Silvia Maritza Rosales Pomares

Radio, television, and film actress. Reciter, director of radio programs and programmer. Founder of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC).

She had a multifaceted education: She studied Ballet, graduated in Commerce in 1942, from the University Theater and seminars in Greek art and Shakespeare theater in 1945. In 1977, she graduated with a degree in Art History from the University of Havana.

Native of Cienfuegos. She made her debut at age 13 and by 15, she was already studying and performing in the Seminar of Dramatic Arts of the University Theater of the University of Havana and was the leading figure of the "Adad" group. Later she would be in the Theater Board and Farseros.

In 1946, she performed at CMZ radio station and from there to the Movement of New Voices, from RHC radio station, Cadena Azul. Although in 1947 she was at Unión Radio, it was RHC that gave her her first starring role in "You Made Me Perverse," a radionovel in the space Defenseless Women, alongside Raúl Selis.

She then moved through Radio Progreso and CMQ Radio, in the latter in important series of novels and adventures such as "Leonardo Moncada" and humorous ones like Tota and Pepe, alongside Manolín Álvarez. The 1950s show an artist devoted to Radio, Theater, Cinema, and Television.

She premiered at the América theater. A prominent regular figure in the most important halls such as Arlequín, Adad, Theater Board, Talia, Tespis, Idal, La Comedia, Hubert de Blanck (in which she starred for two years in the production of "Low Tide"), Miguel de Grande's Company, where she worked with Arturo Artalejo.

Her film debut was in the film "Like No Other" (1946), by Roberto Ratti. 1950. "Seven Deaths on Fixed Terms". 1951. "Cuba Sings and Dances". 1952. "The Only One". 1954. "Tropical Hotel". 1959. "Seas of Passion" (Colombia)

The first two Cuban television channels (Channel 4 and Channel 6) began broadcasts in October and December of 1950, respectively. La Rosales joined in 1951, and thus became a founder of Cuban Television. In the first two months of 1951, she debuted in "Tension" on channel 6, with "Jino's Gloves," alongside Alejandro Lugo and from then on she moved from one television station to another in all types of dramatizations until becoming one of the most sought-after television stars.

In March 1951 she also ventured into hosting programs on Channel 6, as co-host of "Here Everyone Does Everything," a participation program alongside the memorable Germán Pinelli and in May, its equivalent "As You Like It". In another stage Maritza continued this direction working as a model for advertisements on Television and doing strictly commercial narration.

In April 1951 she performed in Theater, Channel 4, URTV and in July of that same year in Studio 15 of Channel 6. She later participated in other programs on both channels such as "Philcodrama," "Smoke of Memory," "Love Stories," (written by Antonio Vázquez Gallo, National TV Prize 2003), "Sunday Theater," "Dramatic Screen," "Great Comedies of the World"/Home Theater, "A Romance Every Thursday," Her FAB program, Theater on TV, The Spirit.

She performed on Channel 4, when it belonged to the URTV company, and also during the National Television period. She is a founder of Channel 2 Telemundo, where upon completing her commitment she was hired as an exclusive artist for the powerful soap company Crusellas, who authorized her to perform on Channel 6, 1957-1958, in a Telenovela, "Story of Three Sisters" by Mercedes Antón where her character, Reina Milanés, won over the audience with her maliciousness.

Maritza was part of the group of artists who actively fought in the July 26 Movement to overthrow the tyranny of Fulgencio Batista and this activity put her life in real danger, from which she was freed precisely by the fame of this character. She was, along with Violeta Casals, one of the artists present at the act of state intervention of the CMQ Circuit, which later generated the creation of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT) that merged the management of both electronic media in Cuba.

In 1961, she directed a unique theatrical movement, called "Telón 23," a theater room, conceived as a cooperative, located in the ICR itself. Where the institution supported with the set designs and the hall for the stagings, performed and executed by its own artists. The room opened to the general public and the box office proceeds were distributed among the actors, since the objective of the project was to promote and disseminate universal works among the people and offer development opportunities to new figures, these artists did not receive a salary, although they did receive other benefits such as free acting classes taught by prestigious Cuban figures, among them, Maritza.

In the 1960s and 1970s, in full artistic maturity, Rosales devoted herself completely to the Cuban screen. In the 70s she returned to Radio to perform on Radio Liberación, where she assumed the coordination and direction of radio spaces of universal theater, the last of which was Yerma, where she also performed in 1983. In February 1987, she took retirement. This did not prevent her from making special performances on TV in the following decade such as the humorous "Thanks Doctor" (1994) and the Telenovela "Next Year" in 1995 by playwright Héctor Quintero, where her starring role was praised and applauded by critics and the public.

In 2003, Maritza Rosales Pomares received the National Television Prize, in its first edition.

For this actress, acting is something very serious; according to Maritza, since she opened her eyes to the world she wanted to be an actress, and that is what she dedicated herself to, acting is her entire life. Among her greatest satisfactions she cherishes the affection of a people who do not forget her and thank her for a life dedicated to art and her homeland and the love of her husband who showers her with attention.

Her artistic quality has been widely recognized for the creativity and talent put into each performance. The telenovelas "Story of Three Sisters" and "Next Year" are remembered, both very successful.

She died in Havana at the age of 83 on February 12, 2013.

Distinctions
Alejo Carpentier Medal
Founder of Cuban TV.
Frank País Medal.
Underground Struggle Medal.
Raúl Gómez García Medal.
Distinction for National Culture.
Microphone of 70 Years of Cuban Radio.