Xiomara Alfaro
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Xiomara Alfaro | |
|---|---|
 Xiomara Alfaro as a young woman | |
| Born | May 11, 1930 Havana, Cuba |
| Died | June 24, 2018 Coral Gables, Florida |
| Occupation | Singer |
Xiomara Alfaro (May 11, 1930 – June 24, 2018[1]) was a Cuban coloratura soprano.[2] Her interpretation of Cuban composer and pianist Ernesto Lecuona's "Siboney" was the composer's favorite.[2]
Career
Alfaro was a star of the Cuban music scene of the 1950s.[4] She was in the original cast of Batamú (1951), a musical revue by Obdulio Morales. She became famous as a singer of bolero music, with a clear, strong soprano voice well suited to the genre.[5] She was known as "El Ruiseñor de la Cancion" (The Nightingale of Music) and as "La Alondra de la Cancion" (The Lark of Music).[5][6]
Alfaro's film appearances included a vocal performance alongside the Katherine Dunham dancers in Mambo (1954),[7][8] and a role in Olé…Cuba! (1957), which also featured fellow Afro-Cuban singer Celia Cruz.[9] She made more than two dozen recordings for RCA Records and other labels.[10]
"I'm a very spiritual person," she explained in a 2007 interview. "I try to transmit to my audience when I sing. God gave me a gift. And when God gives you something, you use it."[10]
Recordings
- Siboney (1957, with Chico O'Farrill and Ernesto Duarte)
- Xiomara Alfaro en Nueva York (with Joe Cain y su Orquestra)
- Xiomara Alfaro Sings International Flavors [11]
- En Gira (1962)
- Siboney: Lo Mejor de Xiomara A)lfaro Vol. 1 (2004)
- Lamento Borincano: Lo Mejor de Xiomara Alfaro Vol. 2 (2007)
- Aquellas Canciones (2009)
- Xiomara Alfara, Cubana (2015 reissue)
- Besos en mi Sueños (2015 reissue)
- Perlas Cubanas (2015 reissue)
