| Ruth Fernández | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 23, 1919 |
| Origin | Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Occupations | Singer, politician, senator |
| Instruments | Voice |
| Years active | 1935–2000s |
| Ruth Fernández | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Puerto Rico Senate from the At-large district |
|
| In office 1973–1981 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Popular Democratic Party |
Ruth Fernández (born May 23, 1919) is a Puerto Rican contralto singer and former member of the Puerto Rican Senate. According to the "Comisiones Nacionales para la Celebración del Quinto Centenario" (National Commission for the Celebration of the Fifth Centennial), she is said to be one of three artists whose contributions have helped unite Latin America. The other two artists named were Libertad Lamarque from Argentina and Pedro Vargas from Mexico.
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Fernández was born in the Bélgica sector of barrio Cuarto in Ponce, Puerto Rico[1][2] to Santiago Fernández and Rosa María Cortada.[3] Fernández's mother died when she was three years old and she was raised along with her four other siblings by her grandmother. She received her primary and secondary education in her hometown. As a child she learned to play the piano and was very active in her school and community's activities. In high school she organized her own musical group. She became a professional singer at the age of 14 when she would go to the local radio stations, WPRP and WPAB, and sing for 50 cents a day, in 1935. Fernandez was heard by Mingo, a bandleader of a locally popular band and was hired. She then performed in nightclubs, dances and casinos.[4][5]
Fernández started to gain popularity and in 1941, at age 22, she was signed by Columbia Records with whom she recorded her first hit song, "Cuando Vuelvas" (When you return) a theme written by Myrta Silva. Her first appearance in New York was in The Latin Theater of New York. There the Master of Ceremonies, Hector del Villar, introduced her as "El Alma de Puerto Rico hecha cancion" (The Soul of Puerto Rico made song). That nickname or introduction was to stay with her forever.[4]
When Fernández returned to the island, she enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico with the intention of becoming a social worker. However, she once again joined Mingo and his band, the "Whoopee Kids" and toured with them throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America.[5]
Fernández was the very first successful Afro-Puerto Rican female singer, and as such, she broke color barriers and stereotypes. On one occasion the Mingo band was contracted to perform in the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel. The director of the orchestra told her that according to the hotel's rules, she had to enter through the kitchen door like all other black musicians (a de facto integration rule, illegal at the time in Puerto Rico, but still in place at the time out of concern for American patrons of the hotel). Ruth however, did not follow the instructions and entered through the main entrance. She went on stage and performed before the astonished audience. During World War II and the Korean War, she traveled overseas to entertain the soldiers of Hispanic descent.[5][4]
| External audio | |
|---|---|
| You may listen to Ruth Fernández's "Borincana." here. | |
When she returned to Puerto Rico, she decided to go solo. In 1954, at age 41, Fernández participated in the first televised musical television show in the history of Puerto Rico, "El Show Libby's". She also had many other "firsts": she was the first woman to sing in a Puerto Rican orchestra; the first Puerto Rican woman to sing "popular" music at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City; the first Latina singer of romantic music to sing in the Scandinavian countries; and the first Latina to record with a North American band.[5]
Fernández' performances in the United States were transmitted coast to coast under her contract with the CBS radio network. She also performed at the Carnegie Hall in New York. Among the many countries in which she has performed are Italy, France, Spain, Norway, Venezuela, Mexico, Panama, and Cuba.[4][5]
Fernandez has also appeared in two Spanish-language films, and has a notable role in the Afro-Puerto Rican documentary "Raíces", produced by the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico.
Fernandez has always stressed the positive in her life and in her interaction with people. Her most often repeated quote is "¡Arriba, corazones!" ("Hearts, go up!"). Fernández's signature song is "Gracias, Mundo" ("Thank you, World"), which, in a way similar to Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World", depicts the planet in a very optimistic way. In many occasions, particularly at charity telethons, Fernández would be asked to sing the song as a closer, which she would do willingly. With some reluctance, but agreeing to it as to show she was a good sport, she accepted neighbor Sunshine Logroño's request to sing the song as the theme for his satirical movie, "Chona, La Puerca Asesina" (Chona, The Killer Pig), as a way to emphasize the deeds of Cambucha, the film's hero (played by Puerto Rican actress and singer Nena Rivera) of saving Puerto Rico from the giant piglet after which the film is named.[5]
Among the many awards and recognitions which have been bestowed upon her are[4]:
In 1985, she was given a tribute in recognition of the 50 years which she has dedicated to the artistic world with the participation of Mario Moreno "Cantinflas", Libertad Lamarque, Pedro Vargas, Olga Guillot and many others. She was also named by 500th Centennial commission as one of the three Latin American artists who have contributed the most in uniting Latin America.[5]
In 2000, she was paid a tribute in the Antonio Paoli Hall of the Luis A. Ferre Center for the Performing Arts in Puerto Rico. During the tribute she was proclaimed "The Singer of the Century" of Puerto Rico.[4]
She was elected into the Senate of Puerto Rico, representing the district of Ponce as a member of the Partido Popular de Puerto Rico (Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico). As a legislator she sought many reforms and better working conditions for the artistic class. In 1990, she was selected by Imagen (Image) magazine as one the ten most powerful women in Puerto Rico.[5]
At one time, she led the House of the Puerto Rican Artist organization. Her controversial tenure, spanning over a decade, ended with the granting of $500,000 to an actor's collective, with which they purchased the Teatro Coribantes, near San Juan's financial district (Hato Rey).[5]
Fernández is currently retired from all activities. She acknowledged suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, but recent newspaper interviews (as of March 2010) depicts her as having occasional moments of (very candid) lucidity.[4]