Lourdes Pérez
Encyclopedia
Lourdes Pérez is a prolific Puerto Rican contemporary recording artist, songwriter
, composer
, arranger
, poet
, contralto
vocalist and guitarist
. She is also one of few female décimistas (writer of décima
, a specialized form of Spanish poetry). Pérez's music — often conjuring comparisons to the soulful world music genres of cante jonde, morna and fado — draws from her jíbara (Puerto Rican mountain) roots and a socially conscious genre of Spanish
/pan-Latin America
n music called nueva trova or nueva cancion.
, Puerto Rico
. Considered by many to be "among the great Latin American female vocalists" and songwriters, Lourdes Pérez has performed duets with numerous legendary and diverse artists, from Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa
and Mexican master decimista Guillermo Velazquez to Canadian pop artist Jane Siberry. Acclaimed for her "ability to transcend language...with her achingly beautiful contralto
voice," she has devoted her work to promoting human rights
around the globe. Lourdes is one of 1000 performers in the world profiled in the MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide (2000) and she is featured in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States (Oxford University Press, 2005).
Her discography includes 7 CDs, a full length film score, a short film score, 2 modern dance scores, a theater score and numerous individual tributes, while her songs appear in films, CD compilations and anthologies. A concert at a Palestinian refugee camp prompted her Spanish translation of the Arabic song by Ahmad Kaabour/Tawfeeq Zayad, "Unadeekum (Te llamo)", which was later released on her CD, Este Filo. A song that Pérez wrote for the people of Sierra Blanca
, Texas was read into the U.S. Congressional record by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (Texas) as part of a successful campaign against dumping nuclear waste inside a low-income Mexican American
community on the Texas-Mexico border. References to her strong support for the decolonization of Puerto Rico can be found in several of her songs. In November 2006, her song, "Paloma Urbana" (Urban Dove) won Best Latin Song in the Just Plain Folks Music Awards.
Lourdes Pérez was honored, alongside Ali Akbar Khan
, as one of the country's "finest living artists" and was awarded a 2006 United States Artists
unrestricted fellowship for her contribution to music.
The contemporary Puerto Rican trova group, Somos Tres, and the Lebanese singer, May Nasr
, have recorded and interpreted Pérez's work.
Pérez is an openly lesbian woman, and has written songs about lesbian experience. "Yo Pari Una Luchadora" (I Gave Birth to a Fighter) is a song dedicated to the mother of a lesbian activist. Perez has lived and traveled with her partner and collaborator, Annette D'Armata, since 1991.
Published work=
(Release date: June 22, 2011)
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, contralto
Contralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
vocalist and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. She is also one of few female décimistas (writer of décima
Décima
A décima refers to a ten-line stanza of poetry, and the song form generally consists of forty-four lines...
, a specialized form of Spanish poetry). Pérez's music — often conjuring comparisons to the soulful world music genres of cante jonde, morna and fado — draws from her jíbara (Puerto Rican mountain) roots and a socially conscious genre of Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
/pan-Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n music called nueva trova or nueva cancion.
Life and work
Pérez was born in Hato Arriba, San SebastiánSan Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Considered by many to be "among the great Latin American female vocalists" and songwriters, Lourdes Pérez has performed duets with numerous legendary and diverse artists, from Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa
Mercedes Sosa
Haydée Mercedes Sosa, known as La Negra, was an Argentine singer who was popular throughout South America and some countries outside the continent. With her roots in Argentine folk music, Sosa became one of the preeminent exponents of nueva canción. She gave voice to songs written by both...
and Mexican master decimista Guillermo Velazquez to Canadian pop artist Jane Siberry. Acclaimed for her "ability to transcend language...with her achingly beautiful contralto
Contralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
voice," she has devoted her work to promoting human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
around the globe. Lourdes is one of 1000 performers in the world profiled in the MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide (2000) and she is featured in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States (Oxford University Press, 2005).
Her discography includes 7 CDs, a full length film score, a short film score, 2 modern dance scores, a theater score and numerous individual tributes, while her songs appear in films, CD compilations and anthologies. A concert at a Palestinian refugee camp prompted her Spanish translation of the Arabic song by Ahmad Kaabour/Tawfeeq Zayad, "Unadeekum (Te llamo)", which was later released on her CD, Este Filo. A song that Pérez wrote for the people of Sierra Blanca
Sierra Blanca
Sierra Blanca is a range of volcanic mountains in Lincoln and Otero counties of south-central New Mexico. The range is about from north to south and wide, and is dominated by Sierra Blanca Peak, whose highest point is at...
, Texas was read into the U.S. Congressional record by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (Texas) as part of a successful campaign against dumping nuclear waste inside a low-income Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
community on the Texas-Mexico border. References to her strong support for the decolonization of Puerto Rico can be found in several of her songs. In November 2006, her song, "Paloma Urbana" (Urban Dove) won Best Latin Song in the Just Plain Folks Music Awards.
Lourdes Pérez was honored, alongside Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...
, as one of the country's "finest living artists" and was awarded a 2006 United States Artists
United States Artists
United States Artists is an independent nonprofit and nongovernmental philanthropic organization based in Los Angeles, California and dedicated to supporting the work of living American artists by the granting of cash awards, called USA Fellowships...
unrestricted fellowship for her contribution to music.
The contemporary Puerto Rican trova group, Somos Tres, and the Lebanese singer, May Nasr
May Nasr
May Nasr is a Lebanese singer, musician and microfinancing consultant. She was born in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 1965 and she got a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Beirut in 1987.- Biography :...
, have recorded and interpreted Pérez's work.
Pérez is an openly lesbian woman, and has written songs about lesbian experience. "Yo Pari Una Luchadora" (I Gave Birth to a Fighter) is a song dedicated to the mother of a lesbian activist. Perez has lived and traveled with her partner and collaborator, Annette D'Armata, since 1991.
Published work=
- Te Llamo * Ounadikum (Chee Wee Records 2011), 3-track CD single recorded in Spanish and Arabic with May Nasr and special guest Ahmad Kaabour
(Release date: June 22, 2011)
- En Vivo, Lourdes Perez con Miriam Perez (Chee Wee 2007), live duet concert with younger sister, Miriam Perez
- Este Filo (Chee Wee 2005), solo CD
- Azúl y Serena (Chee Wee 2003), commissioned work, recorded with the Dama de Noche Orchestra
- Pájaros de otro canto (Chee Wee 2003), commissioned soundtrack for the film, ¿Adónde Fue Juan José?
- Selections from Tres Oraciones (Chee Wee 2002)
- Vestigios (Vivavoce Records-1997)
- Recuerdate Por Mi (Chee Wee 1994)
Full-length scores
- Azul y Serena (multimedia tribute concert)
- Santuarios (modern/folkloric dance)
- conflama (word opera, theater)
- Adonde Fue Juan Jose (feature film)
- Marejada (multimedia, oral history)