Chavela Vargas

The Profile

Chavela Vargas (born Isabel Vargas Lizano) was a Costa Rican–Mexican singer famed for stark, emotionally intense renditions of rancheras and boleros. A cultural icon associated with Pedro Almodóvar, she appeared in Werner Herzog’s Scream of Stone and in Julie Taymor’s Frida, publicly came out as a lesbian at 81, performed at Carnegie Hall, and remained active until 2012.

Costa Rican-born, naturalized Mexican; leading ranchera interpreter; LGBTQ+ trailblazer (came out at 81); championed by Pedro Almodóvar; appeared in Herzog’s Scream of Stone and Taymor’s Frida; performed at Carnegie Hall (2003); died in 2012.

One review explores Chavela Vargas’s late-era album Cupaima, praising its earthy, pre-Columbian textures and her hoarse, expressive voice. The piece notes her defiant persona, late-life public coming out, and renewed visibility via film. Overall tone: appreciative yet measured.