LA LUPEĀ (also calledĀ La Yiyiyi and the Queen of Latin Soul) was an Afro-Cuban singer of bolero, guaracha, latin soul, and salsa music. She was born in the rural town of San Pedrito, Cuba, and first rose to prominence in Cubaās famed nightclub scene during the late 1950s.
Aside from her natural vocal talent, La Lupe stood out for her frenetic stage presence. She was known toĀ ābounce off walls, rip her clothes off, throw shoes at her band, and claw, bite, and scratch herself,ā ending some performances with the help of an oxygen mask. Rumors of the singerās purported drug use have persisted over the years, but close friends deny the allegations. Claims of spiritual possession also hold little weight, although La Lupe was an open follower of Santeria (a traditional Afro-Cuban religion) for most of her life.Ā
Government efforts toĀ āclean upā Havanaās nightclub scene were quickly implemented after the Cuban Revolution, and Fidel Castroās regime deemed La Lupe a ābad exampleā to the state. She was pressured to leave the country (and an abusive ex-husband) in the midst of her super-stardom. In 1962, she and her firstborn child arrived in New York City.Ā
La Lupe first found fame in the United States through her performances with Afro-Cuban percussionist Mongo Santamaria. However, her trueĀ ābig breakā arrived in 1964, when she began a professional partnership with latin legend Tito Puente. The two collaborated on countless records; La Lupe quickly became New York Cityās defining latin female figure.Ā
Eventually, clashes of temperament and ego eroded La Lupeās relationship with Puente. He ended their partnership in the late 1960s, in favor ofĀ āthe more conventionally professional and reliableā Celia Cruz. La Lupeās new solo career continued to thrive through the latter part of the decade and early 1970s; she churned out more hits, and received more publicity than any of her latin contemporaries, appearing on programs like The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dick Cavett Show, and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. But tragedy would soon follow.Ā
The new salsa music boom of the mid-1970s dealt a devasting blow to La Lupeās slowly declining record sales. Tico Records, to which La Lupe was signed, was bought by Fania recordsĀ ā which insisted on promoting Celia Cruz as its defining female star. La Lupeās efforts to revitalize her career by relocating to Puerto Rico bore little fruit. Fania Records dropped the singer in 1978, and La Lupe became destitute, supporting herself and her two children in the Bronx with the help of welfare.Ā
In the 1980s, a bad fall led to health problems that would persist the rest of La Lupeās life. An apartment fire left her and her daughter temporarily homeless. She reunited with the musical partners of her past for a benefit show to help her financially recover; it was on this night that she had a religious epiphany:Ā
āIn the middle of that song, all that adorationā¦Ā āThe Queen, La Lupe!āā¦ I saw those peopleĀ ā the applause, the drinking, the happinessĀ ā and God took advantage of that moment. God said, Look at them well. You are dying of back pain and they are insisting that you sing. They are going to kill you. In that moment, I made the decision: Iāll never sing for the world again. I gave my soul to Christ.ā
La Lupe converted to Pentecostal Christianity and retired almost completely to become a minister and religious speaker. She died of a heart attack in 1992, survived by a second ex-husband and her two children, RenĆ© CamaƱo and Rainbow GarcĆa. Her legacy also lives on through her music: timeless hits including Puro Teatro, QuĆ© te PedĆ, La Tirana, and covers of Fever and My Way.Ā In 2002, the Bronxās East 140 Street was renamedĀ La Lupe Way.Ā
Watch the full documentary,Ā āLa Lupe: Queen of Latin Soul,ā on Youtube.
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