'Arlindo helped shape my personality,' says Babi, the samba singer's widow

According to Arlindinho, the wake went exactly as his father would have liked. "It's the farewell he asked for. A full court, free beer for everyone, a barbecue... As difficult as it was to do all of this, I couldn't not do what he asked," he said.

Let's eat, have fun, remember him with joy, and help his soul find light as soon as possible because he deserves it. Arlindinho, samba singer and son of Arlindo Cruz

In one of the most emotional moments, family members—including his children and his widow, Babi Cruz—stood beside the casket to sing. Arlindinho played the cavaquinho while Maria Rita, a longtime friend, sang "O que é o amor," a classic by Arlindo covered by the artist. "O Meu Lugar" and "O Show Tem Que Continuar" were also sung at the top of their lungs by the packed stadium.

A deeply shaken Flora Cruz consoled her mother, Babi, who was unable to speak to the press. Flora emphasized her father's strong will to live.

I'm very proud of my family, of my mother; she was a tireless woman. We were with him, she and I, until his last moment, until his last breath. I asked him to rest, to trust in the spirituality that sustained him until then, because it was time. In the next life, I want to be a daughter again. Flora