Lucha Reyes (Mexican singer)
Encyclopedia
Maria de luz Flores better known as Lucha Reyes, was a famous Mexican mariachi
singer. She was a native of Guadalajara, Jalisco
. She used the last name Reyes as a homage to her stepfather.
Reyes had a very poor childhood. In 1917, she and her mother moved to Mexico City
. By 1919, she began singing during circus acts. At the young age of thirteen, she had begun to make some money with her voice, and to meet some of that era's most popular Mexican singers.
Reyes went on tour in 1920 to Los Angeles
, where she would become an icon among the local Hispanic
s. She made a duo with Nancy Torres, and decided to stay in Los Angeles. In 1924, she returned to Mexico.
Reyes would eventually decide to launch a solo career, and she became popular with Mexican radio listeners, while keeping a busy theater schedule. In 1927, she decided to try to conquer Europe, and she joined Juan N. Torreblanca on a tour of that continent.
The tour, however, had to be cancelled when it reached Berlin. It is not publicly known how the tour members were stranded in Germany; what is known, however, is that a popular piano player who travelled with them had to play one night at an infamous local bar in order for her to be able to afford an air ticket back to Mexico.
One positive aspect about this tour was that Reyes was able to record her first LP, one of the first LPs to introduce Mexican music to European audiences. Reyes was not a Mariachi singer during this period of her career, she was rather a soprano
.
Reyes had taken light clothing with her for her European tour; this, combined with the cold weathers of Europe when compared to Mexico, caused her to get sick and, eventually, to lose her voice. She took one year off and returned in 1929.
Her voice ailment was the cause of a voice change, and, upon returning, she started singing "rancheras". One of her first songs in the "ranchera-mariachi" genre, "Guadalajara", became a classic that is nowadays considered by many to be Mexico's second national anthem
.
When she decided to sing with mariachis, she caused a culture shock
, as Mexicans were not used to seeing women lead mariachi bands. Despite her success, she also garnered much criticism, especially when talking about alcoholism in public: she would declare after certain songs that she wanted to go and get drunk, or such things like that.
In 1934, she married producer Felix Martin Cervantes, and she made her first movie, "Cancion del Alma" ("Song of the Soul").
Between 1937 and 1943, she made six movies, acting with Pedro Armendáriz
(twice), Dolores del Río
, Jorge Negrete
, Flor Silvestre
and Consuelo del Alba, among others.
Lucha Reyes' death was a mysterious one. Her alcoholism problem had become worse, and she had begun to use other drugs. She was found dead after taking tequila
and some pills, she committed suicide, this was due to her failing health, she was just 38.
A movie about her life would later show that Reyes supposedly hired workers for her mansions and treat them like slaves. These allegations, however, have never been denied nor accepted by her relatives.
She has a statue in 'Mariachi Plaza' in East Los Angeles, California.
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
singer. She was a native of Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
. She used the last name Reyes as a homage to her stepfather.
Reyes had a very poor childhood. In 1917, she and her mother moved to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. By 1919, she began singing during circus acts. At the young age of thirteen, she had begun to make some money with her voice, and to meet some of that era's most popular Mexican singers.
Reyes went on tour in 1920 to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where she would become an icon among the local Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
s. She made a duo with Nancy Torres, and decided to stay in Los Angeles. In 1924, she returned to Mexico.
Reyes would eventually decide to launch a solo career, and she became popular with Mexican radio listeners, while keeping a busy theater schedule. In 1927, she decided to try to conquer Europe, and she joined Juan N. Torreblanca on a tour of that continent.
The tour, however, had to be cancelled when it reached Berlin. It is not publicly known how the tour members were stranded in Germany; what is known, however, is that a popular piano player who travelled with them had to play one night at an infamous local bar in order for her to be able to afford an air ticket back to Mexico.
One positive aspect about this tour was that Reyes was able to record her first LP, one of the first LPs to introduce Mexican music to European audiences. Reyes was not a Mariachi singer during this period of her career, she was rather a soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
.
Reyes had taken light clothing with her for her European tour; this, combined with the cold weathers of Europe when compared to Mexico, caused her to get sick and, eventually, to lose her voice. She took one year off and returned in 1929.
Her voice ailment was the cause of a voice change, and, upon returning, she started singing "rancheras". One of her first songs in the "ranchera-mariachi" genre, "Guadalajara", became a classic that is nowadays considered by many to be Mexico's second national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
.
When she decided to sing with mariachis, she caused a culture shock
Culture shock
Culture shock is the anxiety, feelings of frustration, alienation and anger that may occur when a person is emplaced in a new culture.One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in a foreign country. Culture shock can be described as consisting of one or more distinct phases...
, as Mexicans were not used to seeing women lead mariachi bands. Despite her success, she also garnered much criticism, especially when talking about alcoholism in public: she would declare after certain songs that she wanted to go and get drunk, or such things like that.
In 1934, she married producer Felix Martin Cervantes, and she made her first movie, "Cancion del Alma" ("Song of the Soul").
Between 1937 and 1943, she made six movies, acting with Pedro Armendáriz
Pedro Armendáriz
Pedro Armendáriz was a Mexican actor of the cinema of Mexico and Hollywood.-Early life:Born Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico to Pedro Armendáriz García-Conde and Adela Hastings . He was also the cousin of actress Gloria Marín...
(twice), Dolores del Río
Dolores del Río
Dolores del Río was a Mexican film actress. She was a star of Hollywood films during the silent era and in the Golden Age of Hollywood...
, Jorge Negrete
Jorge Negrete
Jorge Alberto Negrete Moreno is considered one of the most popular Mexican singers and actors of all time....
, Flor Silvestre
Flor Silvestre
Flor silvestre is a 1943 Mexican film, directed by Emilio Fernández and starring Dolores del Río and Pedro Armendáriz. Is the first Mexican movie of Dolores del Río after her career in Silent and Golden Age's Hollywood films...
and Consuelo del Alba, among others.
Lucha Reyes' death was a mysterious one. Her alcoholism problem had become worse, and she had begun to use other drugs. She was found dead after taking tequila
Tequila
Tequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco....
and some pills, she committed suicide, this was due to her failing health, she was just 38.
A movie about her life would later show that Reyes supposedly hired workers for her mansions and treat them like slaves. These allegations, however, have never been denied nor accepted by her relatives.
She has a statue in 'Mariachi Plaza' in East Los Angeles, California.