Paulina Álvarez
| Paulina Álvarez | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Raimunda Paula Peña Álvarez |
| Also known as | La Emperatriz del Danzonete |
| Born |
June 29, 1912 Cienfuegos, Cuba |
| Died | July 22, 1965 (aged 53) Havana, Cuba |
| Genres | Danzonete, bolero, canción, guaracha |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Voice |
| Years active | 1920–65 |
| Labels | Victor, Panart, Areito |
| Associated acts | Orquesta Elegante, Orquesta Castillito, Cheo Belén Puig, Neno González, Luis Armando Ortega, Rafael Somavilla |
Raimunda Paula Peña Álvarez (June 29, 1912 – July 22, 1965), better known as Paulina Álvarez, was a renowned Cuban singer of danzonetes (sung danzones). She became the leading exponent of the genre during the 1930s, being nicknamed La Emperatriz del Danzonete (The Empress of the Danzonete). Her greatest hit was the song "Rompiendo la rutina", the first danzonete, composed by Aniceto Díaz in 1929. In 1960 she recorded her only LP record.
Paulina Álvarez was born Raimunda Paula Peña Álvarez on June 29, 1912 in Cienfuegos, Cuba. By the time she was eight or nine years old she was singing at parties and school functions. In 1926, at age 14, her family moved to Havana, where she started her professional singing career in societies, theatres and radio shows. She sang boleros and canciones, but quickly became specialized in a new style of sung danzón influenced by the son cubano called danzonete. In 1931 she became the singer for Orquesta Elegante, directed by Edelmiro Pérez and featuring pianist Obdulio Morales.
Shortly after joining La Elegante, she rose to fame with "Rompiendo la rutina", the very first danzonete, which had been composed by Aniceto Díaz in 1929. Such hit earned her the title "La Emperatriz del Danzonete" (The Empress of the Danzonete), given to her by presenter Ruiz del Vizo. Other early hits were the boleros "Lágrimas negras" (Miguel Matamoros) and "Mujer divina" (Agustín Lara). Nonetheless, it was not easy for her to achieve success due to the sexist bias of band directors at the time. She then sang with the orchestras of Luis del Castillo (Castillito), Ernesto Muñoz, Cheo Belén Puig, Hermanos Martínez and Neno González. In 1938 she established her own band including director/flautist Manolo Morales, pianist Everardo Ordaz, double bassist Rodolfo O'Farrill and güiro player Gustavo Tamayo. With this band she recorded several singles for Victor in 1939 and 1940, including not only danzones but also guarachas and rumbas.
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