Chavela Vargas

The Profile

Costa Rican-born singer who became an icon of ranchera music in Mexico; known for a hoarse, deeply expressive voice and a late-career revival tied to film directors and soundtracks.

Review notes: famously defied gender norms in public appearance, publicly declared herself a lesbian at age 81, had a career revival in the 1990s linked to film interest, and appeared in/was featured by film directors including Almodóvar, Werner Herzog and Julie Taymor. Cupaima reinterprets classics using pre-Columbian instruments and natural sounds.

The review highlights Chavela Vargas's identity as an icon of ranchera and her hoarse, deeply expressive later voice. Cupaima departs from strict ranchera by adding pre-Columbian instruments and natural sounds. The reviewer admires the record despite a personal resistance to female voices.