La Lupe y Mongo Santamaría.”A Benny Moré”.

Born Guadalupe Victoria Yolí Raymond on December 23, 1939 in the barrio of San Pedrito, Santiago, Cuba. Her father was an worker at the local Bacardi distillery and was a major influence on her life and he strictly encouraged her to becme a school teacher. Just like her closest counterpart, Celia Cruz, she too was a schoolteacher before she became a singer. She married in 1958 and formed a musical trio with her husband Eulogio “Yoyo” Reyes and another female singer. This group “The Tropicuba Trio” broke up with the marriage in 1960. She began to perform her own act at a small night club “La Red” in Havana and acquired a devoted following also appearing on radio. She released her first album “Con el Diablo en el Cuerpo” (“With the Devil Inside”) on Discuba in 1961. Her expressive performances with their violent sexuality attracted criticism that she was a poor example to the revolutionary state, this led to professional difficulties which together with personal problems made it difficult to stay in Cuba. In 1962 she found herself exiled to the United States. In New York City she performed at a cabaret, named “La Barraca”, where she was discovered by Mongo Santamaria and started a new career, making more than 10 records in five years. Her passionate performances covered the range of Cuban music: son montuno, bolero, Guantanamera venturing into other Caribbean styles like merengue, boogaloo, golpe tocuyano, busamba, salsa. In the sixties she was the most acclaimed latin …