Chola Luna (stage nameAlcira Carmen Luna; 12 February 1919 - 2 April 2015) was an Argentine tango singer, who flourished during the 1930s through 1950s. From 1955, she was persecuted for her political ideas during the self-appointed dictatorship of theRevolución Libertadora which ousted in a bloody Coup d'état the democratic elected government of Juan D. Peron (1946-1955). Many performers had to stop their profession, including Luna, and others, persecuted and blacklisted for their political beliefs.
Alcira Carmen Nuñez was born on February 12, 1919, inBuenos Aires into a working-class family, the daughter of Goyo Luna and Maria de Luna.[1] Shortly after her birth, the family moved toLa Plata, where she grew up and went to primary school. She sang since childhood, and in 1935, won the contestPuloil. She performed on Radio Belgrano, Argentina's largest radio broadcaster at the time, which allowed her to be hired as a singer on the station.
In 1942, she starred in the filmGran pensión La Alegría, withJulio Irigoyen and performed at the Teatro Nacional. In 1944, she joined theFrancisco Canaro orchestra as a singer, singing a duet with Carlos Roldán, with whom she recorded two songs 1944. In 1946, she joined the singing cast ofLa Historia del Sainete, one of the most successful shows at the time. In 1945, she joined theFrancisco Lomuto orchestra, performing withAlberto Rivera Pizarro during a successful tour of Europe. With the election ofJuan Perón as president of Argentina in 1946, she identified herself with the ideas ofPeronism, participating in activities for the benefit of children and the elderly organized by theEva Perón Foundation and the Cultural Center of Artists. She sang with the orchestras ofAníbal Troilo,Julio De Caro,Horacio Salgán as well as the orchestra musicians' union led byMariano Mores.
In 1955, the constitutional presidencyJuan Perón was overthrown by the self-appointed dictatorship of theRevolución Libertadora Many performers had to stop their profession, including Luna, and others, persecuted and blacklisted for their political beliefs. After making some recordings with the orchestras of Francisco Trópoli andMiguel Caló, she was exiled in Uruguay, in 1957. In Montevideo, she performed at the Cafe El Ateneo, recorded with the orchestra of Luis Caruso and acted withAlba Solís, who was also persecuted in Argentina. In the 1960s, she returned to Argentina and sang a duet with Julia Vidal, a repertoire of tango and folklore songs. She also served as secretary of the Argentine comic,Pepe Marrone.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
