Celeste Mendoza
Encyclopedia
Celeste Mendoza was a Cuban singer.
She started her professional career as a dancer, appearing at various cabarets, including shows choreographed by "Rodney" Neyras at the Tropicana. In the late 1950s she signed with Gema Records, and made a series of recordings with Bebo Valdez's orchestra. She also recorded with Ernesto Duarte's band. Mendoza toured internationally, and, in 1965, appeared at the Olympia in Paris with the Orquesta Aragón
and Los Zafiros
as part of the show Gran Music Hall de Cuba. Her career flagged in the late 1960s, but she returned to public attention in the 1980s, performing at festivals and making recordings with the son revival group Sierra Maestra
. She went on to record with Los Papines and Clave Y Guaguanco.
Biography
Celeste Mendoza was born in Santiago de Cuba in 1930. She was best known for her singing of guaguancos, the music of the street rumbas, a form of music previously almost exclusively associated with male singers.She started her professional career as a dancer, appearing at various cabarets, including shows choreographed by "Rodney" Neyras at the Tropicana. In the late 1950s she signed with Gema Records, and made a series of recordings with Bebo Valdez's orchestra. She also recorded with Ernesto Duarte's band. Mendoza toured internationally, and, in 1965, appeared at the Olympia in Paris with the Orquesta Aragón
Orquesta Aragón
Orquesta Aragón was formed on 30 September 1939, by Orestes Aragón Cantero in Cienfuegos, Cuba. The band originally had the name Ritmica 39, then Ritmica Aragón before settling on its final form. Though they did not create the Cha-cha-cha, they were arguably the best charanga in Cuba during 1950s...
and Los Zafiros
Los Zafiros
Los Zafiros were a Cuban close-harmony vocal group working from 1961–1970. The group was part of the filín movement, inspired by American doo-wop groups such as The Platters...
as part of the show Gran Music Hall de Cuba. Her career flagged in the late 1960s, but she returned to public attention in the 1980s, performing at festivals and making recordings with the son revival group Sierra Maestra
Sierra Maestra
Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province from what is now Guantánamo Province to Niquero in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. Some view it as a series of connecting ranges , which joins with others extending to the west...
. She went on to record with Los Papines and Clave Y Guaguanco.
Discography
- Celeste, Mucha Celeste (1992)
- Guapachosa (1994)
- Cuba (1993)
- Papa Oggun (1996)
- Queen of Island Soul (1998)
- Reina del Guaguanco (2000)
- Que Me Castigue Dios Y Otros Exitos (2000)
- Celeste Mendoza Con Sierra Maestra (2000)
- Soberana (2002)
- Reino De La Rumba (2002)