Following the death of iconic Brazilian footballer Pelé, fans are remembering his musical career.
Pelé – full name Edson Arantes do Nascimento – died yesterday (December 29) aged 82 following an illness. A statement from the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in São Paulo said the athlete had died “due to the failure of multiple organs, a result of the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous clinical condition”.
As well as footballers across the globe, many in the music and entertainment world also paid tribute to Pelé.
While winning three World Cup titles with Brazil, and remaining the only player in history to lift the trophy thrice, Pelé also played the guitar and sang, composing original music for a self-titled 1977 documentary about his life.
Later in his life, he released debut album ‘Pelé Ginga’ in 2006, featuring samba rap star Rappin’ Hood and Tropicália legends Gilberto Gil and Elis Regina.
A decade later, he recorded the single ‘Esperança’ to mark the start of the 2016 summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
In 2020, Pelé then teamed up with Rodrigo y Gabriela to release a collaborative track titled ‘Acredita No Véio (Listen To The Old Man)’. The unlikely team-up saw the Brazilian legend take on vocal duties over the masterful guitar work of the Mexican duo.
Pelé originally wrote the song alongside Brazilian musician Ruria Duprat in 2005, but it received a new musical twist after Rodrigo Y Gabriela came on board. In a statement at the time of the new version’s release, the football icon said he “didn’t want the public to make the comparison between Pelé the composer and Pelé the footballer”.
Listen to a number of the star’s musical turns below.
I wish to believe I know a bit about guitar playing and this is genuinely good stuff. Is there anything he couldn't do ? Rest in peace, sir #Pele pic.twitter.com/IXiwCm6vsQ
— Andrew (@AndrewAmsan) December 29, 2022
Pelé, Maradona and guitar #Pelé
pic.twitter.com/qkVtfnpbN2
— Chiara Zanini (@ChiaraZn) December 29, 2022
Pelé relaxes by the hotel pool with his guitar after the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. pic.twitter.com/SEKmi5BxIJ
— The 1st Half (@The1stHalf_) December 29, 2022
During his football career, Pelé scored a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances, including 77 goals in 92 matches where he represented Brazil. He is the only player to win the World Cup three times – in 1958 at the age of 17, and then again in 1962 and 1970 – and was named the Player Of The Century by FIFA in 2000.
Stars of the entertainment world have been paying tribute to Pelé, with Burna Boy tweeting: “RIP Pele. A man with a strong legacy that will be remembered FOREVER. Legends Never Die they are always Remembered in the hearts of the People.”
Pelé’s daughter Kely Nascimento also posted a photo to Instagram of what looked like the hands of Pelé’s family on his body. “Everything we are is thanks to you,” Nascimento wrote in the caption. “We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”
A message shared on the star’s official social media accounts read: “Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today. On his journey, Edson enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love.”
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