Omara Portuondo
Play Radio
Listen to Omara Portuondo Radio,
featuring artists like Manuel Guajiro Mirabal, Rubén González, Omara Portuondo, Chuco Valdes, Ibrahim Ferrer and more…
-
Search on Spotify
Yes, it scrobbles! Learn more
939,442 plays (140,159 listeners)
Omara Portuondo (b. 1930) is a Cuban singer whose career has spanned over half a century.
Portuondo was born in October 1930 in Havana, one of three sisters; her mother came from a wealthy Spanish family, and had created a scandal by running off with and marrying a black professional baseball player. Omara started her career in 1945 as a dancer at Havana’s Tropicana Club (following her older sister, Haydee). The two sisters used to sing for family and friends, however, and after a brief time in a band called Loquibambla Swing, in 1952 they got together with two friends (Elena Bourke and Moraima Secada) and formed the singing group Cuarteto las d’Aida, backed by pianist Aida Diestro. The group had considerable success, touring the United States, performing with Nat King Cole at the Tropicana, and recording an album for RCA Victor.
In 1959 Portuondo recorded a solo album, Magia Negra, involving both jazz and Cuban music. This didn’t, however, mark the beginning of a solo career, and although Haydee left the group in 1961 in order to live in the U.S., Omara continued singing with Cuarteto las d’Aida until 1967.
In 1967 Portuondo embarked on a solo career, and in the same year represented Cuba at the Sopot Festival in Poland, singing Juanito Marquez’ “Como un Milagro”. Alongside her solo work, in the 1970s she sang with charanga band Orquestra Aragon, and toured with them both in the Communist and non-Communist worlds.
Portuondo was born in October 1930 in Havana, one of three sisters; her mother came from a wealthy Spanish family, and had created a scandal by running off with and marrying a black professional baseball player. Omara started her career in 1945 as a dancer at Havana’s Tropicana Club (following her older sister, Haydee). The two sisters used to sing for family and friends, however, and after a brief time in a band called Loquibambla Swing, in 1952 they got together with two friends (Elena Bourke and Moraima Secada) and formed the singing group Cuarteto las d’Aida, backed by pianist Aida Diestro. The group had considerable success, touring the United States, performing with Nat King Cole at the Tropicana, and recording an album for RCA Victor.
In 1959 Portuondo recorded a solo album, Magia Negra, involving both jazz and Cuban music. This didn’t, however, mark the beginning of a solo career, and although Haydee left the group in 1961 in order to live in the U.S., Omara continued singing with Cuarteto las d’Aida until 1967.
In 1967 Portuondo embarked on a solo career, and in the same year represented Cuba at the Sopot Festival in Poland, singing Juanito Marquez’ “Como un Milagro”. Alongside her solo work, in the 1970s she sang with charanga band Orquestra Aragon, and toured with them both in the Communist and non-Communist worlds.
Shouts:
35 shouts
Top Albums
-
Omara Portuondo
Omara Portuondo
Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $7.12
- 7digital Search
- iTunes
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
Flor de Amor
Omara Portuondo Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $9.99
- 7digital $8.99
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $7.88
- eBay Search
-
Dos Gardenias
Omara Portuondo Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $7.99
- 7digital Search
- iTunes $7.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $12.05
- eBay Search
-
La Coleccion Cubana
Omara Portuondo Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes
- Buy Album
- Amazon $89.50
- eBay Search
Shoutbox
-
MarieFerrer wrote:
Gracias
-
Paris_Panda wrote:
Win signed pictures and limited edition copies of cuban star Omara Portuondo's new album - just 'Like her Facebook Page to enter! http://on.fb.me/lB4NZK
-
Paris_Panda wrote:
Listen to Omara Portuondo's new album! Omara is collaborating with pianist Chucho Valdes in their first joint project which sees the duo arrangement singing Cuban and Latin American classics. Get the Omara and Chucho widget here http://playlive.fm/ecover/omaraychucho/
-
HOVARDHUGHES wrote:
великолепно!
-
dewfish wrote:
awesome artist. how have I not heard of her before?
-
Satnos wrote:
Mui bella!!!
-
ShiningStar911 wrote:
♥♥♥ Omara Portuondo ♥♥♥
-
Dyerzen wrote:
De entre todos los músicos de buena vista, creo que es ella una de las más cultivadas : )
-
intherightplace wrote:
Omara e Ibrahim <3
-
pandaondrugs wrote:
if you live near DC, she's playing soon. don't miss it! http://www.last.fm/event/1320369+Omara+Portuondo
-
memo1334 wrote:
me encanta su voz
-
aykutalp wrote:
Echad un vistazo a mi nuevo grupo: Barco Blanco
-
lpcolombiano wrote:
Viva Cuba siempre !!me gusta de ti + Maria Bethania !!
-
_tsk_ wrote:
Fidel Castro group!
-
natea25 wrote:
Great!!!!
-
echo-wrapping wrote:
BRAVO OMARA! VIVA CUBA! can't describe my love to her...
-
Nochek wrote:
VIVA CUBA!
-
pfjk wrote:
Very very impressive singer. It was fantastic moment when I was in her live performance at the Blue note Tokyo.
-
emanucarvalho wrote:
Quanto sentimento, quanto timbre!
-
pebbleslurp wrote:
! me encanta Omara Portuondo! tambien Nomadaz: http://www.last.fm/music/Nomadaz.
Videos
Listening Now
Top Listeners
-
Bellatrixa
Top Listener
-
nomadks
Top Listener
-
MelissaPC88
Top Listener
-
ancientblue
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
margoche, Balodiba, Fruty12 and 10 other people added Omara Portuondo to their libraries. 14 minutes ago
-
whiskeypete45 tagged Omara Portuondo with ‘buena vista social club’. last week
-
GREGSTEGMAN, mazancio, EstebanHdz and 21 other people added Omara Portuondo to their libraries. last week
-
lizzyche tagged Omara Portuondo with buena vista social club, female vocalists and cuban. last month
-
kevjweh, RodVerissimo, lizzyche and 40 other people added Omara Portuondo to their libraries. last month
-
Parisblues tagged Omara Portuondo with latinfem, o-portuondo, latino americain and 4 other tags. December 2011
-
kirajen2, yteresamariacm, cigarlady and 2 other people added Omara Portuondo to their libraries. December 2011
-
A deleted user tagged Omara Portuondo with latin and cuba. December 2011
-
Cuemat added Omara Portuondo to Cuemat’s library. December 2011
Related Journals
-
TOP 23 MUSICIANS FROM CUBA
by selcukalhan |
22 Apr 2009
| 2 comments
-
Live gigs 2008 / my musical year
by Rapscallion87 |
24 Dec 2008
| 1 comment
-
More Interviews
by Rapscallion87 |
7 Oct 2008
| 3 comments
Groups (32)
-
cafe habana
51 members
-
Latin America
1,436 members
-
Travelers
415 members
-
Tom Jobim
414 members
-
Buena Vista Social Club
377 members
More Information
- Links
- Labels
