Sylvia Rexach

Sylvia Rexach
Rexach was the founder of the "Las Damiselas", the first Combo in Puerto Rico consisting entirely of women.
Background information
Born	January 22, 1922 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Died	October 20, 1961 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Genres	Bolero
Occupation(s)	Comedy scriptwriter, poet, singer and composer

Sylvia Rexach (January 22, 1922 – October 20, 1961), was a comedy scriptwriter, poet, singer and composer of boleros .

Rexach was born and raised in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Her parents were Julio E. Rexach of Fajardo, and María Teresa González, of San Juan, Puerto Rico. There she attended public school and received her primary education. She then went to a private school where she finished her secondary education before attending the Central High School of Santurce. During her high school years, when she was 14 years old, she wrote several poems which were to become part of her musical compositions. She amazed her teachers when she composed "Di, Corazón" (Tell me, Heart) and "Matiz de Amor" (Calm Love). Rexach also learned how to play musical instruments, such as the guitar, the piano and the saxophone at a young age.

Rexach enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico where she was going to take a pre-legal course, however when the United States entered World War II in 1942, Rexach dropped-out of the university and joined the United States Army as a member of the WACS (Women Army Corps Service) where she served as an office clerk.

After the war, Rexach was discharged from the armed forces. She married William Riley with whom she had three children which included actress/singer Sharon Riley. The marriage eventually ended in a divorce and she returned to Puerto Rico where she went to work for a radio station as a comical script writer, first for producer Tommy Muñiz, and later for comedian Ramón Rivero "Diplo". She was the founder of the first Combo in Puerto Rico consisting entirely of women. They were named Las Damiselas, and besides Rexach included: Idalia Rosario, Marta Romero, Millita, Elena Rita Ortiz, and Ketty Cabán.

In 1951, Rexach had a newspaper column called "A Sotto Voce" where she was a music critic. She was also a co-founder of The Puerto Rican Society of Authors, Composers and Music Editors (Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Autores, Compositores y Editores de Música). She was its Secretary Director, a position which held until the day of her death.