Fredesvinda García Valdés, known always as ''Freddy'' (1935 in Camagüey – 31 July 1961 in
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan ( , ; Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist, John") is the capital city and most populous Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the ...
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
, into a poor peasant family. She sang
a cappella
Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
in clubs in
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.boleros and canciones.Giro, Radamés 2007. ''Diccionario enciclopédico de la música en Cuba''. La Habana. vol 2, p. 124
When she moved Havana at the age of 12, she became a cook for the family of Arturo Bengochea, who was the president of the Cuban League of Professional Base-Ball, but she soon found herself singing nights at the ''Bar Celeste'', on Humboldt and Infanta Streets, a place where artists used to meet. She was spotted by the director of the ''Hotel Capris casino and given a contract. She opened at the Cabaret Capri with orchestration by Rafael Somavilla in the review ''Piminta y Sal'' (pepper & salt) with other singers, dancers, and a quartet led by pianist Carlos Faxas. Freddy appeared in several key TV programs, like ''Jueves de Partagas'' (1959), which she remembered dearly. On that show she appeared with Benny Moré and Celia Cruz.
Freddy traveled to
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
and then on to
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
with a company led by dancer and choreographer Roderyco Neyra (''Rodney''). From there, she flew, along with others, to
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
and then to
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
. She got several contracts and was even presented on San Juan TV.
Her only album is known variously as ''La voz del sentimento'' or ''Ella cantaba boleros''. It was recorded in 1960 for Puchito Records under the reference: Puchito MLP 552. Humberto Suarez did the musical arrangements and conducted the orchestra.
* " El hombre que yo amo," ("The man I love"), by
George Gershwin
George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...
Lyrics of the song specially written for her by Ela O'Farril.
"Freddy"
Soy una mujer que canta
Para mitigar las penas
De las horas vividas y perdidas.
Me queda sólo esto:
Decirle a la noche,
Todo lo que yo siento,
Cantando canciones;
Despierto ilusiones
Dormidas en mí.
Muchos me vieron
Caminando a solas
Bajo las luces
Desiertas y azules de mi soledad.
¿Qué fue mi vida desde siempre?
Sólo trabajo y miseria,
Por eso cantaba a las estrellas
Y quizás me oyó hasta Dios.
Soy una mujer que canta
Para mitigar las penas.
No era nada ni nadie y ahora,
Dicen que soy una estrella,
Que me convertí en una de ellas
Para brillar en la eterna noche.
Soy una mujer que canta
Para mitigar las penas.
No era nada ni nadie y ahora,
Dicen que soy una estrella,
Que me convertí en una de ellas
Para brillar en la eterna noche.
Rough translation: I am a woman who sings to soften the sufferings of the vivid and lost hours. This is all I have left: Telling the night all that I feel, singing songs; lively illusions asleep in me. Many saw me walking alone under the lights empty and blue of my solitude. What has my life always been like? Only work and misery; this is why I sing to the stars and perhaps God will hear me. I am a woman who sings to soften the sufferings. There was nothing and no one and now, they say I am a star; that I turned myself into one of those to shine in the eternal night. I am a woman who sings to soften the sufferings. There was nothing and no one and now, they say I am a star; that I turned myself into one of those to shine in the eternal night. (translated by wikieditor)