Berta Singerman Begun (; 9 September 1901 – 10 December 1998), better known as Berta Singerman, was an

Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...

singer and actress.

Biography

Singerman was born in

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

, then part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

into a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family. She emigrated to Argentina with her parents when she was a little girl. From a young age, she performed dramatic works with her siblings and neighbours that she was responsible for directing. When she was eight she joined a company that made melodramas in

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

, and when she was ten years old she joined a cast that performed works of

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (; ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than 60 pla ...

. At age 15, Singerman married Rubén Enrique Stolek, who became her manager and set her on a career of literary declamation. Her connections with highly regarded literary figures, including poet Alfonsina Storni and writer Horacio Quiroga, helped propel this career into international fame, and she was befriended by numerous writers and artists, including

Pablo Neruda Pablo Neruda ( ; ; born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto; 12 July 190423 September 1973) was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Neruda became known as a poet when he was 13 years old an ...

Juan Ramón Jiménez Juan Ramón Jiménez Mantecón (; 23 December 1881 – 29 May 1958) was a Spanish poet, a prolific writer who received the 1956 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his lyrical poetry, which in the Spanish language constitutes an example of high ...

Gabriela Mistral Lucila Godoy Alcayaga (; 7 April 1889 – 10 January 1957), known by her pseudonym Gabriela Mistral (), was a Chilean poet-diplomat, educator, and Catholic. She was a member of the Secular Franciscan Order or Third Franciscan order. She was ...

and Alejo Carpentier. By the 1930s, Singerman was performing throughout the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world, including Spain, Mexico and Brazil, at times attracting huge crowds. Her career lasted into the 1980s.Deutsch, Sandra McGee (2010).
Crossing Borders, Claiming a Nation: A History of Argentine Jewish Women, 1880-1955
'. Durham, NC: Duke Univ. Press. . pp. 96-98.

Selected filmography

*''

Nothing More Than a Woman ''Nothing More Than a Woman'' (Spanish: ''Nada más que una mujer'') is a 1934 American drama film directed by Harry Lachman and starring Berta Singerman, Alfredo del Diestro and Juan Torena. It is the Spanish-language version of Fox Film Corporati ...

'' (1934)

References

External links

* 1901 births 1998 deaths 20th-century Argentine women singers Belarusian Jews Jewish Argentine actresses Yiddish-speaking people Musicians from Minsk Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Argentina {{Argentina-actor-stub