Mirtha María Medina Hernández

Singer, actress, dancer, and Cuban musical comedian. She was born in Havana, Cuba and has resided in the United States since 1993. Her career spans from the 1960s to the present day.

At seven years old she was hired to sing and dance at the tobacco shop "Regalías el cuño", which is considered her first venture into the arts. At 13 years old she was selected from 150 teenagers to play a small role in the film "En días como estos" by Jorge Fraga, a sporadic and incipient appearance in Cuban cinema that marked her artistic life.

In 1962 she began studying in the acting workshop taught by theater artist Miguel Ponce, and modern dance with professor and dancer Luis Trapaga. It was then that she auditioned for the newly inaugurated Teatro Musical de La Habana, whose casting was personally conducted by mime actor and now renowned Mexican film director and screenwriter Alfonso Aráu ("Como agua para chocolate", "Un paseo por las nubes").

It was Aráu himself who integrated her into the Teatro Musical ensemble and prepared her by teaching her Pantomime, Gymnastics, Singing, Dance, Music Theory and Acting. In this way Mirtha began to develop her talents as a musical comedian, in dramas and operettas. She also began her musical studies at the "Academia de canto Mariana de Gonitch" taught by the great Mariana de Gonitch, a renowned teacher and opera diva who has trained numerous singers within Cuba.

In 1967 she joined the vocal quartet "Los Bucaneros", in a brief venture with said quartet. During her time with the aforementioned quartet and due to very specific artistic needs for a show to be presented in Europe, Mirtha joined her voice with Raúl Gómez (also a member of Los Bucaneros) in 1968, forming a musical duo with a marked style influenced by Rock in Cuba, the Beat and Pop. The duo Mirtha and Raúl became one of the most popular duos in Cuba in the 1970s and were also the central couple and protagonists of the youth television program "Buenas Tardes".

The year 1975 arrived when Mirtha Medina began her solo career. She not only ventured into Pop music, Ballad and some musical genres typical of the Caribbean nation, but also into the international repertoire.

That same year she recorded her first long-playing album, placing on the hit list of the time songs such as "La flor de mi Jardín", "Los recuerdos vividos", "Oh María", "No sé, No sé", etc. She never disconnected herself from work in the Teatro Musical, the Varietés and spectacle in general, performing leading roles in numerous comedies, in cabarets or in major theatrical and television productions.

In the early 1980s she was invited to be part of the "Conjunto Nacional de Espectáculos", directed by Alejandro García "Virulo", where she worked for a period of 2 years starring in some of the main productions. She also premiered on Cuban stages "My Fair Lady", one of her main roles as a musical comedian.

She premiered "My Fair Lady" on the Cuban theatrical scene under the stage direction of Nelson Dorr, a work that established her as one of the great figures of musical theater in Cuba. "My Fair Lady" became a cultural success of the year on the Island, placing Mirtha at the center of popular acceptance and specialized criticism. Regarding the staging, the renowned film and entertainment critic Mario Rodríguez Alemán wrote:

"Mirtha Medina reveals herself without a doubt as a great vedette, because there is nothing more difficult than singing, dancing, acting, doing it all technically well, and with the unmistakable grace of the great vedettes".

In 1982 the artist premiered the song "Caricias" by Amaury Pérez Vidal, with this song being selected as the Pop song of the year 1982 in Cuba, thus marking another stage in her career as it signified the beginning of a musical artistic partnership that led to other important songs such as "Quédate como nunca", "Yo necesito mas" and "Porque no me vas a querer", the latter as a duet with Amaury Perez himself.

During three consecutive years (1980, 1981 and 1982) she was awarded the Girasol Prize from the magazine Opina which declared her the most popular singer in Cuba. In 1983 she performed at various festivals in Oklahoma and Texas, United States. In 1986 she performed the one-woman show "Mirtha a todo Mirtha" under the artistic direction of Eugenio Antonio Pedraza Ginori, a spectacle where she combined singing, dancing and acting at the Karl Marx theater (formerly Blanquita).

In 1986 Mirtha agreed to play the character of Irene Molloy (the hat maker) in the Super Theatrical Production "Hello Dolly", alongside the famous Cuban vedette Rosa Fornés. That same year she performed various artistic presentations throughout England alongside the renowned Jazz pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, which included a special performance at the Queen's Theater in London.

In 1991 she participated as co-host on the Mexican television program (Televisa) "La Movida", alongside actress and host Verónica Castro in a special edition dedicated to Cuba. In 1993, after an extensive tour of Mexico, Mirtha Medina along with her children, also singers Guianko Gómez and Vanessa Formell, and some musicians from her group, emigrated to the United States to settle in the city of Miami. Since her arrival the artist has worked tirelessly: theatrical works, concerts and recitals, radio and television programs and countless nightclubs have experienced her art.

Medina, throughout all these years, has also taken her work to countries such as Puerto Rico, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Uruguay and Ecuador, where she has garnered a large number of admirers. In 1996 the concert "Haciendo Historia" was held at the Miami Dade County Auditorium, where for the first time three of the most popular artists of the 1980s and 1990s in Cuba shared the stage: Annia Linares, Maggie Carles and Mirtha Medina.

In 1997 she inaugurated "La Casa de la Medina" Night Club of her own property in Miami. There a variety of activities were presented: talent competitions, jam sessions, dance parties, humorous recitals and concerts by other figures that could be seen every night. Said nightclub always provided a space for artists of any style. In Cuba it was very difficult to see a salsa singer alongside a ballad singer, for example, but there, people who would never have shared a stage with a certain type of artist did so willingly. Mirtha proposed a type of unity and magnetism between everyone, magical.

In April 2003 and by suggestion of Mirtha herself (who assumed the leading role), theater director and dramatist Pedro Román writes and stages: "Diosas de Papel", a tribute to the great vedettes of the 1940s and 1950s. In 2006 Mirtha starred in the theatrical production "La bella Otero" by Pedro Román in a characterization work whose character spans from youth to old age. In May 2007 she centered the spectacle "Todas las Mirthas" at the Manuel Artime Theater in Miami. On June 28, 2008, the Concert "Yo, él y ella" was held at the Manuel Artime Theater in Miami, in which Mirtha shared the stage with her two children: Gianko Gómez and Vanessa Formell.

In October 2008 she received the Latin Pride National Awards in the city of Boston. In August 2009 she was honored at the summer festival "Tony Reyes" in Toronto, Canada, one of the most important Latin festivals in that northern country.

In July 2010 she served as a jury member and was invited as a special guest to the event "Miami Internacional Song Festival" (International Song Festival). In October 2011 she participated in the Musical Spectacle "Grandes Divas cantan a las Diego", at the Miami Dade County Auditorium, sharing the stage with singers Valeria Lynch, Maria Conchita Alonso, Sophy, Annia Linares, Beatriz Márquez and Ana Maria Perera in a musical tribute to the composer sisters Maria Luisa and Teresita Diego.

In February 2012 she shared the stage with Spanish singer Pastora Soler in a concert called "Dos mundos, dos estilos" at the Miami Dade County Auditorium. On November 10, 2012 she participated in the second edition of the Musical Spectacle "Grandes divas cantan a las Diego", celebrated at the Miami Dade County Auditorium, this time sharing the stage with artists such as Falete, Mexican singer Dulce and also Cubans, Osdalgia and Vania.

Since January 2013 she has presented her program "Aquí esta Mirtha Medina" on the television channel "Cubana de Televisión" based in Miami. On September 21, 2013 she celebrated 50 years of artistic life in Miami.

She premiered the musical comedy The Divorcees Club with Area Stage Company, December 20/2013. In August 2015, for the first time together in an exclusive concert, Annia Linares and Mirtha Medina present the show "Enemigas íntimas".

She assumed the leading role of: Eva, The Story of an Actress, a musical drama directed by Pedro Roman, at the Miami Dade County Auditorium, on August 24, 2014.

Tomás Pedro Regalado, mayor of the city of Miami, FL, USA, officially establishes August 24 as Mirtha Medina Day in the City of Miami. On October 26, 2015 Mayor Tomás Pedro Regalado Delivers the Keys to the City of Miami, FL, USA.

Mirtha Medina has performed songs by Cuban composers such as Juan Formell, Amaury Pérez Vidal, Alberto Pujol, Alberto Vera, Alfredo Pérez Pérez, Vicente Rojas, Raúl Gómez, Lourdes Torres, Ariel Alfonso, Katia Máquez, Eddy K, Tony Medina, Francisco Céspedes, Meme Solís, Las Diego, Eugenio Antonio Pedraza Ginori, Rember Egües, Jorge Luis Piloto, Alberto Vera, Alexis Valdes, Josefa Cabiedes, Osvaldo Rodríguez, Tony Taño, Katia Márquez, Concha Valdes Miranda, etc.

During her artistic career she has collaborated and participated in different projects with numerous Cuban and international artists, whether in the musical, theatrical, recording or television fields, among which stand out Issac Delgado, Tito Gómez, Rosita Fornés, Barbarito Diez, Arturo Sandoval, Amaury Pérez Vidal, Alfredo Rodríguez, Albita Rodríguez, Boby Carcases, Héctor Téllez, Soledad Delgado, Malena Burke, Elena Burke, Annia Linares, Carlos Otero, Armando Manzanero, Verónica Castro, Nelson Dor, Héctor Quintero, Tomas Morales, Santiago Alfonso, Alfonso Menéndez, Orlando Quiroga, Alejandro García (Virulo), Omara Portuondo, José Antonio Rodríquez, Octavio Cortazar, Vicente González Castro, Aneiro Taño, Ana Lidia Méndez, Luis Castellano, Armando Bianchi, Paquito D'Rivera, Carlucho, Enrique Santiesteban, Roberto Morales, Omar Valdés, José Milian, Alicia Bustamante, Isabel Moreno, Consuelo Vidal, Asenneh Rodríguez, Carlos Ruiz de la Tejera, Pedro Román, Agustín Acosta, Reynaldo Miravalles, Rosana Paroddi, Gerardo Riverón, Concha Valdes Miranda, Martha Casañas, among others.

Works
My Fair Lady
The Seven Deadly Sins
The Taming of the Shrew
Mephistopheles
The Threepenny Opera
Macho Duck
The Lovers
Oh, the People
Irma la Dulce
Carlos's Aunt
The Apartment
A Boyfriend for Veneranda
Three Lines and a Space
50 Years of Love
Tell Me Your Life Without Shame
Spray It with DDT
Hello Dolly
Whoever the Little Sack Serves, Let Them Put It On
Spray It with Salsa or Genesis According to Virulo
The Candle or Hell According to Virulo
The Divine Comedy
La Bella Otero
Surprises
Paper Goddesses
The Leandras
A Widow in Distress
What Happened to Trucutú
The Rivals
Sister Busybody
Tropical Dream
The War of the Eyelashes
Women on the Edge of a Laughing Fit
The Golden Girls

Performs multiple comedy characters such as:

The Dance of the Fans
Sound Punctuation
Morning Suns
Little Star
Victory
Correct
Little George

Awards
Melodías Amigas (special invitation with awards for 8 consecutive years of work)
Festival de Sopot (second place) (1979)
Festival Internacional de la Canción Moscú (1979)
Special Prize Jury "Concurso Adolfo Guzmán" (1981)
Medal from the National Cucalambeana Event (1981)
Girasol Opina Awards (1982)
Grand Prize Dallas, USA (1983)
Second Prize at the International Festival in Oklahoma (1983)
Special Baker University Prize (1983)
Prize from the City Hall in Neewollah (1983)
Second Prize interpretation "Concurso Adolfo Guzmán" (1984)
Distinction "Raúl Gómez García" (1985)
Caracol de TVC Prize (Recital Todas las Mirthas) (1985)
Festival Caribbean Music Venezuelan (1986)
Special Prize from Magazine Opina, Cuba (1986)
Latin Jazz Festival in England (special performance at the Palace of the Queen) (1986)
Festival of the Arts in Finland (1987)
Special Recognition "La Casa de la Medina"
Polare Prize
Chin de Plata Prize (Female Interpreter 2 occasions)
Flamingo Prize (Interpreter of the Year)
Sugar Prize Female Interpretation (2006)
Magazine "Carteles" Prize (2007)
Latin Pride National Awards 2008 (Special Prize for 45 Years of Artistic Career) (2008)
Queen of the Gay Community Prize in Miami (2008)
Tony Reyes Summer Festival in Canada (Special Prize for 45 Years of Artistic Career) (2009)

Filmography
Days Like These
I Am Transgender
Documentary on the Quartet "Los Zafiros"
Documentary on the Artistic Trajectory of Meme Solís

Discography
1969 De nuevo en el Camino
1970 Rosas de Algodón
1976 Mirtha Medina
1983 Caricias
La Historia de Cuba
El Génesis según Virulo
El Infierno según Virulo
1986 Acaríciame
Éxitos Vol 1
Éxitos Vol 2
2003 Búscame
2007 S.Q.S
2009 A mi Entender
2009 Se me Pasará (single from the CD)

Recognitions
Melodías Amigas (special invitation with awards for 8 consecutive years of work)
Festival de Sopot (second place) (1979)
Festival Internacional de la Canción Moscú (1979)
Special Prize Jury "Concurso Adolfo Guzmán" (1981)
Medal from the National Cucalambeana Event (1981)
Girasol Opina Awards (1982)
Grand Prize Dallas, USA (1983)
Second Prize at the International Festival in Oklahoma (1983)
Special Baker University Prize (1983)
Prize from the City Hall in Neewollah (1983)
Second Prize interpretation "Concurso Adolfo Guzmán" (1984)
Distinction "Raúl Gómez García" (1985)
Caracol de TVC Prize (Recital Todas las Mirthas) (1985)
Festival Caribbean Music Venezuelan (1986)
Special Prize from Magazine Opina, Cuba (1986)
Latin Jazz Festival in England (special performance at the Palace of the Queen) (1986)
Festival of the Arts in Finland (1987)
Special Recognition "La Casa de la Medina"
Polare Prize
Chin de Plata Prize (Female Interpreter 2 occasions)
Flamingo Prize (Interpreter of the Year)
Sugar Prize Female Interpretation (2006)
Magazine "Carteles" Prize (2007)
Latin Pride National Awards 2008 (Special Prize for 45 Years of Artistic Career) (2008)
Queen of the Gay Community Prize in Miami (2008)
Tony Reyes Summer Festival in Canada (Special Prize for 45 Years of Artistic Career) (2009)
October 2015 Mayor Tomás Pedro Regalado Delivers the Keys to the City of Miami, FL, USA
Delivery of a proclamation by community activist Eduardo Constenla on behalf of the city of Hialeah Gardens in February 2014 butterfly awards
Delivery of a proclamation by request of community activist Eduardo Constenla from the city of Miami and delivered by Mayor Tomas Regalado at the DADE-COUNTY AUDITORIUM-2014
MIAMI - October 26, 2015, receives the keys to the City of Miami, from the hands of the mayor, Mr. Tomás Regalado.

Mirta married four times and her husbands were: Héctor Tellez (1965), Raúl Gómez (1968), Juan Formell (1977), Roberto Benítez (1987), Remy Landa (1991). Her children are Guianko Gómez and Vanessa Formel, both singers.