Died On This Date (August 5, 2012) Chavela Vargas / Beloved Ranchera Singer
themusicsover Chavela Vargas (Born Isabel Lizano)
April 17, 1919 – August 5, 2012
Chavela Vargas was a Costa Rico-born singer who grew up to be one of the most respected singer of Mexican Rancheras the world has ever known. When she was just 14, Vargas moved to Mexico to pursue her dream of singing, but it wasn’t until 1961 that she recorded her first album, Noche de Bohemia. She spent the next 50 years making up for lost time with the release of more than 80 albums. She was immensely popular during the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, keeping company with the likes of Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Augustin Lara. Vargas more or less retired during the late ’70s, but came back to the stage strong in 1991. In 2003 – at the age of 83 – Vargas made her Carnegie Hall debut. Chavela Vargas was 93 when she passed away on August 5, 2012.
Yomo Toro was a beloved Puerto Rican musician whose prowess with the cuatro – a mandolin-type of stringed instrument – helped define the New York City Latin music scene of the ’50s and ’60s. Toro was just six when he picked up the instrument, and by 15 he was already fronting his own band. He commuted between Puerto Rico and New York City beginning in 1953, and ultimately moved there in 1957. During the ’70s, he recorded with and traveled the world as part of the legendary Salsa group, the Fania All-Stars. Fania Records is considered the finest Salsa label the world has ever known. During the ’60s and ’70s, Toro hosted his own local television program, The Yomo Toro Show. Over the course of his career, he released over 20 albums and appeared on more than 150 others. He recorded with the likes of Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe, David Byrne, Paul Simon, Harry Belafonte, and Linda Ronstadt. Yomo Toro was 78 when he died of kidney failure on June 30, 2012.
Wando was a popular Brazilian singer-songwriter who launched his career in 1969. A classically trained guitarist, he went on to release numerous albums over the next three decades. Throughout his career, his songs were recorded by several other Brazilian singers, and one even appeared in a popular Brazilian soap opera. His last album, Fêmeas was released in early 2012. On February 8, 2012, Wando died in a local hospital of heart related issues. He was 66.
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.