Thousands of fans bid a final farewell to Chico Anysio.
More than five thousand people passed through the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro throughout Saturday; the wake ended at 20 pm; the artist's body was cremated this Sunday at the Caju Cemetery, in the port area of Rio, in a private ceremony; part of the ashes will be taken to his hometown, according to a wish expressed in his will.
Rio_247 - The final farewell from fans and family of comedian Chico Anysio took place this Sunday (25). In a ceremony reserved for friends and family, the artist's body was cremated at the São Francisco Xavier Cemetery, Caju, in the port area of the city. Throughout the day yesterday (24), more than five thousand fans said goodbye to the Brazilian genius at the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro.
The wake at the Municipal Funeral Home ended at 20 PM yesterday. Even under a downpour that hit the city in the late afternoon, hundreds of people waited to say goodbye. This morning, around 11 AM, the first family members and friends began arriving at the Caju cemetery crematorium. Former minister Zélia Cardoso de Mello, his ex-wife and mother of two of his eight children, was among them.
Chico's last wife, Malga Di Paula, his sons Bruno Mazzeo, Nizo Neto and André Lucas, his brother, Elano Paula, the comedian's niece, Cininha de Paula, and some friends, such as the singer and city councilor from São Paulo, Agnaldo Timóteo (PR), the actors Daniela Escobar, Heloísa Perissé and Eri Johnson, among others, also arrived early at the venue.
The cremation process lasts about an hour. The farewell takes place in a room where family and friends offer prayers and final tributes. After this moment, the body is taken to the crematorium, a part of the process that no one can attend.
According to Chico Anysio's wishes, expressed in his will, part of his ashes will be taken to his hometown, Maranguape, in the state of Ceará. Another part will remain in Rio de Janeiro, at the Projac headquarters, the Rede Globo facility where the network's programs are recorded.
Read here some statements given by relatives and friends upon arriving for the ceremony this Sunday in Rio, to the G1 news portal:
"My children are still young. They are Chico's only children who still need their father very much. Unfortunately, we don't have control over these things. Their father left them a good legacy of work and character. Whatever they do in life, I hope they follow their father's example" - Zélia Cardoso de Mello
"I want to thank the people for their expressions of affection. Seeing the people yesterday at the theater door was what made my father happiest. A person who dedicates 65 years to bringing joy to a people, especially a people like this, is a blessed person who beautifully fulfilled his mission" - Bruno Mazzeo
"Chico was a master of recycling. We were friends for 47 years, and I have to thank him for that" - Agnaldo Timóteo.