© Latinas in History 2008 |
LA
LUPE (GUADALUPE VICTORIA YOLI RAYMOND) (19391992)
The
Afro-Cuban singer known as La Lupe was considered a unique and dynamic
entertainer, and a controversial figure. She launched her singing career
in Havana, Cuba, eventually opening her own club. Financial and professional
setbacks motivated La Lupe to move to Mexico, then Miami and New York
where she entered a thriving, innovative Latin music scene. She performed
with top musicians like Johnny Pacheco and Mongo Santamaria, who were
breaking new ground in Latin music. La Lupe was known for her bizarre
interpretations of songs including exaggerated and often eccentric gyrations
onstage, but her music touched a chord with womens alienation,
rejection, dislocation and the struggle to survive. In spite of high
record sales, La Lupe suffered health problems that confined her to
a wheelchair. She joined the Pentecostal Church where she refocused
her music to Christian themes.
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