Marquita Rivera (born María Heroína Rivera de Santiago; May 18, 1922 – October 21, 2002), a.k.a. "Queen of Latin Rhythm", was a Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer.Marquita Rivera profile
prpop.org; accessed September 24, 2016.

Early life

Rivera was born in

Fajardo, Puerto Rico Fajardo (, ) is a town and municipality -Fajardo Combined Statistical Area. Fajardo is the hub of much of the recreational boating in Puerto Rico and a popular launching port to Culebra, Vieques, and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. It is ...

to Jesus Rivera y Perez and Clara de Santiago. She was the youngest in a family of twelve, one of five daughters and seven sons. In 1929, her mother moved her and six siblings to New York City, N.Y., as her father and the other children remained home in Puerto Rico. At six-years-old, Rivera originally studied dance and

flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...

with Eduardo Cansino,

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

's father, and Hayworth gave Rivera a set of

castanets Castanets, also known as ''clackers'' or ''palillos'', are a percussion instrument (idiophone), used in Spanish, Kalo, Moorish, Ottoman, Italian, Sephardic, Swiss, and Portuguese music. In ancient Greece and ancient Rome there was a similar ...

as a gift.Magazine
/ref>

Acting and singing career

Marquita Rivera with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby

A childhood friend of bandleader

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 ...

, Rivera, accompanied by her costume designer mother, earned her first role as a featured dancer in the

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 ...

production '' George White's Scandals of 1936.'' She next performed at the

1939 New York World's Fair The 1939–40 New York World's Fair was a world's fair held at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York, United States. It was the second-most expensive American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchas ...

with

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

and Queen Elizabeth attending during their respective royal visits, something she considered the highlight of her nascent career.Yo Soy Borinquen
/ref> She toured

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

in bands headed by

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, ...

and

Noro Morales Norosbaldo Morales (January 4, 1911 – January 15, 1964) was a Puerto Rican pianist and bandleader. Biography Morales was born in the subbarrio Puerta de Tierra of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and learned several instruments as a child. He played ...

. Appearing in many New York venues, including

The Apollo The Apollo Theater is a music hall at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is a n ...

, Roxy, Paramount, Loew's State Theatre,

Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...

and

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...

, Rivera shared the stages of such performers as

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

Ann Miller Ann Miller (born Johnnie Lucille Collier; April 12, 1923 – January 22, 2004) was an American retired actress and former dancer. She is best remembered for her work in the Classical Hollywood cinema musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. Her early ...

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

and

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

Kathryn Grayson Kathryn Grayson (born Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick; February 9, 1922 – February 17, 2010) was an American actress and coloratura soprano.Ronald Berganbr>Obituary '' London Guardian'', February 19, 2010. From the age of twelve, Grayson train ...

Victor Borge Børge Rosenbaum (3 January 1909 – 23 December 2000), known professionally as Victor Borge ( ), was a Danish-American comedian, conductor, and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television in the North America and Europe. His ...

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York ...

Merv Griffin Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own ta ...

and

Betty Hutton Betty Hutton (born Elizabeth June Thornburg; February 26, 1921 – March 11, 2007) was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedian, dancer, and singer. Early life and education Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg on February 2 ...

. Rivera put together her own show and performed at the

Latin Quarter (nightclub) Latin Quarter (also known as The LQ) was a nightclub in New York City. The club originally opened in 1942 and featured big-name acts. In recent years, it has been a focus of hip hop, reggaeton and salsa music. Its history is similar to that of it ...

and Havana-Madrid in New York. She was a marquee name back in her homeland where she entertained at venues such as Zero's Nightclub and El San Juan Theatre. In the mid-1940s Rivera was signed by Azteca Studios in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

. She acted for director

Fernando Soler Fernando Soler (born Fernando Díaz Pavia; 24 May 1896 – 25 October 1979) was a Mexican actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. He was considered one of the most important figures of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. In his career spanning ...

in ''Me persigue una mujer'' (1947) with Jose Torvay and David Silva, and in the comedy ''El Conquistador'' (1947), starring Torvay and Enrique Herrera. After her contract ended at Azteca, Rivera went on to sign a Hollywood contract with

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

, and made her American movie debut as lead singer and specialty performer in the

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

comedy '' The Road to Rio'' (1947). Although Rivera was selected in a popularity poll by Mexican filmgoers to star in an

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...

biography of the late "Mexican spitfire"

Lupe Vélez María Guadalupe Villalobos Vélez (July 18, 1908 – December 13, 1944), known professionally as Lupe Vélez, was a Mexican actress, singer and dancer during the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Vélez began her career as a performer in Mexican ...

, the film was shelved when legal issues arose involving Vélez's estate. She continued to work in "hot spots" such as the famous

Ciro's Ciro's (later known as Ciro's Le Disc) was a nightclub on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California owned by William Wilkerson. Opened in 1940, Ciro's became a popular nightspot for celebrities. The nightclub closed in 1957 and was reopened ...

nightclub with

Desi Arnaz Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom ''I Lov ...

's band. In 1948, Rivera was honored with the Key to the City of San Juan by Mayor

Felisa Rincón de Gautier Felisa Rincón de Gautier (born Felisa Rincón Marrero)This name uses Spanish marriage naming customs; the first is the maiden family name '' "Rincón"'' and the second or matrimonial family name is ''"Gautier"''. (also known as Doña Fela) (Janua ...

for her achievements on Broadway, Mexico, and in Hollywood. In December 2011, she was honored in Puerto Rico with special honors from the Senate for her achievements as one of the first Latin/American actresses, two of her children attended. In May 2012, Rivera was honored in Chicago, Ill with the

Antonio Martorell Antonio ("Toño") Martorell Cardona (born 18 April 1939) is a Puerto Rican painter, graphic artist and writer. He regularly exhibits in Puerto Rico and the United States and participates in arts events around the world. He spends his time betw ...

Award for Artistic Excellence on her 90th birthday, her son attended.

Personal life

Rivera was married to business tycoon Albert Vernon Ashbrook from 1946 to 1949 and they had one child, Marquita, her namesake. In 1951, she married physician Eugene N. Biscardi II in New York City, they had six children and remained married until his death in 1988. Of their children, eldest son Eugene Biscardi III, a model-turned-fashion photographer has appeared occasionally as an actor on film and TV, and daughter Jessica Biscardi, a model/actress was the 1973 Miss New York City winner. By the 1950s, Rivera concentrated on raising her large family and made few public appearances. In 1963, she made a special appearance at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

that featured opera performers Thomas Hayward, Rina Telli, Dino Formichini and James Boxwill, led by

Philharmonic An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola ...

conductor Warner S. Bass. In 1977, she returned to the stage in a limited engagement of her own off-Broadway revue, ''The Marquita Rivera Show''. By the 1980s her husband, Dr. Biscardi retired and the couple relocated to Los Angeles where Rivera would occasionally make TV appearances and travel as a beauty contestant judge. Following the death of her husband in 1988, Rivera chose to completely retire.

Death

On October 21, 2002, Rivera died at

Cedars-Sinai Hospital Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2 ...

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

following a stroke. She was survived by her seven children, as well as 17 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.

References in popular culture

* Marquita is one of the legacies honored in Miluka Rivera's book "El legado puertorriqueño en Hollywood, los famosos y los olvidados" (The Puerto Rican Legacy in Hollywood, the Famous and the Forgotten) * Marquita was the inspiration for the protagonist and is featured on the cover o
''Mexico City The Golden Years''

Awards

* 1948: Honored with the Key to the City of San Juan, Puerto Rico by Mayor Felisa de Rincon, for her achievements on Broadway, Mexico, and in Hollywood. * 2011: Puerto Rico Senate Legacy Award. * 2011: Federation of Mayors Award,

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...

. * 2012: City of Chicago Mayors Award of Recognition. * 2012:

Award for Artistic Excellence by the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture (IPRAC).

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rivera, Marquita 1922 births 2002 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century Puerto Rican women singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers People from Fajardo, Puerto Rico 20th-century Puerto Rican actresses Puerto Rican film actresses Puerto Rican stage actresses Puerto Rican television actresses