Late Music Legend Ruben Rada Honored at Uruguay’s Classic

Ruben Rada’s family stood on the pitch at Peñarol’s Campeón del Siglo stadium as Uruguay’s football clásico paused to honor one of the country’s most prominent musicians.

Rada, a Peñarol supporter who won a Grammy for Musical Excellence in 2011, died on Wednesday at 83 after a month-long battle with pneumonia. The club marked his death with a specially designed shirt featuring his face beside its gold-and-black crest.

A drum ensemble played while flags carrying Rada’s image were displayed, and Peñarol supporters offered their support to his family before the match. The tribute linked the musician’s legacy to the club he followed and to one of Uruguay’s defining sporting occasions.

After the game, Nacional coach Daniel Carreño also dedicated words to Rada. Carreño had visited the family at Rada’s wake, held the day after his death at Montevideo’s Legislative Palace. “It has been a week full of emotion. Perhaps I cannot find the words at this moment. A hug for Rada. I know he would have hugged me and said, ‘Good luck, Daniel, except on Sunday,’” Carreño said, recalling a message relayed by Rada’s son Matías.

The emotional occasion ended with a Nacional victory. Francisco Calvo scored a spectacular backheel in the first half, giving Nacional a 1-0 win and reviving its challenge for the Torneo Clausura title.

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It has been a week full of emotion. Perhaps I cannot find the words at this moment. A hug for Rada. I know he would have hugged me and said, ‘Good luck, Daniel, except on Sunday.’