Gina León, "The Lady of the Capri", Passed Away

July 13, 2023

The great Cuban singer Gina León, known as "The Lady of the Capri", passed away this Wednesday, July 12 in Havana at the age of 86.

Through social media, many messages of condolences and tributes have been shared by artists, critics, and admirers of the artist, one of the greatest voices on the island.

"Today Gina León has departed from this earthly plane to settle in that dimension where the notable ones are. My condolences to her family and friends, especially to her daughter, the distinguished and beloved actress Ivanesa Cabrera", published music expert and writer Rosa Marquetti.

Regarding her artistic qualities, Marquetti added that "she had an extraordinary voice and elegance. In times of so many excellent singers, Gina León stood out as few did. The memory of her "Aléjate" and so many other boleros has accompanied us all these years, even though she was not remembered as she should have been".

In addition to her multiple presence on various Cuban stages, it was precisely the Capri Hotel that boasted of her talent for many years. León came to the 'Serenata Mulata' space after Cuba's departure of its then-main figure Olga Guillot.

It was the producer of that show, Humberto Anido, who decided that Gina León had to take over the space and continue captivating the audience as her predecessor had, and he was not mistaken. The sensual, soft and unique voice of the young singer positioned her not only as the star of the show, but made her one of the essential figures of bolero on the island.

On the occasion of her death, playwright and critic Norge Espinosa Mendoza has posted on his Facebook profile a curiosity that connects these two great voices of Cuba, beyond their unmatched talents.

"As I usually say that I don't believe in coincidences, today I repeat the phrase upon learning that on the very same date that Olga Guillot, the Queen of Bolero, died thirteen years ago, the singer Gina León said goodbye to this world", wrote Espinosa.

Regarding her presence at the Capri Casino, the intellectual asserted that in it Gina León found a propitious stage for her talent. "Besides her voice and her impeccable diction, she had the support of designers, makeup artists and hairdressers who rounded out her image, with a touch of elegance that identified her as a songstress in tune with the new sensibility that was being imposed", he added.

Gina León immortalized great songs by the greatest Cuban composers in each of her performances. "Eclipse" by Margarita Lecuona, "Qué nos pasa" and "Debí llorar" by Piloto y Vera, "Qué te cuesta" by Ricardo García Perdomo, "Nada son mis brazos" by Ela O'Farrill, "Canta lo sentimental" by Urbano Gómez Montiel, "Tú mi delirio" by César Portillo de la Luz, "Si te contara" by Félix Reyna, "Tú me sabes comprender" by Ricardo Pérez, "Dos gardenias" by Isolina Carrillo, and "Diez años" by Rafael Hernández, are just some of the songs that the artist enriched with her voice.

The renowned cabarets and nightclubs of Havana in the 60s featured Gina León on their stages, where she also shared the stage with the most important musicians of the time. Los Zafiros, Juana Bacallao, the Cuarteto D'Aida, Los Papines, Tata Güines, Luis Carbonell and Pello El Afrokán, to mention just a few names, accompanied who was one of the "owners of the Havana night" during that decade.

"It was not uncommon to see her on TV in the late 80s and early 90s. Her myth still accompanied her, forged three decades before that, when she was the Queen of the Capri", affirmed Norge Espinosa.

However, her presence in television spaces in recent years has not been frequent, in which according to those close to her she decided to take refuge in her family space and choose the precise moments for her public appearances.

In 2019, Marquetti published a text about the artist, where she precisely argued that "perhaps for young directors of our radio and television programs, Gina León has been for many years nothing more than a memorable memory, without knowing, perhaps, that this woman of extraordinary values inhabits timeless spaces that are independent of borders, in a world where there is no lack of song and where her vocal qualities and her capacity for emotion remain almost unchanged".

The news of her death has distressed many, mainly those who enjoyed and still enjoy her songs today. In nostalgia remains her image in the memorable nights of the Capri, in that Havana that was and which now with her departure bids farewell to another of its stars.

"Her disappearance, this July 12 in Havana that still does not react to her death, will make us seek her voice again, will surprise the younger ones with the look that she popularized at the beginning of the 60s, and leaves without a doubt a trail of unmistakable perfume, which was hers and that of her voice, like that night on the beach that we have talked about/sung, more than once", concluded Norge Espinosa in his message.