Relatives and friends of Preta Gil marked what would have been the Brazilian singer’s 51st birthday on 8 August with a wave of online tributes, less than three weeks after her death from intestinal cancer. Gilberto Gil, the Grammy-winning musician and former culture minister, posted childhood photographs of his daughter on social media, writing that the day will remain “the official date of joy and celebration” for the family, even as they face “saudade sem fim”—an endless longing. Other family members and close friends, among them television presenter Gominho, shared videos and unpublished images highlighting the performer’s career and personal life. According to posts by long-time friends, preparations had been under way for a surprise party in New York to celebrate the milestone. Preta Gil, born Preta Maria Gadelha Gil Moreira, revealed her cancer diagnosis in January 2023 and chronicled the ensuing treatments. She died on 20 July 2025 in the United States, where she had been undergoing alternative therapy, and was mourned in a public ceremony at Rio de Janeiro’s Theatro Municipal.