Luana Piovani has paid tribute to singer Karina Zeviani, who died on Thursday aged 51 following treatment for cancer.
Piovani, 50, published a video on social media on Friday morning speaking about the loss of her longtime friend, who gained broader national recognition as a contestant on the ninth season of The Voice Brasil in 2020.
The Brazilian actress explained that she recorded the message to share a public tribute and reflect on her emotions as she confronted the death of someone she considered a sister.
Reflections on grief and loss
In the video, Piovani said she was striving to come to terms with finitude, describing the profound pain and immense void left behind by Zeviani. She explained that within her devastating sadness, she was finding moments to better understand mortality through reading, personal study, and ongoing therapy and psychoanalysis.
Their connection began during their teenage years, when Piovani was 15 and Zeviani was 16. Piovani recalled that they chose one another for a lasting sisterhood from that early period, describing everything they shared across their lives as deeply meaningful.
Speaking about the emotional difficulties of bereavement, Piovani explained that her grieving process began on Thursday morning when she sensed that Zeviani was departing. She noted that rather than succumbing entirely to despair and tears over the deep sense of loss, she attempted to reframe the emptiness.
She added that while she allowed herself to weep and feel devastated whenever the waves of sorrow peaked, she also chose to honor Zeviani by listening to her songs, singing along with her recordings, and revisiting the stories they had built together.
Looking ahead, Piovani said she would continue working to organize herself between her tears and her memories. She explained that she planned to navigate the loss between the sound of Zeviani laughing and the songs she wrote and performed, adding that her heart would remain alive and beating whenever she remembered the life they shared.
Musical beginnings and The Voice Brasil
Zeviani was born in Jaboticabal, a municipality located in the interior of Sao Paulo state. Her earliest exposure to music came during childhood through a brass fanfare ensemble conducted by her father, alongside the songs played by her grandfather and the broader traditions of Brazilian popular music.
During her teenage years, Zeviani launched a career as a photographic fashion model. Her modeling work took her abroad, including an extended period living in Germany, where she discovered her artistic interest in music during an evening of karaoke.
In 2020, Zeviani entered the national spotlight when she participated in the ninth season of the musical reality competition The Voice Brasil. Broadcast nationwide across Brazil by TV Globo, the programme brought her vocal style to a wider television audience.
Cancer treatment and health struggles
Zeviani had been undergoing medical treatment for cancer, with her condition deteriorating significantly starting in January. In April, she launched an online fundraising campaign to help finance her medical care and ongoing treatment costs.
In a video shared on social media at the time, Zeviani revealed that she had suffered a severe systemic crisis that brought her very close to losing her life. The medical emergency required doctors to change her chemotherapy protocol, after which she entered recovery and began feeling much better.
The singer acknowledged that the severe crisis had left her physically weakened, explaining that she initially left the clinic unable to walk unassisted or rise from a chair on her own. Despite that physical toll, Zeviani expressed deep gratitude for surviving, telling followers she felt determined to control and defeat the illness, adding that she already considered herself a winner.
Career context and background
Piovani is one of Brazil's most prominent media personalities, having started as a fashion model before building an extensive career as a television actress, stage performer, and host. Over more than three decades in the public eye, she has starred in popular telenovelas, theatrical productions, and feature films in both Brazil and Portugal, where she has also resided.
Her tribute brought renewed attention to Zeviani's creative journey, which linked the musical traditions of regional Sao Paulo to international fashion and national television. In Brazil, municipal fanfare bands such as the one led by Zeviani's father have historically served as vital community institutions, introducing young musicians to brass instruments, rhythm, and ensemble performance.
The Voice Brasil, which featured Zeviani during its 2020 run, has served for more than a decade as one of the country's central musical showcases, providing a platform for emerging talent and experienced independent vocalists alike.
