Omara Portuondo

Name at birth:  Omara Portuondo Peláez
Date of birth: 29 October 1930
Place of birth: Havana, Cuba

Cuban vocalist and dancer, the only female member of the world famous Buena Vista Social Club.  Portuondo joined the dance group of Cabaret Tropicana, Havana, in 1950: “I was very shy and ashamed to show my legs”.  Portuondo recalled to Rob Adams of Scotland’s Glasgow Herald -
"Then my mother said, 'Do it for me. You'll see, one day you'll represent your country all over the world with your art"

Her mother came from a wealthy Spanish family and was expected to marry with an upper-class man. Finally she found herself in the arms of Bartolo Portuondo, a local baseball player. Omara’s parents were not musicians, but sometimes sang romantic duets together and famous composers, like Ernesto Grenet were frequent guests in their house.

1952-1953    Portuondo sang for the Orquesta Anacaona
1953    With her sisters she joined the group Cuarteto d’Aida – They had a tour in the United States and Europe beginning in 1957
1959        Portuondo released a solo album: Magía Negra
1970’s        Joined the Orquestra Aragon

The elegant Portuondo was nearly 70 years old, when Ry Cooder recruited the old forgotten stars to reintroduce classic Cuban music to the World. The movie of Wim Wenders German director “Buena Vista Social Club” led to their international fame.
Unlike the other musicians in Buena Vista Social Club, Portuondo was a longtime star. She married and divorced. Her son Ariel later became her manager.


Discography:
1950    Amigas
1959    Magía Negra
1996    Palabras
1996    Buena Vista Social Club
1997    Omara Portuondo & Martin Rojas
1997    A Toda Cuba le Gusta (by Afro-Cuban All Stars)
1999    Desafios (with Chucho Valdés)
1999    Oro Musical
1999    Magía Negra (reissued)
2000    Buena Vista Social Club Presents Omara Portuondo
2000    Roots of Buena Vista
2000    La Colección Cubana
2001    Pensamiento
2001    La Sitiera
2002    18 Joyas Ineditas
2002    La Gran Omara Portuondo
2002    La Novia del Filin
2004    Flor De Amor
2005    Lágrimas Negras (Caniónes y Boleros)
2007    Singles
2008    Maria Bethania e Omara Portuondo
2008    Gracias


by Zsuzsa Melkvi
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About the Author: Zsuzsa Melkvi is a salsa dancer and teacher, having competed in Latin-American and Standard dances from 1995-1998. She is also the founder of Baila Cuba (www.bailacuba.hu), a Dance company focused on giving exclusively pure Afro-Cuban workshops in Hungary. Zsuzsa holds a BA degree in Economics from the University of Hertfordshire.