Lissette Álvarez Chorens

Born in Lima, Peru, she is a Cuban-Puerto Rican singer, composer, and actress.

Daughter of Cuban parents, Lissette, along with her family, emigrated from Cuba following the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, first moving to the United States and then to Puerto Rico, after reuniting with her family in Miami.

If something was clearly established in the 1960s, it was the potential that Lissette Alvarez had to become a major figure in the entertainment world. Her creativity, her artistic ingenuity, and her good sense for detecting the music of the moment were qualities that no one could deny to the then "Queen of ye-yé rhythms."

She was one of the most prominent artists in the 1970s, 1980s, and part of the 1990s alongside other Hispanic figures such as José Feliciano and Julio Iglesias. Her career as a singer began when in Cuba she recorded the musical theme "El ratoncito Miguel" with her legendary parents, Olga and Tony. She took root in Puerto Rico with the force of a whirlwind.

The rivalry between her and another young popular singer, Lucecita Benítez, made Lissette a first-rate figure supported by a loyal and numerous fan base.

After the New Wave era concluded, Lissette acquired surprising maturity as an artist. Her recordings began to be outlined as part of a well-worked concept where image, music, and spectacle went hand in hand.

Her career, which was already on an upward trajectory, received a forceful boost in 1972 when "Falsedad" dominated the popularity charts. And from then on, her trajectory of successes did not stop.

An artist in continuous evolution, Lissette became a first-rate figure for nightclubs. Her memorable performances at the Hotel Caribe Hilton, where she performed annually for a month, earned her consistent praise from specialized critics.

Abroad, she performed at the Teatro Nederland on Broadway, at the Dade Auditorium in Miami, the Hotel Concord in Aruba, Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall in New York, the Hotel Trop World in Atlantic City, and the Hotel Jaragua in the Dominican Republic.

In the United States, she performed alongside Melissa Manchester and Michael Legrand in a television special. In Puerto Rico, her specials "Salvaje," "Lissette," "Caricatura," and "Imágenes" received unanimous endorsement from the television audience.

In 1985, Lissette was one of the members of the group Hermanos del Tercer Mundo, which in response to the call of English musician Bob Geldof seeking to eradicate world hunger, united major Hispanic figures such as José Feliciano, Pedro Vargas, and Julio Iglesias.

Among her best-known songs is "Eclipse total del amor," which topped the charts in Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, Colombia, Uruguay, and the Latino market in the United States. The song was re-released in its English version and was sung in 1980 by British singer Bonnie Tyler, among other hits are "Háblame," "Como decirte," "Máquina," "Surcos en el aire," a musical theme also sung by Mexican group Posdata, etc.

Loyal to quality and perfection, for this artist, the work of transmitting art has always gone beyond merely interpreting a song. Thus, in pursuit of excellence, Lissette produces her own records, displays her creativity and ingenuity in designing her album covers, or composes and creates Spanish versions of various musical themes, achieving in each one the perfect balance between artistic and commercial aspects.

Upon reaching the 21st century, Lissette surprised everyone by starring in Miami in the musical "Song & Dance" by renowned English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. The production, presented at the Coconut Grove Playhouse, consisted of a feminist musical in which Lissette appeared as the sole star on stage.

Returning to Borinquen, the singer occupied the Antonio Paoli Festival Hall at the Centro de Bellas Artes in San Juan to present a tour of her musical career. The artist garnered applause from those present and subsequently captured the magic of that encounter on a record. The recording, released to the market in 2001, was another success for her career and was selected as one of the most outstanding productions of the year by the National Foundation for Popular Culture.

Shortly thereafter, Lissette released a compact disc in English and in 2005 launched her production "La línea de la vida" to the market. During its promotion, the singer performed a series of presentations at the Hotel San Juan where she garnered new critical acclaim. And in the summer of 2007, Lissette returned to record store shelves with a new musical offering titled "Amarraditos," in which she sings as a duet with her husband, singer-songwriter Willy Chirino.

Her current husband is singer-songwriter Willy Chirino, with whom she has three children: Nicole, Alana, and Gianfranco. They reside in Miami.