María Concepción Alonso Bustillo (born June 29, 1957), better known as María Conchita Alonso, is a singer, actress and former beauty queen. She has participated in film and television productions, and was nominated for the

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...

as Best Leading Actress in 1996 for her role in ''

Caught Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in cricket. A batsman is out caught if the batsman hits the ball, from a legitimate delivery, with the bat, and the ball is caught by the bowler or a fielder before it hits the ground. If the ball h ...

''. As a singer, she has received several gold and platinum records, and has been nominated for three

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

s. Alonso was the first Latin American actress not born in the United States to star in a musical on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

. The musical was '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' at the Broadhurst Theater in 1995.

Early life

María Conchita Alonso was born in

Cienfuegos Cienfuegos (), capital of Cienfuegos Province, is a city on the southern coast of Cuba. It is located about from Havana and has a population of 150,000. Since the late 1960s, Cienfuegos has become one of Cuba's main industrial centers, especial ...

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 ...

, on June 29, 1957, to Ricardo Alonso and Conchita Bustillo. Her family moved to Venezuela when she was five years old, in 1962, after the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution ( es, Revolución Cubana) was carried out after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état which placed Fulgencio Batista as head of state and the failed mass strike in opposition that followed. After failing to contest Batista in cou ...

. She had her first experience in show business when she was crowned

Miss Teenager World Miss Teenager World is the oldest international teen beauty pageant, founded in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The pageant is only open to teenage girls and women who have never been married or given birth. The current titleholder is Ilse Torres Granados ...

in 1971. She was Miss World/Venezuela in 1975, and became sixth runner-up in the

Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Miss Int ...

pageant, won by Puerto Rico's

Wilnelia Merced Wilnelia, Lady Forsyth-Johnson (''née'' Merced; born 12 October 1957) is a Puerto Rican former actress, model and beauty queen. She won Miss World 1975, and was married to entertainer Sir Bruce Forsyth from 1983 until his death in August 2017 ...

Career

Alonso's first gold album and number one song on the charts was ''

Love Maniac ''Love Maniac'' is the first album by María Conchita Alonso. It was released on 1979 as a collaboration with Italo-Venezuelan producer Rudy La Scala and songwriter Yrma Silva, under the nickname of Ambar. The album was recorded in English and th ...

'', released in 1979 under the name Ámbar. After that followed her second number-one "The Witch" and soon after "Dangerous Rhythm". For what is considered her best known song, she was asked by

Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer, songwriter, and record producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering euro disco and electronic dance mu ...

to write the lyrics in Spanish and sing "Vamos a Bailar" which he had written for the soundtrack of the film '' Scarface''. The song instantly became a classic among Spanish speakers, despite failing to garner major attention outside of

where it was recorded. Her two albums with Ámbar and her solo debut were recorded in English. Her second album, '' María Conchita'', in 1984, made her an international singing star in the Spanish-speaking market, and garnered her first of three

nominations (1985, 1988, 1994). Alonso made her Hollywood film debut in ''

Moscow on the Hudson ''Moscow on the Hudson'' is a 1984 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Mazursky which stars Robin Williams as a Soviet circus musician who defects while on a visit to the United States. It co-stars María Conchita ...

'' (1984) with

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

, and also starred in '' Touch and Go'' (1986) '' Extreme Prejudice'' (1987), '' The Running Man'' (1987), ''

Colors Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

'' (1988), ''

Vampire's Kiss ''Vampire's Kiss'' is a 1988 American black comedy horror film directed by Robert Bierman and written by Joseph Minion. Starring Nicolas Cage, María Conchita Alonso, Jennifer Beals, and Elizabeth Ashley, the film tells the story of a literary ...

'' (1989), ''

Predator 2 ''Predator 2'' is a 1990 American science fiction action film written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Peter Hall ...

'' (1990) and ''

The House of the Spirits ''The House of the Spirits'' ( es, La casa de los espíritus, 1982) is the debut novel of Isabel Allende. The novel was rejected by several Spanish-language publishers before being published in Buenos Aires in 1982. It became an instant best-sel ...

'' (1993). In 1995, she became the first

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

-born actresses to star in a

show, playing Aurora in '' Kiss of the Spider Woman''. She later acted in the romantic comedies ''

Chasing Papi ''Chasing Papi'' is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Linda Mendoza (in her feature film directorial debut) and starring Roselyn Sánchez, Sofía Vergara, Jaci Velasquez, and Eduardo Verástegui. The women discover that their boyfriend ha ...

'' (2003) and ''The Last Guy on Earth'' (2006). Alonso was cast to play Lucía, the mother of Gabrielle Solis, on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

series ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...

''. The episode aired on February 19, 2006. She was in the Latin version, '' Amas de Casa Desesperadas'', for Univision Network. She was a guest star in the live-action film of the comic book '' El Muerto'' and appeared in the film ''

Material Girls ''Material Girls'' is a 2006 American teen comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge, loosely based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel '' Sense and Sensibility'', updating the setting to modern Los Angeles. Starring Hilary Duff and Haylie Duff, the film i ...

'' (2006). Alonso hosted VH1's '' ¡Viva Hollywood!'' on April 13, 2008, with

Carlos Ponce Carlos Armando Ponce Freyre Jr. (born September 4, 1972) is a Puerto Rican actor, musician, model, and television personality. Ponce began his acting career by participating in Spanish language soap operas for Televisa and Telemundo. Ponce contin ...

. She portrayed Sam in the werewolf horror film ''Wolf Moon'', directed by Dana Mennie. Alonso appeared in

Rob Zombie Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and voice actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live shows have be ...

's '' The Lords of Salem,'' released in 2013. Her latest film, a fantasy short titled ''The Secret of Joy'', features her alongside fellow Venezuelan actor Carlos Antonio León, Spanish actress Laura Bayonas, and Brazilian actress Ana Carolina Da Fonseca in a story that aims to bring awareness about pediatric cancer.

Political views

Alonso has often spoken in support of

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 33 ...

and in appreciation of her LGBT fans, stating, "I was very much supported by the community when I first came out with my music". In a 2004 article, she compared herself to

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

in terms of her connection to LGBT culture. Alonso was an outspoken critic of Cuba's

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...

and Venezuelan President

Hugo Chávez Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (; 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was a Venezuelan politician who was president of Venezuela from 1999 until his death in 2013, except for a brief period in 2002. Chávez was also leader of the Fifth Republ ...

, whom she described as a "dictator"-like "

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...

""All those people are Chavistas, all those people are ''controlled'' by Chavez ... So they say what Chavez wants them to say ... No, he was ''not'' elected democratically. The first time he ''was'' elected democratically, but the last two time the referendum and this last month of December, he was ''not''." ''Hannity & Colmes'', Fox News. June 2007. and whose voters and supporters she described as "terrorists." She appeared on

Sean Hannity Sean Patrick Hannity (born December 30, 1961) is an American talk show host, conservative political commentator, and author. He is the host of ''The Sean Hannity Show'', a nationally syndicated talk radio show, and has also hosted a commentar ...

's ''

Hannity's America ''Hannity's America'' is a weekly American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by Sean Hannity. It was replaced in January 2009 with ''Hannity''. Overview At the beginning of each show, Hannity gives his opinion about the nation as a whole, ...

'' on May 6, 2007, ''

Hannity & Colmes ''Hannity & Colmes'' was a live television show on Fox News in the United States, hosted by Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes, who respectively presented a conservative and liberal perspective. The series premiered on October 7, 1996, and the final epi ...

'' on June 1, 2007 and Bill O'Reilly's ''

The O'Reilly Factor ''The O'Reilly Factor'' (originally titled ''The O'Reilly Report'' and also known as ''The Factor'') is an American cable television news and talk show. ''The O'Reilly Factor'' first aired in the United States on Fox News Channel on October 7 ...

'' on August 13, 2007, and March 11, 2009. Alonso issued an "Open Letter to

Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televisi ...

" online on March 29, 2010 regarding his support of Hugo Chávez. She used a point-by-point refrain of "WHY" in her letter questioning various issues occurring in Venezuela. In December 2011, she got into a heated exchange with Penn at a Los Angeles airport during which Penn called her a pig and she responded by calling Penn a

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

(the two had played lovers in the 1988 movie ''

''). In the fall of 2008, Alonso endorsed the presidential campaign of Republican nominee

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

, writing: In an August 2012 Spreecast interview, Alonso stated her opposition to Obama's re-election, saying that if reelected, he would take steps to make the United States become more like Venezuela under the Chávez government. In January 2014, Alonso resigned from a San Francisco production of ''

The Vagina Monologues ''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run in at Westside Theatre. The play explores cons ...

'' after appearing in an advertisement for Republican candidate for Governor Tim Donnelly. On September 17, 2014, Venezuelan President

Nicolás Maduro Nicolás Maduro Moros (; born 23 November 1962) is a Venezuelan politician and president of Venezuela since 2013, with his presidency under dispute since 2019. Beginning his working life as a bus driver, Maduro rose to become a trade unio ...

asked Interior Minister Miguel Rodríguez Torres to pursue legal actions to revoke Alonso's Venezuelan citizenship. The reason was her public request on a radio interview for a military intervention against Venezuela: "In my opinion, (the US) must intervene, because the Cubans already invaded without firing a single bullet because they gave it (Venezuela) for free. So I would like that the US would invade using bullets to get all those communists out of Venezuela". In mid-2016, Alonso stated that she supported neither

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Presidential candidate

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

nor Democratic Presidential candidate

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

in the

U.S. election Elections in the United States are held for Official, government officials at the Federal government of the United States, federal, State governments of the United States, state, and Local government in the United States, local levels. At the ...

, viewing both of them as unacceptable. She ended up supporting

Gary Johnson Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) is an American businessman, author, and politician. He served as the 29th governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of the Republican Party. He was the Libertarian Party nominee for Presid ...

in the general election.

Filmography

Discography

* ''

'' (Polydor/PolyGram, 1979) * ''The Witch'' (Polydor/Polygram, 1980) * ''Dangerous Rhythm'' (PolyGram, 1982) * ''Te Amo'' (Polydor/PolyGram, 1983) * '' María Conchita'' (A&M/PolyGram, 1984; first Grammy nomination) * '' O Ella o Yo'' (A&M/PolyGram, 1985) * ''Grandes Éxitos'' (PolyGram, 1986) * ''Mírame'' (PolyGram, 1987) * ''Hazme Sentir'' (PolyGram, 1990) * ''Otra Mentira Mas'' (second Grammy nomination) * ''En Vivo México'' (Capitol/EMI Mexico, 1991) * ''Imagíname'' (Columbia/SME Mexico, 1992; third Grammy nomination) * ''Alejandra: Boleros'' (PolyGram, 1994) * ''Hoy y Siempre'' (PolyGram, 1997) * ''Grandes Éxitos'' (2004) * ''Soy EP'' (Hypnotic, 2005) * ''Greatest Hits'' (Universal Latino, 2008) * ''Mienteme'' (Universal Latino, 2009) * ''Amor De Madrugada'' (ARDC Music Division, 2016)

Singles

References

External links

* * *
María Conchita Alonso
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alonso, Maria Conchita 1957 births Living people A&M Records artists American anti-communists American beauty pageant winners American entertainers of Cuban descent American people of Asturian descent California Republicans Columbia Records artists Cuban anti-communists Cuban emigrants to Venezuela Exiles of the Cuban Revolution in the United States Hispanic and Latino American actresses La Academia judges Venezuelan LGBT rights activists Miss World 1975 delegates Opposition to Fidel Castro OTI Festival presenters People from Cienfuegos Polydor Records artists Venezuelan anti-communists Venezuelan emigrants to the United States 20th-century Venezuelan women singers Venezuelan film actresses Venezuelan musical theatre actresses Venezuelan television actresses 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers 20th-century Venezuelan actresses 21st-century Venezuelan actresses Women in Latin music Latino conservatism in the United States