She was a queen in her own right, bringing an innovative spirit to her music, which captured the imagination regardless of the genre: guaracha, bomba, son, or bolero. Only her presence was needed to revolutionize the music scene. She used her trademark “ahí namá” and “ay yi yi yi” to dominate any song she tackled with the intense, irreverent, effortless air that characterized each and every one of her recordings.
She had achieved a certain unexpected fame in her native Cuba, where she was considered a revolutionary for her vocal style. Upon her arrival to the United States, she embarked on a new and equally consecrating stage of her career, one that would take on a new dimension alongside Maestro Tito Puente, with whom she would record four albums.
Even after her tragic death, La Lupe was honored by the Spanish film society –in particular Pedro Almodóvar, one of the country’s most famous directors, who included her song “Puro teatro” in his movie “Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios.” The song was, and is, one of the most vibrant and representative of her discography.
Some say La Lupe was the artist who knew the greatest success. She also drank the deepest from the cup of tragedy and misfortune, but none of this took anything away from her reputation of being an unparalleled, personable artist.
