MIAMI, United States. – Although Cuban men and women have never stopped shining in the world of art, right now four immigrant women ―who left the Island with the desire to act, sing, compose or dance― are making headlines in the most important media in the world.
Let’s go to the composer Tania León, one of those honored by the Kennedy Center in the United States this year; to the actress Ana de Armas, who gives life to the iconic Marilyn Monroe in the film “Blonde”. From the singer Camila Cabello, the first Latin woman to receive a diamond disc in the United States for a single; to Chanel Terrero, the Cuban singer and dancer who achieved a historic position in the famous Eurovision Song Contest.
Tanya Leon
Cuban composer Tania León, born on May 14, 1943, and established in the United States since 1967, has received some of the highest honors of the northern nation for its contribution to the arts.
However, two of these awards are enough to get an idea of the relevance of the Cuban: while in 2021 she received the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her piece “Stride”, in December of this year will be one of the artists honored by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The director of that important center, David M. Rubenstein, recently assured that León had “blessed the United States for more than five decades with his amazingly original compositions” and praised him for continuing to be “a great influence on classical music.”
The specialized portal Scherzo points out that León studied composition with Úrsula Mamlok, in the United States, and also perfected his orchestral direction with Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa.
Just two years after her arrival in the United States, in 1969, she would become the first music director of Arthur Miller’s Harlem Dance Theater, where she established a music department and school, as well as her own orchestra. For this company she composed the music for the ballet “Haiku” in 1973, and “Bele”, both with Geoffrey Holder.
Anne of Arms
The Cuban actress has captured the headlines of the media around the world for her role in the film “Blonde”, where she puts herself in the shoes of the great Hollywood icon, Marilyn Monroe.
Despite the criticism received for her accent, Marc Rosen, president of Entertainment at Authentic Brands Group (ABG), said that, based on the film’s trailer, Ana de Armas seemed “a great choice” because it captured “the glamour, the humanity and the vulnerability” of Marilyn Monroe.
De Armas, who has assured in interviews who was clear from the beginning that he had to leave Cuba in order to succeed, has made a meteoric career in Hollywood and has shared the stage with actors and actresses of the stature of Robert De Niro, Keanu Reeves, Ryan Gosling, Adrien Brody, Chris Evan and Jamie Lee Curtis, among many others.
The 34-year-old’s filmography includes titles such as “Hands of Stone” (2016), “Blade Runner” (2017), for which she received critical acclaim and a Saturn Award nomination for best supporting actress; and “Knives Out (2019)”, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical and for a Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Drama.
Among other accolades, the actress was included in the list of magazine’s top 100 Next Timewhich brings together emerging stars in the world of entertainment and information and was elected a member of the Hollywood Academy.
De Armas was born in Havanathe 30th April 1988.
Camila Hair
Cuban singer and songwriter Camila Cabello is another of the artists born on the Island who has risen to world stardom.
This year she became the protagonist of the opening ceremony of the UEFA Champions League Final, but she had already achieved celebrity with her musical production and her leading role in the movie “Cinderella”, produced by Amazon Prime Video.
In 2021, Cabello became the first Latin woman to receive a diamond disc for a single. This is “Havana”, which made her obtain the award from the American music industry, The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
“Camila Cabello is a perfect example of an artist who has drawn on her musical roots to produce her own unique sound that is capturing the hearts of fans around the world,” said Frances Moore, Executive Director of the International Federation of the Industry. Phonographic, in 2018.
Cabello was born in Cojímar, in the municipality of Habana del Este, on March 3, 1997. She has defined herself as Cuban-Mexican for being the daughter of a Cuban mother and a Mexican father.
Until today, he has achieved great popularity for songs like “Havana”, “Señorita” and “Don’t Go Yet”.
On the other hand, she made her acting debut assuming the leading role in a new version of the movie “Cinderella”, in which for the first time a Latin woman embodied the iconic fairy tale character.
In addition, he was one of the international stars that gave visibility to the historic protests of July 11, 2021 (11J) in Cuba.
Chanel Terrero
This year, the Cuban singer-dancer Chanel Terrero managed to get Spain to third place in the famous Eurovision Song Contest, a position that the Iberian country had not reached since 1995.
The young woman appeared in that contest with her song “SloMo”, and obtained the best performance in 27 years for the Iberian nation: 459 points in total, of which 228 points were in the televote and 231 awarded by the jury.
“Elastic, powerful, sensual, intimidating, challenging, overwhelming (…) It is difficult to remember such an impeccable performance by a Spanish representative at this festival,” the newspaper reported. The country his performance at Eurovision.
Chanel achieved its pass to this competition by becoming champion in the grand final of the Benidorm Fest. The contest was held on January 29, 2022 at El Palau de los Esports L’Illa de Benidorm.
Chanel was born in Havana in 1991. Being a girl, she emigrated with her family to Spain where she began to develop her career as an artist and singer very soon.
He has participated in musicals such as “The Bodyguard”, “Flashdance”, “The Lion King” and “Mamma Mia!”. She has also acted in movies. brain robbery 2 Y The King of Havana. In 2010 he danced with Colombian singer Shakira at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
She was chosen by the Spanish businessman and producer Nacho Cano to be the protagonist of his musical Malinche, about the relationship between Hernán Cortés and La Malinche, the Amerindian woman who accompanied the Spanish in the conquest of Mexico.
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