Ruth Fernandez Cortada
May 23, 1919 – January 9, 2012
Once called “The Soul of Puerto Rican Song,” Ruth Fernandez was a popular singer who broke both racial and gender barriers during the 1940s. After learning to play the piano as a child, Fernandez began performing around her neighborhood in Ponce, and by the time she was 14, she had already formed her first group and was performing for 50 cents a day at local radio stations. She went on to perform at area nightclubs and casinos with Mingo, a popular bandleader. In 1941, Fernandez received a recording contract from Columbia Records who released her first hit single, 1941′s “Cuando Vuelvas.” Before she knew it, she was performing in clubs as far north as New York City. Fernandez also became a popular performer for soldiers stationed overseas as she traveled to entertain troops of Hispanic descent during WWII and the Korean War. In 1954, she performed on El Show Libby’s, Puerto Rico’s first-ever televised music program. Over the course of her career, Fernandez toured the world, and in many places was the first Latina to do so. She also appeared in several Spanish-language films. In 1973, Fernandez was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico where she served until 1981. During her tenure, she worked to better conditions for the artistic class. After retiring during the 2000s, it was revealed that Fernandez was suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. Ruth Fernandez passed away at the age of 92 on January 9, 2012.
Bridie Gallagher was an influential Irish singer who, over a career that spanned more than 50 years became known as one of the nation’s must important female vocalists. Known as “The Girl From Donegal,” Gallagher became Ireland’s first international pop star thanks to such records as 1956′s “A Mother’s Love’s A Blessing.” That was followed by another popular single, “The Boys From County Armagh” from her successful debut album, The Girl From Donegal. Before she knew it, Gallagher was playing to sell-out crowds at the Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Sydney Opera House. She went on to sell millions of records and perform the world over until her retirement in 2000. Bridie Gallagher passed away in hour Belfast home on July 9, 2011. She was 87.
Known as Israel’s “Songstress of the Wars,” Yafa Yarkoni began to find popularity during the late ’40s. She earned her nickname thanks to her frequent performances for Israeli troops during wartime. During Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, Yarkoni joined an Israel Defense Forces singing group with whom she sang “Bab el-Wad,” a song which has become a standard and is sung each year on Israel’s Memorial Day. Yarkoni’s list of fan favorites also includes “Road To Jerusalem” and “Don’t Say Goodbye, Say I’ll See You.” She suffered from Alzheimer’s Diseases in later years and made her last television appearance in 2007. Yafa Yarkoni was 86 when she passed away on January 1, 2012.
Known to fans as the “Barefoot Diva,” Cesária Évora, was a gifted singer from the island nation of Cape Verde which sits off the cost of Western Africa. Singing traditional Cape Verde songs in the native language of Portuguese since a young age, it wasn’t until Évora caught the ear of a French producer in 1988 that she was invited to Paris to cut a record. The result, La Diva Aux Pieds Nus, was released later that year to praise from adoring friends back home and new ones in Paris. Over the next several years, she built a sizable following in France and beyond, while critics compared her remarkable voice to that of 
Jagjit Singh was an immensely popular Indian singer and composer who was known as the “King of Ghazal” due to the role he played in the revitalization of this form of Persian rhyming. He and his wife and musical partner, Chitra Singh, initially gained fame during the ’70s and ’8os, and have since been recognized as the first-ever successful husband-and-wife duo in Indian music history. They were also reportedly the first Indian act to ever use digital multi-track while their 1987 release, Beyond Time is widely considered the nation’s first digitally recorded album. Over the course of a career that spanned some 50 years, Singh’s music has appeared in numerous popular Indian films and on no fewer than 80 of his own albums. Singh has also been recognized for his many philanthropic ventures. Jagjit Singh passed away on October 10, 2011, as the result of a brain hemorrhage. He was 70.