Omara Portuondo: "I'm not retiring from music"

November 1, 2024

The legendary diva of Buena Vista Social Club, Cuban Omara Portuondo, announced this Friday that, despite having stopped doing long concerts, she will continue making recordings and other activities.

"I will no longer do long live concerts because I get tired, and it's natural for my age. But I want to make clear that I'm not retiring from music. I will continue with my recordings, and other activities, that my age and health allow me," Portuondo assured on the social network Facebook.

The message comes less than a month after, following health problems during a concert in Barcelona (northwest Spain) on October 2nd, her son explained that a "definitive retirement from the stage" had been decided. On October 29th, the artist turned 94 years old.

Also known as "the bride of feeling," she added in her statement that "as long as I have strength" and the support of family, friends and followers, she will continue singing. "With the respect of all the people who sincerely appreciate me, each person decides how they want to live and die as well," she wrote.

Portuondo stressed that "as long as I have strength and people want to hear me, I will continue singing. Because as I always tell them: music is in me, sky, earth, sea and sun, joy and reason."

The extensive career of Omara Portuondo

On October 2nd, the artist suffered an episode of "fatigue and disorientation" during a concert at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona that forced her to leave the performance after singing the first song, the classic from her repertoire "Quizás, quizás," by Osvaldo Farrés.

Portuondo, born in 1930, began her career in the 1940s accompanied by her sister Haydeé, performing Cuban music with a strong influence from genres such as bossa nova and jazz, before soon leaping into the professional world.

Over time, with concerts and recordings, the Cuban artist first achieved national recognition and subsequently international recognition. In the latter, the work with Buena Vista Social Club played an important role, especially in spreading her name among the general public.

Portuondo, in addition to her extensive solo career—with works such as VIDA, Gracias and Flor de amor—has collaborated with artists such as Pablo Milanés, Chico Buarque, Chucho Valdés, Cachaito López, Jorge Drexler and Ibrahim Ferrer.

Among the awards accumulated by the Cuban singer are the 2005 Billboard Latin Music Award, the Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Tropical Album and the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts in Spain.