Two of the six people killed in the Rio de Janeiro helicopter crash on Sunday were rising stars in the music and film world, Brazilian music producer Lucas Brito Chaves Frota and Argentine director Lucas Vignale.
Here is what we know about them.
Who was Lucas Brito Chaves Frota
Known professionally as Lucas Frota, the Brazilian DJ and producer was accompanying American singer Oliver Tree on his first-ever trip to Brazil when the crash occurred, per CNN Brazil.
Frota had lived in Los Angeles for nearly ten years and began making music as a child. Over the years, he built an impressive career, performing at major international electronic music festivals including Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada. He was also a resident DJ at the Around The Corner collective in Miami and had over 41,000 followers on Instagram, per CNN Brazil.
One of his most notable projects was a DJ set recorded and produced at the foot of Christ the Redeemer in December 2025. In his final social media posts, Frota was seen alongside Brazilian artists Dupe and MC Tota, as well as Oliver Tree, with the two believed to have been working on a musical collaboration together.
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Who was Lucas Vignale
Born in Buenos Aires in 1997, Lucas Vignale had established himself as one of the most promising young filmmakers in Latin American music. His work in music video direction brought him alongside some of the biggest names in urban music, including Bizarrap, Trueno and J Balvin, per Cronica.
In 2022, Vignale won the Best Short Music Video award at the prestigious Gardel Awards for Trueno’s “Dance Crip,” a project he co-directed with El Dorado. Among his most celebrated works was also the music video for “Un Paso,” the collaboration between Trueno and J Balvin, which stood out for its strong visual identity and creative direction.
His talent extended beyond music videos into independent cinema. Alongside actor and musician Lorenzo Ferro, Vignale co-wrote and co-directed the short film “La Pasion” in 2024. His first feature film, “El Tren Fluvial” (2026), earned international recognition after screening at the Berlin International Film Festival.
His death sent shockwaves through the music and film communities, with colleagues and artists paying tribute to his creativity and vision.
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Additionally, American singer and comedian Oliver Tree who was 32 has also died in a helicopter crash along with five others.
Two helicopters collided mid-air in a vehicle yard in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood in southwest Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning. Of the six fatalities, five were in one helicopter and only the pilot was in the other aircraft.