'An Evening with Omara Portuondo' Plays the Boulder Theatre, 11/3

By: Jul. 22, 2010
Enter Your Email to Unlock This Article

Plus, get the best of BroadwayWorld delivered to your inbox, and unlimited access to our editorial content across the globe.




Existing user? Just click login.

On Wednesday, November 3, at 7:00, AN EVENING WITH OMARA PORTUONDO, a 80th Birthday Celebration, plays the Boulder Theatre.

Singer. Born in 1930 in Cuba. The daughter of a Cuban baseball player, Portuondo began her career as a dancer at a famed Havana nightspot called the Tropicana. She started a duo with her sister Haydee, singing in clubs. The two later formed the group Cuarteto las d'Aida, which toured the United States and Europe, beginning in 1957.

In Miami at the time of the revolution, Portuondo decided to return to Cuba while her sister decided to stay in the United States. Under Fidel Castro, she continued to make music and tour in many countries except the United States. Portuondo is considered one of the most famous singers in Cuba. Known especially for her boleros, or ballads, she has been compared to American blues artist Billie Holliday and French vocalist Edith Piaf. A living legend, Portuondo has been the subject of a documentary, Omara, which won an award at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.

Portuondo happened to be recording at the same Havana studios at the same time as the Buena Vista Social Club, an ensemble of Cuban musicians. Producer Ry Cooder asked her to lend her legendary voice to the project. As a result, she sang her lead vocals on "Veinte Años" on Buena Vista Social Club (1997). The album sold more than 1.5 million copies and stirred interest in Cuban music around the world. Unlike many of the other performers on the album, Portuondo already had a thriving career. But Buena Vista Social Club raised her profile in the United States and won her even more fans. Portuondo continues to perform live and make new albums. Some of her most recent albums include Gran Omara Portuondo (2002) and Lagrimas Negras Canciones y Boleros (2005).

All Ages / GA: $41.00
ON SALE JULY 30

Tickets will be on sale through the Boulder Theater box office
Internet 24-7 at www.bouldertheater.com
Phone: During box office hours 303-786-7030

 



Comments

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Vote Sponsor


Videos