Lila Deneken whose birth name is Lila Pura Deneken Cacharro is a

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

singer, songwriter, entertainer, painter and entrepreneur. Because of her emotional singing style and voice, she is considered to be the number one female singer and entertainer in Mexico; thus, earning her the name of ''"La Numero Uno"'' (the number one).

History

Early life and career

Born in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, she was raised with her two sisters, Gilda and Guadalupe (Lupita). Her singing career began in 1966 as part of the group called "Los Peg", whose other members included

José José José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz (17 February 1948 – 28 September 2019), known professionally as José José, was a Mexican singer. Also known as ''El Príncipe de la Canción'' (The Prince of Song), his performance and vocal style have influenced ma ...

(bass player) and her sister Gilda Deneken (vocalist). Los Peg were known for interpreting

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and Bossa Nova music styles. These styles would become her trademark in music. After incorporating other music genres, such as

Soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

, Music Rock,

Ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

s, she embarked on her first international tour along with her sister Gilda. Touring under the name "Las Deneken" the 3-month tour turned into a full year due to their great success. Upon her return to Mexico, in 1972 she joined the musical group "Tabasco" with her other sister Lupita Deneken and for the first time the three sisters sang together. "Tabasco" was discovered by Tony De Marco who became the group's manager. Tabasco's first tour was across the United States of America. Due to the group's success, the U.S. tour was extended for several years. It was during this time that Lila decided to separate from the group to become a solo artist.

Career as a solo artist

In 1978 she competed in the

OTI Festival OTI Festival (, ), often known simply as La OTI, was an international song competition, organised annually between 1972 and 2000 by the Organización de Televisión Iberoamericana (OTI), featuring participants representing primarily Ibero-Americ ...

winning 2nd place with the song "Cuando Pienso en Ti" (When I Think about You) written by

Nacho Mendez Nachos are a Mexican snack food named after its inventor Nacho Anaya. Nacho may also refer to: Name * Nacho (given name), a form of the Spanish masculine name Ignacio (including a list of people with the name or nickname) * Nacho (footballer, b ...

and 1st place for the best interpreter of the OTI festival. During the 1978 OTI, she was named "Premio a la Revelacion" (The Revelation of the OTI). In 1980, Lila entered the OTI once more. Lila is well known for her fashion sense, this time she wore a spectacular gown designed by

Bob Mackie Robert Gordon Mackie (born March 24, 1940) is an American fashion designer and costumier, best known for his dressing of numerous entertainment personalities for television, movies, concerts, and live stage shows. He was the costume designer f ...

. Her performance, her presentation, her personality, and her voice garnered her once more "The Revelation of the OTI." She won second place for interpreting "Se solicita una aventura" (Looking for Romance) written by

Roberto Cantoral Roberto Cantoral García (7 June 1935 – 7 August 2010) was a Mexican composer, singer and songwriter. He was known for composing a string of hit Mexican songs, including "El Triste", "Al Final", "La Barca" and " El Reloj" The Sociedad de Auto ...

. Later, Lila gained fame for a song written by Bebu Silvetti and Lolita de la Colina, entitled "Por Cobardia" (Because I'm a Coward); "Por Cobardia" put her on the top of every playlist. In 1981 she embarked on a second International tour as a solo artist. She became the first and only female Latin artist to perform in the world recognized ''"Sporting Club"'' of

Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...

Monte-Carlo Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to a larger district, the Mon ...

. Upon her return to Mexico she continued to perform in sold-out concerts with her

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

style shows. Lila has appeared with many Mexican entertainers such as

Gualberto Castro Gualberto Antonio Castro Levario (12 July 1934 – 27 June 2019) was a Mexican singer, actor and television presenter. Castro was best known for singing with Los Hermanos Castro (aka "The Brothers Castro"), for his portrayal of Tony in the 197 ...

Personal life

Married to the Televisa producer Humberto Navarro

La Carabina de Ambrosio ''La Carabina de Ambrosio'' is a Mexican television show created and developed by Humberto Navarro, filmed at the Televisa Studios, Chapultepec in Mexico City, from 1978 until 1987. The slogan of the show was "A Magical, Comical, and Musical Varie ...

(later divorced), she had two children with Navarro, Lila decided to focus on her family. She left entertaining and began painting and writing musicals, plays and short stories.

Return to show business

In 2001, she returned to performing with 4 concerts in the ''"Foro Cultural Coyoacanense Hugo Arguelles"'', where she debuted a newer style as music along with her standards. In October 2001 she successfully four-walled the ''"Ramiro Jimenez"'' theater in Mexico City. In 2002 she was named ''"Madrina de Honor"'' in the ''"Festival del Dia Mundial del Mariachi"''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Deneken, Lila 1949 births Living people Mexican stage actresses Mexican women singers Mexican people of German descent Mexican vedettes Singers from Mexico City