The most influential women of Latin music are many and deserve to be mentioned. There are some that are well known while others are not. The notable examples are Celia Cruz, Olga Guillot, Shakira, Selena, and Maria Conchita Alonso.
The women of Latin music who are almost never mentioned but deserve to be are Maria Lourdes, and Martha Perez
Celia Cruz started in Cuba by interpreting contemporary Cuban Music such as Rumba, Guaracha, Son Montuno with the Sonora Matancera which was a popular group in Cuba.
Her music touched every corner of the American Continent and she won many awards in Cuba. When the Castro Brothers took over Cuba in 1959, she left the island never to return. She also took the music with her and spread it to places that only people could dream of.
She sang with Tito Puente and his Orchestra, the Fania All Stars, and Willy Colon. Celia Cruz even proved to the world that music is universal by performing a duo with Spanish singer Lola Flores and doing a concert in Zaire [now the Democratic Republic of the Congo].
Celia Cruz never allowed heart break and pain to hurt here even though she never would see her beloved Cuba again. She once challenged people in one song to laugh, dance, and sing in order to forget sadness.
Olga Guillot was another Cuban singer who was a singer of boleros in her native land. She left Cuba in the same period that Celia Cruz left and managed to spread boleros to the world.
She challenged people to listen to boleros and the world took notice. Her boleros are even popular in China and Germany. Olga Guillot was also a passionate defender of the desire to see a Cuba that is free, democratic, and sovereign without dictatorships of any type.
The last act of Olga Guillot was to participate and sing an impromptu bolero during the Ladies In White demonstration held in Miami, Florida and La Habana Cuba simultaneously. Olga Guillot recently passed away but her legend remains to this day.
Shakira is from Colombia and she showed the world that one could be a rock star and Latin at the same time. Her music was also designed for peace. She participated in the efforts to help orphans in her native Colombia, earthquake victims in Haiti, and those who felt marginalized by the new immigration law in Arizona signed by a Governor who did not feel the pain of the immigrants.
Selena was a Mexican American singer born in Texas who proved to the world that being born in the USA does not mean giving up your Latin heritage. Her music was one of peace and her influence extended to different parts of the world.
It was because of Selena that Tejano Music became popular to the point that it is also called Norte~no music. Selena was planning on recording an English language album when she was killed by her manager the infamous Yolanda Saldivar.
Maria Conchita Alonso was born in Cuba and immigrated to Venezuela. She won the Miss Teenage World Contest in 1971. Her career began to skyrocket with soap opera, theater, music, and movies.
She could have stayed in Venezuela but she chose to move to the USA and continued with her career from Los Angeles. While many people criticized her for her decision, it was a good one since Venezuela elected a Military Dictator to power in 1998.
Maria Conchita Alonso is also influential since she has now continued the torch for the liberation of Cuba and Venezuela from Military rule.
Maria Lourdes is another example of influence in the world. The Cuban-American Singer, Composer, Actress, and Model has recorded two albums and appeared in various TV programs around the country.
Maria Lourdes is influential because she has been at the forefront for helping the victims of the repression in Cuba. She has done a concert which was to benefit the victims of earthquakes in Haiti and other parts of the world.
Maria Lourdes also did a concert to help an orphanage in Honduras and to help pay the hospital bill of a little girl who was born with a lack of oxygen in her brain.
Martha Perez was an opera singer in Cuba who left her native land in the 1960’s. In her prime, she performed operas around the world with the Symphonic Orchestra of La Habana conducted by the venerable maestro Gonzalo Roig.
When she arrived in the USA, she helped found the Pro Arte Gratelli Society under the belief that freedom comes through culture and knowledge. Many people have learned from Ms. Martha Perez the ways of culture and manners.
Martha Perez also is no longer with us but her idea of a better world through better manners will remain with us for a long time.
El Noticiero de Alvarez Galloso 