Arlindo Cruz's body will be laid out in the Império Serrano court

The body of singer and composer Arlindo Cruz, who died last Friday (8), aged 66, will be laid out this Saturday (9), starting at 6 pm (local time), at the Império Serrano court, in Madureira, in the north zone of Rio de Janeiro.

The singer's wake will be held in a gurufim format - with music and drinks, used to ease the mourning - and open to the public. The tribute will run until 10 am next Sunday (10).

The burial is scheduled for 11 am tomorrow, at Jardim da Saudade Cemetery, in Sulacap.

Considered one of the biggest names in national samba, Arlindo had been hospitalized since March to treat a resistant bacterium resulting from pneumonia. In 2017, Arlindo suffered a stroke while taking a shower, and he now faces several after-effects from the stroke.

In July, his wife, Babi Cruz, said that the singer was no longer responding to stimuli, saying that he was "increasingly distant".

Raised in the Madureira neighborhood, the birthplace of samba, Arlindo began playing the cavaquinho as a child, influenced by his father and the vibrant local music scene. After forming, he became a prominent figure in the group Fundo de Quintal, innovating samba with richer, more refined sounds.

The composer of hundreds of songs, performed by major names in the music scene, such as Zeca Pagodinho and Beth Carvalho, helped establish samba as a popular expression. Closely linked to the Império Serrano samba school, he was honored as the theme song for the 2023 Carnival parade.