Candita Batista (October 3, 1916 – April 1, 2016) was a

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

n singer, known internationally as an exponent of

Afro-Caribbean music Afro-Caribbean music is a broad term for music styles originating in the Caribbean from the African diaspora. These types of music usually have West African/Central African influence because of the presence and history of African people and their ...

. In the course of her career she travelled worldwide and appeared with

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( , ; born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian, hy, Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան, ; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French-Armenian singer, lyricist, actor and diplomat. Aznavour was known for his dist ...

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and other stars.

Career

She was born in Camagüey, and began her musical career in 1932, aged 16, becoming the first woman in the city to join a male band; in 1937, she moved to

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

. In 1941, she travelled with her band to

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

, where she appeared at the Teatro Lirico. In 1948, she toured Latin America as part of a group, visiting Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Colombia. During this period she had to struggle against racism. In 1959 she toured Europe, appearing in front of King

Farouk of Egypt Farouk I (; ar, فاروق الأول ''Fārūq al-Awwal''; 11 February 1920 – 18 March 1965) was the tenth ruler of Egypt from the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and the Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1 ...

in a concert in Rome. She spent eleven years in Europe before returning to Cuba. She continued to sing professionally up to the age of 94. Towards the end of her career, she founded the Mokekeré Orchestra. She won numerous awards, including Hija Ilustre de la Provincia de Camagüey (Illustrious Daughter of the Province of Camagüey, the Alejo Carpentier Medal, and the Distinción por la Cultura Nacional. In 2011, she received a special award for lifetime achievement from the Association of Musicians of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC). She died in hospital in her home town of Camagüey, aged 99. In 2003, she was the subject of a short documentary film, ''Candita Batista, la vedette negra de Cuba'' (26 minutes), made by Manuel Jorge Pérez
Candita Batista, la vedette negra de Cuba
'' in der ''Internet Movie Database,'' retrieved 13 May 2014.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Batista, Candita 1916 births 2016 deaths Cuban women singers People from Camagüey