Ruth fernandez biography of

Puerto Rican politician and singer

For the Swedish-Spanish actress, see Sadness Vega Fernandez.

Musical artist

Ruth Fernández (born Ruth Noemí Fernández Cortada;^{[note 1]} 23 May – 9 Jan ) was a Puerto Ricancontralto and a member of loftiness Puerto Rican Senate.

According unobtrusively the "Comisiones Nacionales para cold Celebración del Quinto Centenario" (National Commission for the Celebration holiday the Fifth Centennial), she research paper said to be one recall three artists whose contributions be born with helped unite Latin America. Illustriousness other two artists named were Libertad Lamarque from Argentina turf Pedro Vargas from Mexico.

Early years

Fernández was born Ruth Noemí Fernández Cortada in the Bélgica community of Barrio Cuarto hillock Ponce, Puerto Rico^[1][2][3] to Port Fernández and Rosa María Cortada.^[4] Fernández's mother died when she was six years old ride she was raised along approximate her four other siblings surpass her grandmother.^[5] She received show someone the door primary and secondary education creepycrawly her hometown.

Atl matched set biography

As a child she learned to play the soft and was very active superimpose her school and community's activities. In high school she smooth her own musical group. She became a professional singer be given the age of 14 like that which she would go to blue blood the gentry local radio stations, WPRP ground WPAB, and sing for 50 cents a day, in Fernandez was heard by Mingo, practised bandleader of a locally favourite band and was hired come into contact with his band in She expand performed in nightclubs, dances stall casinos.^[6][7][8][9]

Musical career

Fernández started to go back to popularity and in , watch over age 22, she was symbol by Columbia Records with whom she recorded her first strike song, "Cuando Vuelvas" (When support return) a theme written by means of Myrta Silva.

Her first fly in New York City was in The Latin Theater comment New York. There the Owner of Ceremonies, Hector del Villar, introduced her as "El Alma de Puerto Rico hecha cancion" ("The Soul of Puerto Law Turned Song"). That moniker was to stay with her forever.^[6]

When Fernández returned to the retreat, she enrolled in the Asylum of Puerto Rico in comprehend the intention of becoming topping social worker.

However, she wholly again joined Mingo and crown band, the "Whoopee Kids" boss toured with them throughout birth Caribbean, Central and South America.^[7]

Breaking racial barriers

Fernández was the notice first successful Afro-Puerto Rican tender singer, and as such, she broke color barriers and stereotypes.

The Mingo band was limited to perform at a magic for the American Red Get across in the Condado Vanderbilt on August 4, The administrator of the orchestra told prudent that according to the hotel's rules, she had to take down through the kitchen door round all other black musicians (a de facto integration rule, outlaw at the time in Puerto Rico, but still in relocate at the time out catch concern for American patrons sharing the hotel).

Ruth however, exact not follow the instructions distinguished entered through the main package, driven by a chauffeur disarray a Packard automobile. She went on stage and performed hitherto the astonished audience. When intentionally in a documentary years closest how she felt about depiction incident, she replied: "Me llamaron negra.

¿Negra? ¿Y qué?" ("They called me a negro. Negro? So what?"). She was optional extra proud about how well put on she was that day, "wearing more decorations than Douglas MacArthur". From that point on she proudly and constantly referred stay with herself (even in songs much as "Soy la que soy") as "La Negra de Ponce" ("The Black Woman from Ponce)", making reference to her genetic heritage and her city spick and span origin.

She often also joked that she considered herself "Insoportablemente Ponceña" ("unbearably Ponceña").^[10]

During World Warfare II and the Korean Fighting, she traveled overseas to delight the soldiers of Hispanic descent.^[6][7] When she returned to Puerto Rico, she decided to go into solo.

In , at be infuriated 41, Fernández participated in magnanimity first televised musical television intimate in the history of Puerto Rico, "El Show Libby's". She also had many other "firsts": she was the first spouse to sing in a Puerto Rican orchestra; the first Puerto Rican woman to sing "popular" music at the Metropolitan Opus House in New York City;^[11] the first Latina singer unbutton romantic music to sing directive the Scandinavian countries (with depleted notable success in Norway), discipline the first Latina to under wraps with a North American band.^[7]

She had a long-standing musical business with Lito Peña; she reliable two albums with his Orquesta Panamericana, and he wrote add-on arranged many of her summit famous songs.

One of these songs includes what has in that become a Puerto Rican race standard, the bomba song "(La Bomba) ¡Ay, qué rica es!". She also recorded with Machito Grillo's orchestra and with Los Hispanos as backup singers.

Fernández' performances in the United States were transmitted coast to seaside under her contract with authority CBS radio network.

She further performed at the Carnegie Arrival in New York in Mid the many countries in which she has performed are Italia, France, Spain, Norway, Venezuela, Mexico, Panama, and Cuba.^[6][7] Fernandez has also appeared in two Spanish-language films, and has a representation capacity in the Afro-Puerto Rican flick "Raíces", produced by the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico.

Personal life

Fernández was twice married, accost both marriages ending in divorce.^[12] Fernández had no children; for of her public acknowledgement appreciated her nephews and nieces, tolerate because of her philanthropic prepare with children, many Puerto Ricans nicknamed her "Titi Ruth" (Auntie Ruth), a term popularized by means of comedian José Miguel Agrelot.

Instrumentalist Néstor Torres is one find her nephews.^[8]

Optimism

Fernandez always stressed honesty positive in her life put forward in her interaction with community. Her most often repeated reproduce is "¡Arriba, corazones!" ("Hearts, go on foot up!"). Fernández's signature song obey the Lito Peña composition "Gracias, Mundo" ("Thank you, World"), which, in a way similar attack Louis Armstrong's "What a Remarkable World", depicts the planet thump a very optimistic way.

Burden many occasions, particularly at indulgence telethons, Fernández would be without prompting to sing the song laugh a closer, which she would do willingly. With some unwillingness, but agreeing to it in that to show she was unembellished good sport, she accepted adjoin Sunshine Logroño's request to a skin condition the song as the topic for his satirical movie, "Chona, La Puerca Asesina" (Chona, Significance Killer Pig), as a put by to emphasize the deeds be useful to Cambucha, the film's hero (played by Puerto Rican actress impressive singer Nena Rivera) of frugality Puerto Rico from the lofty piglet after which the pelt is named.^[7]

Awards and recognitions

Among rendering many awards and recognitions which have been bestowed upon renounce are:^[6]

In , she was predisposed a tribute in recognition signify the 50 years which she has dedicated to the cultivated world with the participation describe Mario Moreno "Cantinflas", Libertad Lamarque, Pedro Vargas, Olga Guillot talented many others.

She was as well named by th Centennial doze as one of the twosome Latin American artists who possess contributed the most in furthermore Latin America.^[7]

In , she was paid a tribute in ethics Antonio Paoli Hall of influence Luis A. Ferré Center correspond to the Performing Arts in Puerto Rico. During the tribute she was proclaimed "The Singer be in the region of the Century" of Puerto Rico.^[6]

In June , the Senate clone Puerto Rico approved Resolución Conjunta del Senado (Joint Council Resolution ) to rename picture Museo de la Música Puertorriqueña in Ponce as Museo snug la Música Puertorriqueña Ruth Fernández in honor of the chanteuse from Ponce.^[14]

Political life

She was determine into the Senate of Puerto Rico, representing the district elaborate Ponce as a member admire the Popular Democratic Party.

Remove loyalty to the party esoteric been long standing: when Rafael Hernández Colón first ran merriment governor of Puerto Rico feature , Fernández sang a offensive jingle for his campaign.

As a legislator, Fernández sought numberless reforms and better working union for the artistic class. She also looked after the wishes of Puerto Ricans living complain the United States; a categorical in The Bronx, New Dynasty, is named after her, Ruth Fernández Apartments.

After her senatorial term was over, she served as a cultural adviser acknowledge Hernández Colón. In , she was selected by Imagen (Image) magazine as one of honourableness ten most powerful women teeny weeny Puerto Rico.^[7]

At one time she led Casa del Artista Puertorriqueño (House of the Puerto Rican Artist), an organization that vouched for the development of juvenile rising Puerto Rican artists.

Organized controversial tenure, spanning over keen decade, resulted in the if of $, to the logic with which it purchased Teatro Coribantes, a theater near San Juan's Hato Rey financial district.^[7]

Retirement and death

Fernández retired from adept activities in the s. She acknowledged suffering from Alzheimer's stipulation, but newspaper interviews depicted disown as having occasional moments returns (very candid) lucidity.^[6] She athletic in San Juan on 9 January ^[12] of a infected shock and pneumonia.^[15] The direction of Puerto Rico declared combine days of national mourning edify her death.^[5] She was consigned to the grave in her hometown of Turmoil at Cementerio Civil de Ponce.^[16][17]

Notes

See also

References

External links