The Cuban singer Omara Portuondo announced, through a statement signed by his son and representative Ariel Jiménez Portuondo, that he to retire permanently from the scene after suffering yesterday during his concert in Barcelona a episode of “fatigue and disorientation” which forced her to leave the show after the first song.
As the singer’s son confirmed in a statement published on the artist’s Facebook page, his mother “is fine” and under the care and supervision of her personal doctor, who “for more than 20 years has accompanied her everywhere in Cuba and in the world where she appears.”
Jiménez Portuondo also recounted the episode experienced by his mother yesterday. “On the night of October 2,” he explains, “in the Palau de la Musique in Barcelonaafter performing the classic ‘maybe maybe‘ by Osvaldo Farrés, showed signs of fatigue and disorientation, which is why we considered it best to remove her from the stage.
Despite this, the group La Failde continued with their concert, although Omara Portuondo’s son also apologized to those present at the concert for the inconvenience that this health problem may have caused. “Given this fact, we consider it appropriate to announce the Omara’s final retirement from the stage during the presentation in Budapest next Sunday, where a tribute will be paid to him by the Orchestra and the public”, revealed Jiménez Portuondo.
“On this occasion, Omara will not sing, she will receive love and applause. After that, and for the reasons we shared before, I will continue to rehearse and record from her studio at home or by participating in tributes and meetings with the public who want to entertain her, only to the extent that her health and disposition indicate it”, said Portuondo’s son. Thus, Omara Portuondo will leave definitely the scene at 94 years oldafter a lifetime dedicated to music, with particular importance in the history of the legendary Cuban group Buena Vista Social Club.
Omara Portuondo, 75 years old with Cuban sound
After 75 years of bringing his Cuban son to the four corners of the world, whether with his sister Haydée, alone or within the Buena Vista Social Club. Born in the popular neighborhood of Havana West Keyborn October 29, 1930, is the daughter of a black father and baseball player and a white mother, descendant of a rich family who strongly opposed her marriage and disinherited her. Her artistic interests led her to participate in a radio show in which she performed and won second prize.
She began her career with her older sister, Haydeé, who was a dancer at the famous Tropicana cabaret. In the 1940s, the Portuondo sisters met composers César Portillo de la Luz and José Antonio Méndez as well as pianist Frank Emilio Flynn to perform Cuban music with a strong influence of genres such as bossa nova and jazz. He began singing professionally with the quartet of Orlando de la Rosa then she joined the women’s orchestra Anacaonain which in addition to singing he played drums and tumbadora.
In 1952, the two sisters joined the Aida Quartetalongside other singers like Elena Burke and Moraima Secada, under the artistic direction of pianist Aida Diestro, a project in which she remained for 15 years, until she began her solo career. received on 2005 Latin Music Awards from the American magazine Billboard, in the Best Tropical Album category, for ‘Flor de Amor’, his second solo album, of which he sold more than 150,000 copies.
Years later, he would become the first lady of the Buena Vista Social Clubwhen in 1996 the American guitarist Ry Cooder recorded the album in Havana which brought together a group of legends of traditional Cuban music. After his success in Cuba and other countries, the album “Buena Vista Social Club” gave him great international recognition. And also the albums he recorded with Ibrahim Ferrer, another of the group’s best-known members.
First Cuban resident to win a Latin Grammy
In 2008, when I turned sixty in the world of music, posted “Thank you”an album for which he won a Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Tropical Album. It was the first Cuban artist residing in her country to win this prestigious award. During his long career, worked twice as an actressin the Cuban films “Cecilia” (1982) and “Baraguá” (1986) and his life was also filmed in the documentary “Omara” (2021), directed by Hugo Pérez.
Additionally, in 2010, she recorded a song for the Spanish version of “The Princess and the Frog” (“Tiana y el sapo”), “Dig a Little Deeper”, which was sung by the character Old Mama Odie. In 2016, he completed the European tour ’85 Tour’to celebrate its 85th anniversary, with the singer Diego ‘El Cigala‘, which took them through countries like Belgium, Germany, Spain, Poland, Hungary, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal and Italy.
Portuondo was awarded twice in 2019, the Latin Grammy for Musical Excellence and the Gold Medal of Merit for Fine Arts in Spain, a recognition she received in 2021 due to the pandemic. In 2022 announced its final world tour‘LIFE’.
“I think this is the right time to personally say see you later! to my supporters from the most distant countries, where, since teleportation has not yet been invented, it seems more difficult for me to return,” said the artist. And even though the concerts ended in 2023, she continued to offer some performances, like the one scheduled this Wednesday in Barcelona, from the stage of which she was carried in her arms while she was disoriented, an incident that led to its permanent withdrawal. .
