Departures of note

Rubén Rada was a Uruguayan musician, singer, songwriter, percussionist, and actor widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Uruguayan popular music. He was known for blending Afro-Uruguayan candombe traditions with rock, soul, jazz, and funk, creating a distinctive style that earned him recognition across Latin America. He co-founded the pioneering band El Kinto with Eduardo Mateo and later formed Tótem, both credited with fusing rock with Latin American rhythms and singing in Spanish.

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Rada recorded over thirty albums and collaborated with artists including Milton Nascimento, Herb Alpert, Jon Anderson, and Joan Manuel Serrat. He worked in the United States with the jazz-fusion group Opa and spent periods in Argentina and Mexico, achieving broad commercial success in the 2000s. His song "El Ómnibus" was later sampled by Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist.

Rada received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 and Berklee College of Music's Master of Latin Music award in 2013. He was also active in television and radio, serving as a coach on La Voz Uruguay and La Voz Kids Uruguay. He died on 26 August 2026 at age 83 after being hospitalized with pneumonia, prompting a national day of mourning in Uruguay.