultural journalist, wrote that the artist achieved something many aspire to but don’t always attain: “to embrace the elite and reach the masses.”
As the author of an extensive discography, he received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011, which solidified his status as an international icon of Uruguayan popular music.
The Vatican has officially announced that Pope Leo XIV will undertake an apostolic journey through Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from November 6 to 17.
The tour marks a historic return to the continent where he spent decades in missionary work.#PopeLeoXIV #Vatican #Uruguay… pic.twitter.com/XS8FnFg4R7
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) August 5, 2026
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE – El Pais
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