Julita Ross (March 21, 1919 – June 29, 1981) was a singer of
Puerto Rican danzas, also known as "The Great Lady of the Danzas".
Early years
Ross was born in
Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Her parents Ramon and Clemencia moved to the
Santurce section of San Juan in 1923. Ross received her primary and secondary education and graduated from the Central High School of Santurce. In 1940, she joined an artistic singing group which had a show called "''Industrias Nativas''" (Native Industries) and which was transmitted through the radio station "''WIAC''", until 1945.
During World War II, Ross entertained the troops with her voice in "USO shows" (
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...
). After touring with the USO, Ross went to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
where she performed in many
hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
theater
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
s, among which was "''
El Teatro Puerto Rico''". She was also heard on the radio stations "''WWRL''" and "''WHOM''".
Singing career
In 1947, Ross was offered a recording contract. She recorded the
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 ...
s "''Diez Años''" (Ten Years) by
Rafael Hernández and "''Aunque Me Llores''" (Even if you cry for me) by Claudio Ferrer. In 1948, she recorded 49 danzas written by composers such as
Juan Morel Campos
Juan Morel Campos (16 May 1857 – 12 May 1896), sometimes erroneously spelled ''Juan Morell Campos'', was a Puerto Rican composer, considered by many to be responsible for taking the genre of danza to its highest level. He composed over ...
,
Manuel Gregorio Tavárez
Manuel Gregorio Tavárez Ropero (November 16, 1843 – July 1, 1883), was Puerto Rico's classical and danza composer. He has been called "The Chopin of America".
Early years
Tavárez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the son of a French fath ...
,
Rafael Alers and
Ángel Mislan among others.
In 1953, Ross returned to Puerto Rico where she received a contract from the radio station "''WNEL''" to do the show "''La Voz de Borinquen''" (The voice of Puerto Rico). This is where she was nicknamed "The Great Lady of the Danzas".
Ross's first record was titled "''Julita Ross Canta Danzas''" (Julita Ross Sings Danzas).
In 1961, she recorded "''Julita y Chago''" and in 1968 "''La Siempre Recordada Julita Ross''" (The Always Remembered Julita Ross). She also recorded ,
,
and .
Later years
Ross moved to
Levittown, Toa Baja in 1966. She continued to participate in many activities, especially with the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture. In 1974, Ross was honored by the
Cayetano Coll y Toste
Dr. Cayetano Coll y Toste (November 30, 1850 – November 19, 1930), was a Puerto Rican historian and writer. He was the patriarch of a prominent family of Puerto Rican educators, politicians and writers.
Early years
Coll y Toste was born in th ...
Club in Arecibo. She was given the "keys" to the city and inducted into the Arecibo Hall of Fame.
Julita Ross died on June 29, 1981 in
Levittown, Toa Baja and was buried in
Bayamón. The mayor of Toa Baja honored her memory by renaming the Levittown theater "El Theatro de Bellas Artes de Julita Ross" (The Julita Ross Theater of Beautiful Arts).
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
*
German immigration to Puerto Rico
German immigration to Puerto Rico began in the early part of the 19th century and continued to increase when German businessmen immigrated and established themselves with their families on the island.
However, it was the economic and political s ...
*
History of women in Puerto Rico
The recorded history of Puerto Rican women can trace its roots back to the era of the ''Taíno'', the indigenous people of the Caribbean, who inhabited the island that they called "Boriken" before the arrival of Spaniards. During the Spanish c ...
References
External links
Julita Ross video on YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Julita
1919 births
1981 deaths
People from Arecibo, Puerto Rico
20th-century Puerto Rican women singers
Puerto Rican people of German descent