Lupe Victoria Yolí Raymond (23 December 1936 – 29 February 1992), better known as La Lupe, was a Cuban singer of

bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

guaracha The guaracha () is a genre of music that originated in Cuba, of rapid tempo and comic or picaresque lyrics. The word had been used in this sense at least since the late 18th and early 19th century. Guarachas were played and sung in musical thea ...

s and

Latin soul Latin soul (sometimes used synonymously with Boogaloo) was a short-lived musical genre that had developed in the 1960s in New York City. It had consisted of a blend of Cuban mambo with elements of Latin jazz and soul music. Although short-lived, ...

, known for her energetic, sometimes controversial performances. Following the release of her first album in 1961, La Lupe moved from

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.

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and signed with

Tico Records Tico Records was a New York City record label that was founded in 1948. It was originally owned by George Goldner and later acquired by Morris Levy and incorporated into Roulette Records. It specialized in Latin music and was significant for introd ...

, which marked the beginning of a prolific and successful career in the 1960s and 1970s. She retired in the 1980s due to religious reasons.

Life and career

Early life and first recordings

La Lupe was born in the barrio of San Pedrito in

Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...

. Her father was a worker at the local Bacardí

distillery Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heati ...

and a major influence on her early life. In 1954 she participated on a radio program which invited fans to sing imitations of their favorite stars. Lupe escaped from school to sing a bolero of

Olga Guillot Olga Guillot (October 9, 1922 – July 12, 2010) was a Cuban singer who was known as the "Queen of Bolero". She was a native of Santiago de Cuba. Biography Daughter of Catalan-Jewish immigrants who moved to Cuba, her father was a tailor and her ...

's, called "Miénteme" (Lie to Me), and won the competition. The family 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 1955, where she was enrolled at the

University of Havana The University of Havana or (UH, ''Universidad de La Habana'') is a university located in the Vedado district of Havana, the capital of the Republic of Cuba. Founded on January 5, 1728, the university is the oldest in Cuba, and one of the first ...

to become a teacher. She admired

Celia Cruz Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a naturalized Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during t ...

and like her, she graduated from teaching instruction before starting her professional singing career.Giro, p. 45 Lupe married in 1958 and formed a musical trio with her husband Eulogio "Yoyo" Reyes and another female singer. This group, Los Tropicuba, broke up along with her marriage in 1960. She began to perform her own act at a small

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

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.

, ''La Red'' (The Net), which had a clientele of distinguished foreigners. She acquired a devoted following, which included

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and litera ...

Simone de Beauvoir Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir (, ; ; 9 January 1908 – 14 April 1986) was a French existentialist philosopher, writer, social theorist, and feminist activist. Though she did not consider herself a philosopher, and even th ...

and

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

. She recorded her first album, ''Con el diablo en el cuerpo'', in 1960 for

Discuba Discuba is a Cuban record label founded in 1959 by RCA Victor. It released music by several internationally successful artists such as Beny Moré, Orquesta Aragón and La Lupe. Following the end of the Cuban Revolution and the nationalization of the ...

, the Cuban subsidiary of

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

. On the album she was backed by two different groups directed by Felipe Dulzaides and Eddy Gaytán. Her first television appearance on Puerto Rican television caused a stir due to her frenzied, vibrant performance, which reportedly shocked some viewers.Pedro Rojas 1988. Sleeve notes to ''La Lupe: too much'', ''Charly Records'' LP HOT 123

Exile and success

In 1962 she was

exiled ''Exiled'' () is a 2006 Hong Kong action drama film produced and directed by Johnnie To, and starring Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Nick Cheung, Josie Ho, Roy Cheung and Lam Suet, with special appearances by Richie Jen and Simon Yam. The action ...

México Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. She approached

and asked for her support to get work, and in turn, Celia recommended her to

Mongo Santamaría Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez (April 7, 1917 – February 1, 2003) was a Cuban percussionist and bandleader who spent most of his career in the United States. Primarily a conga drummer, Santamaría was a leading figure in the pachanga and ...

in New York. In New York City, Lupe performed at a

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

named ''La Berraca'' and started a new career, making more than 10 records in five years. She married a second time, to salsa musician Willie García, with whom she had a son. That marriage also ended in divorce. Lupe's passionate performances covered the range of music:

son montuno Son montuno is a subgenre of son cubano developed by Arsenio Rodríguez in the 1940s. Although ''son montuno'' ("mountain sound") had previously referred to the ''sones'' played in the mountains of eastern Cuba, Arsenio repurposed the term to den ...

, bolero,

boogaloo Boogaloo or bugalú (also: shing-a-ling, Latin boogaloo, Latin R&B) is a genre of Latin music and dance which was popular in the United States in the 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City mainly among teenage African Americans and Latinos ...

, venturing into other Caribbean styles like Dominican merengue, Puerto Rican bomba and

plena Plena is a genre of music and dance native to Puerto Rico. Origins The plena genre originated in Barrio San Antón, Ponce, Puerto Rico, around 1900. It was influenced by the bomba style of music. Originally, sung texts were not associated wit ...

. It was her recordings which brought

Tite Curet Alonso Catalino "Tite" Curet Alonso (February 26, 1926 – August 5, 2003) was a Puerto Rican composer of over 2,000 salsa songs. Early years Curet Alonso (birth name: Catalino Curet Alonso) was born in Guayama, a town located in the southern region o ...

into prominence as a composer of tough-minded boleros in the salsa style. For a good part of the 1960s she was the most acclaimed Latin singer in New York City due to her partnership with

Tito Puente Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz c ...

. She did a wide variety of

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s in either Spanish or accented English, including " Yesterday", "

Dominique "Dominique" is a 1963 French language popular song, written and performed by the Belgian female singer Jeannine Deckers, better known as Sœur Sourire ("Sister Smile" in French) or The Singing Nun. The song is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-bo ...

" by

The Singing Nun Jeanne-Paule Marie "Jeannine" Deckers (17 October 1933 – 29 March 1985), better known as Sœur Sourire () and often called The Singing Nun in English-speaking countries, was a Belgian singer-songwriter and a member of the Dominican Order in ...

, "

Twist & Shout "Twist and Shout" is a 1961 song written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns (later credited as "Bert Russell"). It was originally recorded by the Top Notes, but it did not become a hit in the record charts until it was reworked by the Isley Brothers ...

", "

Unchained Melody "Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North wrote the music as a theme for the prison film '' Unchained'' (1955), hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack.Robert Rodri ...

", "

Fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a body temperature, temperature above the human body temperature, normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, set point. There is not a single ...

" and "America" from ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...

''. Fred Weinberg, who was her favorite audio engineer, and also worked with Celia Cruz,

Mongo Santamaria Mongo may refer to: Geography Africa * Mongo, Chad, a Sahel city * Apostolic Vicariate of Mongo (Roman Catholic missionary jurisdiction) * Mongo, Sierra Leone, a chiefdom * Mongo River (Little Scarces River), Guinea and Sierra Leone, a tributa ...

, Tito Puente, and many more of the Latin American greats, and a producer on several of Lupe's albums, called La Lupe "A talent hurricane" in the studio due to her intense singing and enthusiasm. The quality of her performances became increasingly inconsistent. There were persistent rumors of her drug addiction and her life was "a real earthquake" according to statements of close friends, although Fred Weinberg, who engineered, and also produced a vast amount of her albums, stated that "In all the years I worked with Lupe, not once did I ever see her on drugs, or using drugs...Heck, she never even drank liquor due to her strong belief in religion."Rondon, César Miguel 2008. ''The book of salsa: a chronicle of urban music from the Caribbean to New York City''. University of North Carolina Press; p148 She ended some of her on-stage engagements being treated with an oxygen mask. Although she may have been poorly managed by her label

Fania Records Fania Records is a New York–based record label founded by Dominican-born composer and bandleader Johnny Pacheco and his Brooklyn-born Italian-American ex-New York City Police Officer turned lawyer Jerry Masucci in 1964. The label took its nam ...

in particular, she managed and produced herself in mid-career, after she parted ways with Tito Puente. However, in the late 1960s her ephemeral career went downhill. The explosion of salsa and the arrival of

to New York were the determining factors that sent her into the background and her career declined thereafter. La Lupe was part of the cast of Two Gentleman of Verona with Raul Julia at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park which moved to Broadway in December 1971.

Later years and death

A devout follower of

Santería Santería (), also known as Regla de Ocha, Regla Lucumí, or Lucumí, is an African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between the tradit ...

, she continued to practice her religion. Her record label

(which had previously acquired Tico) ended her contract in the late 1970s, keen to instead promote Celia Cruz's career. La Lupe retired in 1980, and found herself destitute by the early 1980s. In 1984, she injured her spine while trying to hang a curtain in her home; she initially used a wheelchair, then later a cane. An electrical fire made her homeless. After being healed at an

evangelical Christian Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...

crusade, La Lupe abandoned her Santería roots and became a

born-again Christian Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...

. In 1991, she gave a concert at ''La Sinagoga'' in New York, singing Christian songs. La Lupe died of a heart attack at the age of 55, and is buried in Saint Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx.

Discography

Albums

* ''Con el diablo en el cuerpo'' (1960,

) * ''La Lupe is back'' 1961 * '' Mongo Introduces La Lupe'' 1963 * '' Tito Puente Swings, The Exciting Lupe Sings'' 1965 (with

) * ''Tú y yo'' 1965 (with Tito Puente) * ''Homenaje a Rafael Hernández'' 1966 (with Tito Puente) * ''La Lupe y su alma venezolana'' 1966 * ''A mí me llaman La Lupe'' 1966 * ''The King and I'' 1967 (with Tito Puente) * ''The Queen does her own thing'' 1967 * '' Two Sides of La Lupe'' 1968 * '' Queen of Latin Soul'' 1968 * ''La Lupe's era'' 1968 * ''La Lupe is the Queen'' 1969 * '' Definitely La Yi Yi Yi'' 1969 * ''That genius called the Queen'' 1970 * ''La Lupe en Madrid'' 1971 * ''Stop, I'm free again'' 1972 * ''¿Pero cómo va ser?'' 1973 * ''Un encuentro con La Lupe – with Curet Alonso'' 1974 * ''One of a kind'' 1977 * ''La pareja'' 1978 (with Tito Puente) * ''En algo nuevo'' 1980 * ''La samaritana'' 1986 * '' La Lupe en Cristo'' 1989

Compilations

This section is not complete. * ''Lo mejor de la Lupe'' Compilation, 1974 * ''Apasionada'' Compilation, 1978 * ''La Lupe: too much'' 1989. Compilation from ''Tico'' recordings only, by ''Charly Records'' LP HOT 123 * ''Dance with the Queen'' 2008 * ''La Lupe greatest hits'' 2008

Hit singles

Short list of her best-known songs, taken from Giro Radamés' ''Diccionario enciclopédico de la música en Cuba'' and compilation albums: * "Con el diablo en el cuerpo" * " Fiebre" * "Crazy heart" * "Qué te pedí?" * "La tirana" ico SLP 1167* "Puro teatro" ico SLP 1192* "Adiós" * "Carcajada final" ico SLP 1176* "A Benny Moré'' ico CLP 1310

Film & theatre

* ''La gran tirana'' by Carlos Padrón-Cuba. 2011 Havanna, 2012: Havanna at Humboldt Haus, Ulm at theater in der westentasche, Theater Tage in Karlsruhe, Kubanische Botschaft in Berlin. Starring: Nancy Calero-Germany. * ''La Lupe: my life, my destiny'': theatrical production by Carmen Rivera (2001) * ''La Lupe: Queen of Latin Soul'' film by Ela Troyano (2003; 2007) * ''La Reina, La Lupe'' by Rafael Albertori (2003)

In popular culture

*Pedro Almodóvar's ''Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown'' ends with La Lupe's "Puro Teatro". * Her recording of ''La Virgen Lloraba'' was used in the 1996 film ''

The Birdcage ''The Birdcage'' is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, adapted by Elaine May, and starring Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, and Dianne Wiest. Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski app ...

''. * In 2002, New York City renamed East 140th Street in The Bronx as ''La Lupe Way'' in her memory. * Cuban-American writer

Daína Chaviano Daína Chaviano () (born 19 February 1957, Havana)Profile
''Encyclopæd ...

pays homage to La Lupe in the novel ''

The Island of Eternal Love ''The Island of Eternal Love'' is a 2006 novel by Cuban author Daína Chaviano. The plot is a family saga that takes place along two parallel lines: one during our time and another that begins in the 1850s. The modern story revolves around the ...

'' (Riverhead-Penguin, 2008), where the singer appears in a cameo singing ''Puro Teatro''. * On the TV series '' RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars'', Puerto Rican drag queen

Nina Flowers Jorge Luis Flores Sánchez (born February 22, 1974), better known as Nina Flowers, is a Puerto Rican drag queen, DJ, activist, professional make-up artist, and reality television personality who has been performing since 1993. He is best known ...

chose to impersonate La Lupe. * Her recording of "Fever" was included in the episode "Angels of Death," from season two of the

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...

series '' Magic City''. * A poem by Víctor Hernández Cruz was written about her: "La Lupe". * In 1991, comedian Sandra Bernhard released a track called "La Lupe" on her album ''Excuses for Bad Behavior, Part #1'', spoken in Spanish and English, in which Bernhard briefly speaks of the dissolution of the La Lupe/Tito Puente relationship. * In 2015, an analogous and fictionalized version of La Lupe (renamed Lola Calvo for the series), was heavily featured in an 80 episode Spanish-language biographical television series of

called '' Celia'', on the

Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language Terrestrial television, terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Television and Streaming#NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a divi ...

network. * In 2017, the first episode of TNT's ''

Claws A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or tarsus ...

'' is titled "Tirana" and in it the main characters lip-sync and dance to one of La Lupe's signature songs. *In 2002, her song "Que te Pedí" was featured in the film ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

''. *La Lupe's signature song, "Que te Pedí", was featured in the 2006 film, ''El Cantante'', starring Marc Anthony as Hector Lavoe. *In 2020, the Colombian singer

Kali Uchis Karly-Marina Loaiza (born July 17, 1994), known professionally as Kali Uchis ( ), is an American singer. She released her debut mixtape, ''Drunken Babble'', in 2012, which was followed by her debut EP, ''Por Vida'', released in 2015. In 2018, Uc ...

, added a cover of "Que te pedi" in her album ''Sin Miedo'' (''Del amor y otros demonios'')

References

External links

''La Lupe, Queen of Latin Soul''
site for

Independent Lens ''Independent Lens'' is a weekly television series airing on PBS featuring documentary films made by independent filmmakers. Past seasons of ''Independent Lens'' were hosted by Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Terrence Ho ...

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

* *
Performances of Pleasure and Pain: Dr Vanessa Knights (pdf)Unofficial website
{{DEFAULTSORT:La Lupe 1936 births 1992 deaths American evangelicals American women singer-songwriters American entertainers of Cuban descent Cuban women singers Cuban songwriters Fania Records artists People from Santiago de Cuba Musicians from the Bronx Salsa musicians Converts to Protestantism Former Santeríans American soul singers 20th-century American singers Singer-songwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American women singers Bolero singers Guaracha singers Burials at Saint Raymond's Cemetery (Bronx) Women in Latin music

Life and career

Early life and first recordings

Exile and success

Later years and death

Discography

Albums

Compilations

Hit singles

Film & theatre

In popular culture

References

Further reading

External links