'Death is part of life and we move on,' says Gilberto Gil about his daughter Preta

Singer Gilberto Gil spoke about the death of his daughter, Preta , in an interview with Fantástico, on TV Globo , this Sunday, 10th, Father's Day.

"We're sad, naturally. We still have to get used to the loss, to the absence. Preta was a very lively girl, very intense in the emotional sense. At the same time, she had been suffering for almost three years," he said.

"With Preta, we had time to, in a way, get used to the idea. Her diagnosis was very difficult from the start. Expectations regarding the possibility of her recovery were low," he continued.

The singer stated that, despite the mourning, he will resume his professional commitments with the Tempo Rei tour. "Death is a part of life and we move on, right?"

"She was a singer! She sang! She said at various moments during her illness: 'Go sing! Go dad, let's go!' She had that side. It's also a respect for that deep character of her personality. To go back to singing," he added.

What will the family do with Preta Gil's ashes?

Gil revealed the plans for the singer's ashes: " (She wanted) them to be distributed among family and friends. Today, I was looking at the little box with her ashes. There are people, for example, who want to use the ashes to make some kind of jewelry. There are people who want to have a little bit of the ashes at home. Maybe it's the case of the family. To scatter a little bit in the garden of one of the houses. In the sea by the sea of a house in Bahia."

The last conversation between Gilberto and Preta Gil

According to the singer, there was no "last conversation" with his daughter. "No. Knowing it would be the last, no. Because the mystery of life remained as intense as the mystery of death. Our conversations were always associated with that. Friends, relatives, her son, her loves—in short, the things of the world," he said.

Regarding cancer treatment abroad, Gil stated that he was part of Preta's recovery effort. "She decided to go, within this extraordinary context of commitment, love for life, and attachment in the most benign sense of the word. I used these last few days in the United States to do just that. To accompany her, to surround her, with the greatest possible comfort."

The legacy of Preta Gil

At one point during the interview, Gil became emotional and smiled broadly as he recalled the good times: "She was perhaps the liveliest of all her children. She was an incredible girl. Little black."

Gilberto Gil also mentioned what he considers Preta's greatest legacies. "First, with music. She dedicated herself to it from a very young age and already had a great passion for it. She lived in an environment saturated with music, with her godmother, her relatives, everything. I was thinking about this yesterday, about the legacy she leaves us. She lived a life that teaches us so much. She shows us directions, choices to make, values to cultivate. She was enthusiastic about living so that life would be better for herself and for everyone. That's what remains of her, besides the longing," he said, with a smile on his face.