Lula, president of Brazil, has led tributes to Brazilian composer and pianist João Donato who died yesterday aged 88 following hospitalisation and pneumonia. In the 1960s and 70s Donato recorded as a leader for such labels as Polydor, RCA Victor, Pacific Jazz, Muse and Philips and continued to be an influence - as Lula says in his homage ''he kept creating and innovating until the end.”

Donato collaborated with Michael Franks on Sleeping Gypsy in the 70s appearing on the song fittingly 'Down in Brazil' and his own compositions that have become synonymous with his work included 'A ra' ('The Frog') covered by Sérgio Mendes in the 1960s and 'Bananeira' ('Banana Tree') covered by Eliane Elias on the singer-pianist's 2011 album Light My Fire.