Lucía Labastida Dies, One of the Most Charismatic and Recognized Singers from Santa Clara

January 2, 2020

A harsh blow to the culture of Santa Clara and Villa Clara was the sudden death of the popular singer Lucía Labastida, who died at the age of 45 as a victim of an aneurysm, in the early morning of January 1st, 2020.

Lucila Oílzer Bastida Zamora, her true name, was born in Santa Clara, and was the daughter of the also renowned singer and percussionist José L. Bastida (now deceased), founder of the iconic group Los Fakires.

She began her professional life on November 25, 2000 at the celebrated Centro Cultural El Mejunje, thanks to the support of cultural promoter and director of that space, Ramón Silverio. There Labastida regularly participated in the peñas 'Arráncame la vida', conducted on Monday afternoons by bolero singer José Ramón Vizcaíno, and the Filín peña, every Saturday, as well as in 'Extraños en la noche', hosted by pianist Freyda Anido and her trio.

She participated in other activities organized at this center, where she performed concerts and appeared in artistic galas of the Small Format Theater Festivals, and during the Days Against Homophobia and in favor of differences, since its first edition in 2008.

In 2003 she was part of the cast of the show Roly Hood, organized by troubadour Roly Berrío, and in 2005 she participated in the reception gala for then Minister of Culture Abel Prieto, at El Mejunje itself, and for the National Prize for Theater and Literature Abelardo Estorino. Also, in tributes held for the outstanding actress Eslinda Núñez and poet Lina de Feria (National Prize for Literature 2019).

She was present at several editions of the Festival Boleros de Oro, called for by the Villa Clara Uneac, alongside major figures of the genre in Cuba, such as: Ela Calvo, Mundito González, Orestes Macías, Pablo Santamaría, Alina Torres, Vania Borges, among others.

In July 2009 she toured different eastern provinces as part of the "Mejunje" project, and in 2011 and 2012 she performed important concerts at the Teatro La Caridad in Santa Clara, lasting more than two hours with a wide and varied repertoire, where she shared the stage with performer Vionayka Martínez and troubadour Diego Gutiérrez.

She maintained her own peña for several years at the Museo de Artes Decorativas, in which she displayed all her potential before her faithful public. She worked in other important venues such as the Venecia cabarets and Centro Cultural El Bosque, of Artex, in Santa Clara. In 2013 she starred in the musical comedy 'Aquí se enciende la candela', directed by Ramón Silverio, and in the two following years she performed concerts at the Casa de la Uneac in Matanzas.

She was recognized by the "El Músico en el barrio" project, organized and directed by professor Isabel Díaz de la Torre, took singing courses with professors Nancy Romeu and Yolanda Martínez, and was part of the "Abriendo brecha" project, attached to Cenesex, directed by Mariela Castro.

She was specially invited to close with a recital the twelfth edition of the National Oral Festival Palabras de Invierno, held in Matanzas, in 2015.

She was part of the musical drama En privado con la Reina, which covers aspects of the life of the great Cuban diva Celeste Mendoza, a work by author Jorge Antonio Fernández Mallea (David Prize for theater 2012), under the direction of leading actress Miriam Muñoz, director of the Icarón group, of Matanzas.

Lucía Labastida belonged to the catalog of the Provincial Company of Music and Performances "Rafael Prats", of Villa Clara, and was evaluated as First Artistic Level.

According to Alexis Castañeda Pérez de Alejo, journalist, researcher and promoter of El Mejunje, her ashes will be deposited at that cultural institution next Saturday, January 4th, at 6:00 in the afternoon, just as the filín peña of performer Zaidita Castiñeyra begins, a space that welcomed and always sponsored her, and from where she went on to other stages.