Preta Maria Gadelha Gil Moreira (Rio de Janeiro, 8 August 1974 - New York, 20 July 2025) was a Brazilian singer, actress, presenter, and businesswoman. Daughter of musician Gilberto Gil and businesswoman Sandra Gadelha, she was also the half-sister of musician Bem Gil, culinary expert and presenter Bela Gil, and singer Nara Gil, and the niece of musician Caetano Veloso. She began her professional career as a director at the production companies Conspiração and Dueto, where she was also a partner. In 2002, she decided to launch her career as a singer, releasing four studio albums: Prêt-à-Porter (2003), Preta (2005), Sou Como Sou (2012), and Todas as Cores (2017). As a television personality, she has acted in soap operas such as Agora É que São Elas (2003) and Caminhos do Coração (2007–08), and hosted programs such as Caixa Preta (2004) and Vai e Vem (2010), in addition to being a regular cast member on Esquenta! (2011–13). During Rio de Janeiro's Carnival, she created the Bloco da Preta, one of the landmarks of the city's so-called megablocos. As a businesswoman, she was the founder and managing partner of Music2Mynd. In January 2023, Preta Gil revealed her colon cancer diagnosis, undergoing surgery and treatment that left her with an ileostomy. Despite initial recovery, the cancer returned in August 2024, spreading to her lymph nodes, ureter, and peritoneum, leading to further chemotherapy and a 21-hour surgery in December. In May 2025, she traveled to New York for experimental treatment but passed away there on July 20. Preta’s funeral took place on the Municipal Theater of Rio, followed by cremation and a procession honoring her Carnival legacy. <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Preta+Gil">Read more on Last.fm</a>. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.