Axé Singer Netinho, of the Hit “Milla,” Dies at 60

Singer Netinho, one of the leading names in axé music, died on Tuesday (13) at age 60 at Hospital Aliança Star in Salvador, Bahia. His death was confirmed by the artist’s press office, which said he had been hospitalized after the return of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system diagnosed in 2025.

Cause of death

According to his press office, the type B non-Hodgkin lymphoma Netinho had been fighting in recent months progressed to kidney failure and multiple organ dysfunction, which caused his death. The statement describes the singer as an “extraordinary, talented, sensitive and innovative” artist and says he passed peacefully, as he had hoped during treatment, according to CNN Brasil.

Private funeral

At Netinho’s own request, the wake and cremation will be private, in a ceremony limited to family and close friends.

His career

Ernesto de Souza Andrade Júnior was born in Santo Antônio de Jesus, Bahia, on July 12, 1966. Considered one of the pioneers of axé, he helped popularize the genre in the 1990s with hits such as “Milla,” “Fim de Semana,” “Menina” and “Beijo na Boca.”

Information from Agência Brasil, CNN Brasil and Wikipedia (biographical details).