Merceditas Valdes

Born on 14 October 1928 in Havana, Cuba, she died in June 1996 in her native country. A competition victory at age twelve launched her into regular radio appearances and live shows, among them occasional church settings. Frequent performances of yoruba material, together with other selections rooted in Cuban folk traditions, earned positive notice and helped her develop a loyal following. That support prompted historian Fernando Ortiz to include her in his lecture tours, during which he highlighted the African foundations of Cuban music—an experience that established her as a foremost interpreter of santeria-linked repertoire. She started committing this music to recordings in the 1940s, toured with Ernesto Lecuona’s company, and collaborated with Obdulio Morales, Sergio Vitier, and Guillermo Barreto. Television work with Lecuona, notably on Serenata Cubana, further widened her audience. She appeared widely throughout Cuba as well as abroad.

Obstacles once hindered her entry into the United States, yet these were eventually overcome, allowing late-life concerts at prominent American venues. During those final years she was linked with Jane Bunnett and appears performing in the 2000 film Spirits Of Havana, which examines Bunnett’s musical ties to Cuba. Although she ranked among Cuba’s most esteemed artists for several decades, accounts indicate that her closing years were marked by poverty.