Rita Aurelia Fulcida Montaner y Facenda (20 August 1900 – 17 April 1958), known as Rita Montaner, was a Cuban singer, pianist and actress. In Cuban parlance, she was a '' vedette'' (a star), and was well known in Mexico City, Paris, Miami and New York, where she performed, filmed and recorded on numerous occasions. She was one of Cuba's most popular artists between the late 1920s and 1950s, renowned as ''Rita de Cuba''. Though classically trained as a soprano for zarzuelas, her mark was made as a singer of Afro-Cuban salon songs including "

The Peanut Vendor "El manisero", known in English as "The Peanut Vendor", is a Cuban son- pregón composed by Moisés Simons. Together with "Guantanamera", it is arguably the most famous piece of music created by a Cuban musician. "The Peanut Vendor" has been record ...

" and " Siboney". Throughout her career, Montaner kept a close personal and professional relationship with two famous musicians from her hometown of

Guanabacoa Guanabacoa is a colonial township in eastern Havana, Cuba, and one of the 15 municipalities (or boroughs) of the city. It is famous for its historical Santería and is home to the first African Cabildo in Havana. Guanabacoa was briefly the capital ...

: pianist-singer

Bola de Nieve Bola de Nieve (literally ''Snowball'') (11 September 1911 – 2 October 1971), born Ignacio Jacinto Villa Fernández, was a Cuban singer-pianist and songwriter. His name originates from his round, black face. Villa Fernández was born in Guanaba ...

and composer

Ernesto Lecuona Ernesto Lecuona y Casado (; August 7, 1896 – November 29, 1963) was a Cuban composer and pianist, many of whose works have become standards of the Latin, jazz and classical repertoires. His over 600 compositions include songs and zarzuelas as ...

.Fajardo, Ramón (1997). ''Rita Montaner: testimonio de una época''. La Habana.

Life

Montaner was born on 20 August 1900 in

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.

, into a middle-class family. Her father, Domingo Montaner Pulgarón, was a pharmacist and her mother was Mercedes Facenda; she herself was short in stature, good-looking with a fine smile, and intelligent. She learned English, Italian and French at religious school, and at 10 attended the Peyrellade Conservatory in Havana. There she studied music: solfege,

theory A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be ...

harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...

and piano; at 16 she started voice lessons. From the start, she was a potential star: her first press notice came in 1912, her first press photograph in 1913, and in 1915 she received two bronze medals for piano. In 1917, Montaner played

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...

in her final examination at the Peyrellade Conservatory in Havana; she graduated in piano, song and harmony with a gold medal. Montaner was married to entertainer

Xavier Cugat Xavier Cugat (; 1 January 1900 – 27 October 1990) was a Spanish musician and bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music. In New York City ...

from 1918 to 1920. She later married lawyer Dr. Alberto Fernández Díaz. They had two sons, Rolando and Alberto. The marriage lasted until his death in 1932, and she remarried twice. She died of cancer in 1958, aged 57.

Career

Early years

March 1922 saw the launch of Montaner's career at a concert of typical Cuban music in Havana, organized by the composer

Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes (3 April 1874, in Havana – 7 September 1944) was a Cuban composer, and an author of books on the history of Cuban folk music. The outstanding habanera ''Tú'', written when he was sixteen, was his best-known com ...

, a friend of her family. He persuaded her husband to let her appear and sing. In October 1922, she sang on one of the first radio broadcasts in Cuba at the PWX radio station. RitaA

In 1923, she had a full professional program of work. She sang duos with Eusebio Delfín, and as a solo, pieces by Alberto Villalón, Ernesto Lecuona, Sánchez de Fuentes and others. She sang a duet from '' La Gioconda'' by

Ponchielli Amilcare Ponchielli (, ; 31 August 1834 – 16 January 1886) was an Italian opera composer, best known for his opera ''La Gioconda''. He was married to the soprano Teresina Brambilla. Life and work Born in Paderno Fasolaro (now Paderno Ponchiel ...

with Lola de la Torre, a soprano, and sang solo on other pieces. Her work as a singer and pianist with such maestros as Lecuona,

Jorge Anckermann Jorge Anckermann (22 March 1877 – 3 February 1941) was a Cuban pianist, composer and bandleader. Havana-born, he started in music at eight with his father. At age ten he was able to substitute in a trio. In 1892, he went to Mexico as musica ...

, Delfín, Sánchez de Fuentes and Gonzalo Roig was successful and immensely respectable, as befitted a middle-class married woman of those times. Gradually, however, a change began as she became fully adult. She performed in popular, but slightly vulgar theater ( zarzuela; bufo); traveled to other countries and became a recording star. It became clear that performing in public was the most important thing in her life, and this was hardly compatible with her role as a bourgeois wife and mother. The first signs of change came in 1926, a year which started conventionally enough. In 1926, she sang on stage to Lecuona's piano in his 7th Concert of Cuban music at the Teatro Nacional. On vacation in New York she needed an appendix operation; after recovering she performed at a benefit concert for the blind. Then she auditioned for the Schubert brothers, impresarios, who offered her a contract. Significantly, perhaps, her husband returned to Cuba. She made her debut in the Schubert Follies together with

at the Apollo Theater. Later she had a great hit with a review entitled ''A night in Spain''. Back in Havana, she made her debut on stage in zarzuelas in 1927. Playing in ''La Niña Rita, o La Habana de 1830'' (music by

Eliseo Grenet Eliseo Grenet Sánchez (12 June 1893 in Havana – 4 December 1950) was a Cuban pianist and a leading composer/arranger of the day. He composed music for stage shows and films, and some famous Cuban dance music.Giro, Radamés 2007. ''Diccionar ...

and Lecuona) she sang the Congo-tango ''Mamá Inés''. The title role was played by Caridad Suarez, with Rita in

blackface Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...

and male drag as El Calesero (the coachman). The second one-act work on the same program was the premiere of Lecuona's ''La tierra de Venus'', where Rita sang " Siboney", which is still a Latin standard.

Rise to fame

From 1927-29, Montaner recorded about fifty songs for Columbia Records, including hits from the revues and zarzuelas she appeared in, such as "Ay, Mama Inés", "Siboney", "Noche azul", "Lamento esclavo", and the first recording of "

El manisero "El manisero", known in English as "The Peanut Vendor", is a Cuban son (music), son-pregón composed by Moisés Simons. Together with "Guantanamera", it is arguably the most famous piece of music created by a Cuban musician. "The Peanut Vendor" has ...

". She went to Paris for the first time, performing at the Olympia and

Le Palace Le Palace is a Paris theatre located at 8, rue du Faubourg-Montmartre in the 9th arrondissement. It is best known for its years as a nightclub. Created by impresario Fabrice Emaer in 1978, intellectuals, actors, designers, and American and Europ ...

theaters. Still in Paris, she appeared in

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

's ''Revue''. According to Gonzalo Roig, she began to change, becoming more bohemian, something of a diva, and generally more competitive and combative. In November 1928, she returned to Havana. RitaC66

In 1929, Montaner traveled to

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

and

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...

, then to Paris, returning to Cuba in 1930. In 1931, she traveled to Broadway under contract to

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jews, Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-bi ...

for his musical ''

Wonder Bar ''Wonder Bar'' is a 1934 American pre-Code film adaptation of a Broadway musical of the same name directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created by Busby Berkeley. It stars Al Jolson, Kay Francis, Dolores del Río, Ricardo Cortez, Dick ...

'', which was set in a Paris night-club, for which she was by now more than qualified. When she was in Cuba, Rita had a regular engagement at the ''Edén Concert'', a nightclub right in the center of Havana (Zulueta Street, near the Parque Central). Armando Romeo, later orchestra leader at the

Tropicana Tropicana may refer to: Companies *Tropicana Entertainment, a former casino company that owned several Tropicana-branded casinos *Tropicana Products, a Chicago-based food company known for orange juice Hotels and nightclubs *Tropicana Casino & Re ...

, gave an interview later in life: :"There we would be, with Rita singing: :''Mejor que me calle, que no diga mas, que tu sabes lo que yo se!'' :(Better I shut up and say no more, since you know what I know!) :—while outside the cabaret walls you could hear shooting in the streets." In 1933, she went to Mexico City, with Bola de Nieve as her accompanist. She put him on the bill under his nickname, without consulting him. "It was the greatest favor she did in my life!" was Snowball's perhaps ambiguous comment. Bola was already of the opinion that she was becoming unbearable. "Rita's shows at the Teatro Iris were triumphant, but her mouth got the better of her" On 1 April 1933, she married Ernesto Estévez Navarro. He was born in Cárdenas, Cuba, but had been deported to México. They divorced in 1938. Montaner next organized a smaller company with

Pedro Vargas Pedro Vargas Mata (San Miguel de Allende, 29 April 1906 – Mexico City, 30 October 1989) was a Mexican tenor and actor, from the golden age of Mexican cinema, participating in more than 70 films. He was known as the "Nightingale of the Ameri ...

, whom she injudiciously paid in advance. In

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...

, Vargas denounced her as an enemy of Mexico, hoping to prevent her return to his country. "Rita tore into him, and told him he was a priests' faggot (and many other things!)" Bola said later in life when interviewed about her. Rita, furious, left the company, and Bola found himself looking at a third-class ticket to Mexico City. RitaD

The arrival of sound in films had created new opportunities for musicians, and Montaner launched on a new career as a film performer. After a musical number in a 1934 film, she made two films in 1938. Radio, too, was developing as a mass medium which was wide open to musical talent. La Montaner was to make good use of both these opportunities. But by now her temperament was getting out of control. Gonzalo Roig detailed the story of her sacking from the Lecuona show, ''María la O'', at the

Teatro Martí Teatro Martí is a Neoclassical theater in Havana, Cuba. It was inaugurated on 8 June 1884 as the Teatro Irijoa, named after its founder and owner Ricardo Irijoa, from the Basque Country, Spain. It was originall used for the performance of zarz ...

. During a duet with the tenor about the rekindling of betrayed love, she began to tear his clothes off on stage! That was a step too far for the management.Cortázar, Octavio (1963). abanaelegante.com/Winter2000/Bustos.htm Interview with Gonzalo Roig: "Nadie ha podido imitarla" habanaelegante.com. Retrieved 19 July 2015. She divorced Ernesto Estévez in 1938, and married in 1939, for the third time, to the advocate Dr Javier Calderón Poveda.

Radio days

In 1942, RHC-Azul gave her a program ''Yo no sé nada'' (I don't know anything!) to do the character La Chismosa again, and once more the government (

Fulgencio Batista Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (; ; born Rubén Zaldívar, January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was a Cuban military officer and politician who served as the elected president of Cuba from 1940 to 1944 and as its U.S.-backed military dictator ...

's first term) applied pressure to have it taken off the air. Much later, in 1946, she had a third chance. CMQ gave her a program ''Mejor que me calle'' (Better I shut up! – a line from one of her songs) in which her street character, ''Lengualisa'', had a side-kick ''Mojito'' (Alejandro Lugo). When the government (

Ramón Grau Ramón Grau San Martín (13 September 1881 in La Palma, Pinar del Río Province, Spanish Cuba – 28 July 1969 in Havana, Cuba) was a Cuban physician who served as President of Cuba from 1933 to 1934 and from 1944 to 1948. He was the last pres ...

's second term) tried to bribe her, she talked about it on the program. But, on the day of the first anniversary of the program, her brother (a policeman) was killed in a drive-by shooting. It surprised no-one that the culprits were never found. The program continued until February 1948. Montaner often helped people in need. The famous Tropicana cabaret opened in

Marianao Marianao is one of the 15 municipalities or boroughs (''municipios'' in Spanish) in the city of Havana, Cuba. It lies 6 miles southwest of the original city of Havana, with which it is connected by the Marianao railway. In 1989 the municipality had ...

, Havana, in late 1939. Choreographer Rodrigo Neira, a former dancer who had contracted

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...

became disfigured, poor and socially isolated. She intervened to save him from the

leprosarium A leper colony, also known by many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy. ''M. leprae'', the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believed to have spread from East Afr ...

, supported his family and gave him accommodation in her house. She also helped

Chano Pozo Luciano Pozo González (January 7, 1915 – December 3, 1948), known professionally as Chano Pozo, was a Cuban jazz percussionist, singer, dancer, and composer. Despite only living to age 33, he played a major role in the founding of Latin jazz. ...

before his career took off, getting him a job at the radio company

RHC-Cadena Azul Radio Habana Cuba-Cadena Azul (lit. "''Radio Havana Cuba-Blue Network''") was a Cuban radio network operating in various forms from 1939 until 1954. It was a heated rival of radio network CMQ. History Origins RHC was created in 1939 by Felix O'Sh ...

as a door-man and bodyguard. There he sang and played conga in his spare time; he was first hired as a musician by the Havana Casino orchestra.

Night clubs

In 1939 the Tropicana theater and restaurant (as it was first called) opened its doors in

. After closing temporarily when tourism declined during wartime; the Tropicana re-opened in 1945, along with other night-clubs such as the Sans Souci, the Montmartre, and their competition, the Gran Casino Nacional. In 1946, Montaner signed with the Tropicana, with Bola de Nieve as accompanist, to take part in the midnight spectacular. She reigned there as the number one figure for nearly four years: the longest-running contract of her career.

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 an ...

commented: "This launched the era of the Cuban cabaret super-productions".

Acting career in the 1950s

Montaner continued to do theater work whenever her radio show was off the air. In 1955 she triumphed as Madame Flora in the opera ''La Medium'' by Menotti, and in 1956 in the comedy ''Mi querido Charles''. Beginning in 1954, she co-starred in the comedy television program ''Rita y Willy'' with

Guillermo Alvarez Guedes Guillermo () is the Spanish form of the male given name William. The name is also commonly shortened to 'Guille' or, in Latin America, to nickname 'Memo'. People *Guillermo Amor (born 1967), Spanish football manager and former player *Guillermo Ar� ...

. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, she acted in numerous Mexican movies of the Rumberas genre.

Popular musical theatre

1920s

*1922 ** Sang in concerts of typical Cuban music and song. ** Inauguration of Cuban radio PWX as a singer. *1923 ** Festival of Cuban song. **Sings selected opera pieces at the Sala Falcón, Havana. ** First concert of sacred music: sings selection from Stabat Mater of Rossini, as

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...

. ** Festival de la danza: plays Cervantes, Saumell and Lecuona. *1924 ** Concert Society, Teatro Campoamor: several singing engagements. *1925 ** Sings Cuban lyrical music at various theatres in Havana. ** Worked as Lecuona's assistant organising concert. *1926 ** ''Schubert Follies'' Apollo, New York *1927 ** Zarzuela ''La Niña Rita, o La Habana de 1830'' Teatro Lírico Nacional ** Review ''La tierra de Venus'' Teatro Lírico Nacional ** Variety ''Arabescos'' Teatro Regina ** Review ''Es mucha Habana'' Teatro Regina ** ''La revista femenina'' Teatro Regina ** Review ''Bohemia'' Teatro Regina (imitates

for the first time) ** Operetta ''La corte del faraón'' Teatro Regina ** Review ''La liga de las señoras'' Teatro Regina ** Zarzuela ''El asombro de Damasco'' Teatro Regina ** Lyric comedy ''Mi pequeñao maldito'' Teatro Regina ** Review ''Castells y Riancho'' Teatro Regina Rita-prog

*1928 ** Operetta ''El conde de Luxemburgo'' Teatro Regina ** Fantasy review ''Los siete pecados capitales'' Teatro Regina ** Lyric comedy ''Como las golondrinas'' Teatro Regina ** Review ''Las musas latinas'' Teatro Regina ** Review ''La tierra de Venus'' Teatro Regina (part); and songs ** 10-week tour of Cuba by Teatro Regina ** Homage to Julita Alonso, Teatro Actualidades. ** Review ''Cuban Petit Follies'' Teatro Actualidades. ** Reopening of the Rialto cinema; is presented as ''La reina de la canción cubana'' and as ''La mejor intérprete de la música folklórica''. ** Reopening of Fausto theatre; appears for one week. ** Evening of homage to bid Rita farewell, at Teatro Prado. She sings various numbers in a 'contest' with tenor Rodolfo Hoyos. ** Voyage to Paris: three months at the Palais de Paris, with

Sindo Garay Sindo Garay (born Antonio Gumersindo Garay García; Santiago de Cuba, 12 April 1867 – Havana, 17 July 1968) was a Cuban trova musician. He was taught by Pepe Sánchez. Garay was one of the ''four greats of the trova''. He was of Spanish a ...

and his son Guarionex, a timbalero, and pianist Rafaelito Betancourt. Sings Cuban and Afro-Cuban material. ** First appearance after her triumph in Paris: sings at the Teatro Encanto. ** Goes to N.Y. to record 26 numbers for Columbia Records. ** Death of her mother in a car accident. * 1929 ** Reappears in Havana at the Cine Florencia and Teatro Peyret. ** Tours Cuba in February. ** Evening of homage to Rita, where she sings songs dedicated to her by leading composers (Lecuona, Roig, Anckermann, Caignet, Grenet,

Simons Simons is a surname of Scandinavian origins and a variant of Sigmundsson, a patronymic surname with roots in proto-Germanic ''*segaz'' and ''*mundō'', giving a rough translation of "protection through victory". Notable people A * Alan ...

) accompanied in each case by the song's author. ** Has a huge hit with Simons' ''Chivo que rompé tambo''; records it for ''Columbia''. ** June: leaves for Europe again; appears in

, and in

before the Queen and her council of ministers.

1930s

* 1930 ** Appears in Paris, three months in England, then New York for more recordings. ** Back to Cuba in June: appears in Cárdenas. * 1931 ** Performs in New York as the main artist in

's company in ''

''. Tours U.S. for a year. ** Records for Columbia. * 1932 ** February: Husband Alberto Fernández Díaz dies; she leaves Jolson company and returns to Cuba. ** July: appears with a galaxy of stars to celebrate her friend José Mojica at the Teatro Nacional. *1933 ** Goes to Mexico, and performs with Bola de Nieve: a huge success. ** Marries Ernesto Estévez.

Agustín Lara Ángel Agustín María Carlos Fausto Mariano Alfonso del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Lara y Aguirre del Pino (; October 30, 1897 – November 6, 1970), known as Agustín Lara, was a Mexican composer and performer of songs and boleros. He is recogn ...

performs in homage to her "por su arte exceptional". ** Makes her first film in Mexico ''La noche del pecado''. *1934 ** June: appears in the review ''La tentación del trópico'' in Buenos Aires. Causes a sensation. ** October: returns to Cuba. * 1935 ** Performs on radio. Gets interested in the poetry of Nicolas Guillén. ** February: Performs a whole series of AfroCuban numbers on stage at the

Teatro Principal de la Comedia The Teatro Principal de la Comedia was a theatre in Havana Cuba with 834 seats which was a major venue from its opening 1921 until demolition in 1956. It was located at calle Ánimas No. 2 between Zulueta and Prado.Raúl Eduardo Chao ''Album de Cub ...

. ** March: Sings the zarzuela (by Gonzalo Roig) ''Cecilia Valdés''. Appears in the review ''La gran caimán'' (Robreño and Prats). ** April: Appears in the lyric comedy ''La risa en el alma''. Sings the zarzuela ''Rosa la China'' (Gallarraga/Lecuona). Performs in the dramatic zarzuela ''El proceso de Dolores''. Appears in the entremés (short comedy) ''El secuestro de Falla''. ** May: Performs in the review ''Perlas'' (music by Roig). Sings lied ''El lamento negroide'' (Roig). ** June: Appears in the reviews ''Mosaicos'', ''El tren aéreo'', ''Los maculados''. ** July: Appears in the lyric comedy ''Salomé'', the reviews ''Vivan las cadenas'' and ''Contra la república del crimen'', and the two-act Cuban rapsody ''La hija del sol'' (music by Roig). ** August: Sings the sainete (short lyric comedy) ''María la O'' (lyrics by Sánchez Galarraga, music by Lecuona). ** November: Homage to Rita at the Teatro Principal del Comedia. Plays piano duet with Lecuona in the premiere of his piece ''Como baila el muñeco''. Takes part in the dialogue ''Las chismosas'' (''The Gossips'') with other celebrities. Sings the operetta, ''La duquesma del bar Tabarín'' by

Carlo Lombardo Carlo Lombardo dei Baroni Lombardo di San Chirico (Naples, 28 November 1869 – Milan, 19 December 1959) known also under the composer-pseudonyms Léon Bard, Leo Bard, Leblanc and M. Fernandez, was an Italian operetta impresario, comedian, libre ...

. ** December: Performs in the operetta ''La viuda alegre'' (Merry Widow) by

Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; hu, Lehár Ferenc ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is ''The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life a ...

. Performs in the ''Fiesta de la Variedad'' with Bola de Nieve,

Esther Borja Esther Borja Lima (5 December 1913 – 28 December 2013) was a Cuban operatic soprano and actress. Havana-born Esther Borja Lima was trained in solfége and music theory by Juan Elósegui, and in singing by Rubén Lepchutz. She graduated as a te ...

, and others. *1936 ** January: Sings the part of Rosa, in the Spanish lyric sainete ''Los claveles''; in the second part sings and acted ''Rosa la China'' (Galarraga/Lecuona). Sings the opera ''Lola Cruz'' (Galarraga/Lecuona). ** February: visits New York to record for Columbia Records. ** March–June: Teatro Alkázar, concerts of music by Cuban composers. ** July: Sings Cuban numbers on Radio COCO and CMBZ. Sings at tango festival. ** October: Sings sons and boleros with the

Trio Matamoros The Trío Matamoros was one of the most popular Cuban trova groups. It was formed in 1925 by Miguel Matamoros (8 May 1894 in Santiago de Cuba – 15 April 1971; guitar), Rafael Cueto (14 March 1900 in Santiago de Cuba – 7 August 1991; gu ...

. *1937 ** January: Sings zarzuela ''La reina mora'', and Lecuona's ''El cafetal'' at Teatro Martí. Plays

Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-emin ...

in duo with María Cervantes at Teatro Alkázar. ** February: Sings zarzuela ''María Belén Chacón'' by

Rodrigo Prats Rodrigo Prats (February 7, 1909 – September 15, 1980) was a Cuban composer, arranger, violinist, pianist and orchestral director. Biography The son of a musician, Jaime Prats, Rodrigo began to study music at the age of nine. He studied ...

. Sings at concert of AfroCuban music by Gilberto Valdés. ** April: visits New York for recording session with Columbia Records. Plays the review ''Azul'' by Lecuona; in the second half sings part of ''El cafetal'' (Lecuona), part of the opera ''Lola Cruz'', and part of ''La tierra de Venus'' (Lecuona). Also performed in the lyric comedy ''Sor Inés''. ** August: Sings the zarzuela ''Los gavilanes'' with Spanish baritone Augusto Ordóñez. Performs in ''Music Hall Review''. *1938 ** First Cuban film '' Sucedió en La Habana''. ** Second Cuban film ''El romance del palmar''. ** Appearances as singer at various theatres in Havana. ** Divorces Ernesto Estévez Navarro. ** Appears again in ''María la O'' (Galarraga/Lecuona).

Filmography

These are the films Rita appeared in as actress or singer-pianist or both. *1934 '' La noche del pecado'' as Rita Montaner y su Conjunto Tropical. (Mexican). * 1938 '' Sucedió en La Habana'' * 1938 ''El romance del palmar'' * 1947 ''María la O'' (co-production Cuba/Mexico) * 1948 '' Los angelitos negros'' (Mexican) * 1950 ''

Ritmos del Caribe ''Ritmos del Caribe'' (''Caribbean Rhythms'') is a Mexican musical film directed by Juan José Ortega. It was released in 1950 and starring Amalia Aguilar and Rafael Baledón. Plot A Cuban rumbera undergoes an ordeal to fall in love with a Mexica ...

'' (Mexican) * 1950 ''Pobre corazón'' * 1950 ''

Anacleto se divorcia ''Anacleto se divorcia'' is a 1950 Mexican film. It stars Carlos Orellana. A factory's guard has problems with his wife because of a co-worker's lies. References Cast *Carlos Orellana *Rosa Arenas *Rita Montaner Rita Aurelia Fulcida ...

'' * 1951 '' Víctimas del Pecado'' (Mexican) * 1951 ''

Al son del mambo ''Al son del mambo'' ( en, To the Sound of the Mambo) is a 1950 Mexico, Mexican Musical film. It was directed by Chano Urueta and starring Amalia Aguilar and Adalberto Martínez. Plot Don Chonito Godinez (Adalberto Martínez), the wealthy owner o ...

'' (Mexican) * 1951 '' Negro es mi color'' (Mexican) * 1952 ''La renegada'' * 1952 '' The Only One'' (1952) * 1954 ''Píntame angelitos blanco'' * 1980 ''Rita''. Director: Oscar Valdés, 19 minutes. Short film biography of Rita Montaner.

Montaner in popular culture

* Cuban writer

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

paid tribute to Rita Montaner in her 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 ...

'', where the actress appears as one of the main characters. * The character Rita in the 2010 film ''

Chico and Rita ''Chico and Rita'' is a 2010 Spanish adult animated music romantic film with Spanish and English languages directed by Tono Errando, Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal. The story of Chico and Rita is set against backdrops of Havana, New York City ...

'' was based loosely on her.

References

External links

*
Rita Montaner recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Montaner, Rita 1900 births 1958 deaths 20th-century Cuban women singers Cuban women pianists Rhumba musicians Cuban musical theatre actresses Cuban film actresses Golden Age of Mexican cinema 20th-century Cuban actresses 20th-century pianists Musicians from Havana Women in Latin music 20th-century women pianists