For a lot of, Omara Portuondo is finest recognized for her participation within the Buena Vista Social Membership; however the nonagenarian has lived many lives earlier than and after the formation of the internationally acknowledged Cuban group. The brand new PBS documentary, “Omara: Cuba’s Legendary Diva,” seems to be to reexamine and seize the sweetness and the chaos of those different many lives.
Directed by Hugo Perez, the characteristic — which premieres Sept. 26 in your native PBS channel — tells Portuondo’s private historical past not solely by the lens of her Afro-Cuban heritage but in addition by the prism of a girl confronting the realities of Cuba’s longstanding political strife.
“It instantly occurred to me that I used to be being given a once-in-a-lifetime likelihood to work with a terrific artist within the twilight of their profession — think about taking a time machine and going again in time to work with Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Vacation of their later years,” Perez stated in a press launch.
“After we started, Omara was in her late eighties, and nonetheless touring extensively all over the world. But even though she was nonetheless promoting out venues throughout the globe, she was confronting ageism from promoters and journalists who solely needed to put in writing about her ‘closing tour.’ I felt that there was a chance not simply to create a portrait of an iconic artist however to doc how she responded to age bias with verve and panache and never just a bit sauciness. By no means depend a Cuban girl down and out.”
Born right into a mixed-race household in Havana on Oct. 29, 1930, at a time when such relationships have been thought of taboo, Portuondo started gracing the stage at age 17 by becoming a member of the dance group of the famed Tropicana Membership. As a member of Cuarteto d’Aida within the Nineteen Fifties, she sang alongside Nat King Cole and toured the U.S. whereas additionally recording albums. From the late Sixties by the Eighties, Portuondo discovered continued success as a solo act and even ventured into the world of movie and tv.
Ever concerned within the political occasions of the second, she by no means shied away from performing songs devoted to revolutionaries like Che Guevara. In 1974, the singer recorded an album devoted to the U.S.-ousted Chilean socialist president Salvador Allende.
Within the mid-Nineteen Nineties, Portuondo started touring the world with the famend Cuban musical ensemble, the Buena Vista Social Membership. The band’s fame skyrocketed in 1999 after German filmmaker Wim Wenders made a documentary in regards to the musicians titled “Buena Vista Social Membership” that acquired quite a few awards and was nominated for an Academy Award. On the coronary heart of the movie have been moments when Portuondo’s abilities jumped off the display screen and worldwide audiences might see the facility and historical past behind her artistry.
The story of the Buena Vista Social Membership was changed into an eponymous musical in 2023, with Portuondo featured as one of many important characters. After the musical hit Broadway in 2025, Natalie Venetia Belcon — who portrayed Portuondo as a part of the present’s unique Broadway solid — gained the Tony for featured actress in a musical at this yr’s awards.
Whereas, for a lot of, Portuondo’s influence and star energy emanates from all issues Buena Vista Social Membership, the brand new documentary spotlights how Portuondo has not slowed down her hustle at her superior age as she continues touring worldwide. Included within the film are interviews with musicians from throughout the globe, like Diego el Cigala, Roberto Fonseca and Arturo O’Farrill.
The movie additionally captures a few of Portuondo’s newer performances, which reveal new depths of the singer’s soulfulness and energy.
“I additionally needed to make a movie that will present her in efficiency in the present day, spotlighting songs that will assist carry us by the story of her life,” the film’s director stated. “When she sings about love, Omara plumbs the depths of heartbreak, and I couldn’t think about telling her story with out seeing her singing these nice songs.”
