Eva Garza (May 11, 1917 – November 1, 1966) was a Mexican-American singer and film actress who acquired international recognition in the 1940s and 1950s during the

Golden Age of Mexican cinema The Golden Age of Mexican Cinema (Spanish: la Época de Oro del Cine Mexicano), spanning the 1930s to 1950s, was a prolific era during which Mexico emerged as the leading film producer in Latin America. Filmmakers during this period tackled themes ...

. She collaborated on live radio shows and films with some of the leading performers of her time, including Mexico's

Agustín Lara Ángel Agustín María Carlos Fausto Mariano Alfonso del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Lara y Aguirre del Pino (; ; October 30, 1897 – November 6, 1970), known as Agustín Lara, was a Mexican composer and performer of songs and boleros. He is rec ...

. She was nicknamed "Sweetheart of the Americas".

Biography

Eva Garza was the third oldest child of seven children raised by Cenobia B. Ramírez and Procopio V. Garza. Her father was the owner of a local barber shop. Eva's first exposure to public performances of music took place at church functions, local parties and over the local radio station. Subsequently, she entered several amateur competitions in San Antonio and was awarded several prizes. By 1932 she embarked upon a series of performances on KABC radio which lasted for several years. She also performed in the popular radio show ''La Hoira Anahuac'' as well as in various vaudeville acts at the Nacional Theatre with Netty y Jesús and Don Sauve.Her early recordings of rhumbas and boleros with Bluebird Records also date from this time and include performances of: ''La Jaibera'', ''Calientito'', ''Cosquillas'', ''Cachita'' and ''Qué Me Importa'' in 1936. After touring as the voice of the fan dancer

Sally Rand Sally Rand (born Helen Gould Beck; April 3, 1904 – August 31, 1979) was an American burlesque dancer, stripper, vedette, and actress, famous for her ostrich-feather fan dance and balloon bubble dance. She also performed under the name B ...

in New York in 1937, Garza returned to Texas in 1938 and formed her own group billed as "Eva Garza and Her Troupe". During a three-year period between 1939 and 1942 she toured throughout Central and South America. While performing on the radio in Juarez, Mexico she met her future husband Felipe Bojalil Gil of the ensemble El Charro Gil y Sus Caporales. The couple was married in 1939 in San Antonio and eventually raised three children. After settling in New York City, Eva and her husband Felipe "El Charro" Gil recorded the bolero ''Diez Años'' by Rafael Hernandez for

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. Performances on the

Columbia Broadcasting System CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

soon followed in 1941. Garza began to appear regularly at CBS and for

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is an international broadcasting network funded by the federal government of the United States that by law has editorial independence from the government. It is the largest and oldest of the American internation ...

on the '' Viva America'' program in collaboration with such leading performing artists as:

Alfredo Antonini Alfredo Antonini (May 31, 1901 – November 3, 1983) was a leading Italian-American symphony conductor and composer who was active on the international concert stage as well as on the CBS radio and television networks from the 1930s through the e ...

, Terig Tucci, Juan Arvizu,

Nestor Mesta Chayres Néstor Mesta Cháyres (aka Nestor Chaires, Ciudad Lerdo, February 26, 1908 - Mexico City, June 29, 1971) was an acclaimed tenor in Mexico and a noted interpreter of Spanish songs, boleros and Mexican romantic music on the international conce ...

Miguel Sandoval Miguel Sandoval (born November 16, 1951) is an American actor. He is known for his role on the NBC/ CBS drama series '' Medium'' (2005–2011), where he played D.A. Manuel Devalos. Biography Sandoval was born in Washington, D.C. He began wo ...

and John Serry Sr. By 1945, her broadcasts on CBS's "La Cadena de las Americas" network were heard by audiences in twenty Latin American nations and by members of America's armed forces in Europe through the Armed Forces Radio Services Garza's performances on the program earned her the nickname "Sweetheart of the Americas". In 1952, Garza moved to Mexico City along with her daughters Felicia (then known as Felipe Gil, Jr.) and Corina to initiate performances with Radio XEW while collaborating with such leading performers as:

Pedro Infante Pedro Infante Cruz (; 18 November 1917 – 15 April 1957) was a Mexican ranchera singer and actor whose career spanned the golden age of Mexican cinema. Infante was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, and raised in nearby Guamúchil. He died on 15 Apri ...

, Pedro Vargas, Javier Solis and

Jorge Negrete Jorge Alberto Negrete Moreno (; 30 November 1911 – 5 December 1953) was a Mexican singer and actor. He specialized in the musical genre of ranchera. His posthumous album "Fiesta Mexicana Volumen II" has been ranked by critics at No. 163 on t ...

. While in Mexico she appeared in over 20 films with such leading actors as Toña la Negra (''Amor Vendido'', 1951),

Sara Montiel María Antonia Abad Fernández Medal of Merit in Labour, MML (10 March 1928 – 8 April 2013), known professionally as Sara Montiel, also Sarita Montiel, was a Spanish actress and singer. She began her career in the 1940s and became the most int ...

(Carcel de Mujeres, 1951) and Luis Arcaraz (''Acapulco'', 1952). During the 1950s Garza also received contracts to perform in nightclubs throughout Latin America in such countries as: Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador and Colombia and Mexico. During her visits to Cuba she appeared in such prominent cabarets as '' Tropicana'' and Teatro Americano as well as on the popular television program ''Duelo de Pianos'' with

and

Consuelo Velázquez Consuelo Velázquez Torres (August 21, 1916, in Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco – January 22, 2005, Mexico City), also popularly known as Consuelito Velázquez, was a Mexican concert pianist and composer. She was the composer of famous Mexican balla ...

. She also performed on Havana's Radio Cadena Suaritos with the Cuban pianist

Isolina Carrillo Isolina Carrillo (December 9, 1907 – February 21, 1996) was a Cuban composer, singer and pianist. She was a member of the vocal group Conjunto Siboney. At the age of eleven she made her musical debut replacing a pianist that called in sick in he ...

. While residing in Mexico, Garza recorded boleros written by such noted composers as:

, Gonzalo Curiél, and Joaquin Pardave for

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

Musart Records Discos Musart, known as Musart Records in English, is a Mexican record label founded in 1948 in Mexico City. It is headquartered in Miami, FL and is a leading independent producer, publisher and distributor of Latin music, managing over 72,000 cop ...

and Seeco Records. Included among her most outstanding recordings from this time are: ''Sin Motivo'', ''Frio en el Alma'' and ''La Ultima Noche''. In 1965 Garza married the Argentine artist Abel Reynoso after divorcing her first husband in 1953. She joined Reynoso in Buenos Aires and was subsequently lured back to Mexico by Columbia Records to record a retrospective album of some of her greatest hits: ''Vuelve Eva Garza- Mexican Encore''. She subsequently resumed a concert tour of Arizona, New Mexico and Los Angeles California. Eva Garza recorded over 200 single recordings for such major record labels as

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

, Seeco Records and

over the course of her career. Her discography includes recordings of such popular boleros as: ''Celosa'', ''Cantando'' and ''Arrepentido''. Critical reviewers in The Billboard took note of her warm, and expressive style of interpretation. She was also cited for a deep, warm, rich and persuasive interpretations and was the recipient of three

María Grever María Grever (14 September 1885 – 15 December 1951) was the first female Mexican composer to achieve international acclaim.Rodríguez, Lee M. L. María Grever: Poeta Y Compositora. Potomac, Md: Scripta Humanistica, 1994. Print. She is best kn ...

Awards for Best Singer of the Year. Hailed as one of the ten best singers in Mexico, Eva Garza is remembered as a versatile vocalist who was equally comfortable singing romantic boleros, corridos, tropical music and contemporary songs with ease.

Death

During the course of a concert tour of the Southwest, Garza developed pneumonia and did not recover. She died at the age 49 in Tucson, Arizona. In accordance with her wishes, she was laid to rest in Mexico City.

Selected discography

Eva Garza recorded over 150 single titles including: * ''Arrpentido'' -

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...

(Catalogue # 1041 8B) - Eva Garza sings this tango by Francisco Lomuto with orchestra (19??) * ''Beso Mortal'' - Seeco Records (Catalogue # 7046B) - Eva Garza sings this bolero by Eva Garza and Felipe Gil with La Orquesta de Ray Montoya (19??) * ''Cachita'' - Bluebird Records (Catalogue # B-2947-A) - Eva Garza sings this rumba by Rafael Hernandez (19??) * ''Calientito'' - Bluebird Records (Calatogue # B-2911-B) - Eva Garza sings this rumba with orchestra (19??) * ''Cantando'' - Columbia Records (Catalogue # EX-5189)- Eva Garza sings this bolero by M. Simone (19??) * ''Celosa'' - Columbia Records (Catalogue # EPC-528-A-2)- Eva Garza sings this bolero by P. Rodriguez (19??) * ''Cosquillas'' - Bluebird Records (Catalogue # B-2947-B) - Eva Garza sings this rumba with orchestra (19??) * ''Diez Años'' - Columbia Records (Catalogue # 6916-X) - Eva Garza sings this Bolero by Rafael Hernandez with El Charro Gil y Sus Caporales (19??) * ''Eso Si Eso No'' - Columbia Records (Catalogue # 1613C) - Eva Garza sings this cornado by Charro Gil with El Charro Gil y Sus Caporales (19??) * ''Frio En El Alma'' - Seeco Records (Catalogue # 609A) - Eva Garza sings a bolero by Miguel Angel Valladares with Lazaro Quintero Orchestra (19??) * ''Inutil Es Fingir'' - Seeco Records (Catalogue # 658A) Eva Garza sings this bolero by Carlos Gomez with Roberto Ondina y La Orquesta Suaritos (19??) * ''La Jaibera'' - Bluebird Records (Catalogue # B-2911-A) - Eva Garza dings this rumba with orchestra (19??) * ''La Ultima Noche'' - Columbia Records (Catalogue # 6214-X) - Eva Garza sings this bolero by Bob Collazo with the Columbia Orchestra (19??) * ''Que Me Importa'' - Bluebird Records (Catalogue # B-2926-A) - Eva Garza sings this bolero with orchestra (19??) * ''Sabor De Engaño'' - Columbia Records (Catalogue # 6205-X) - Eva Garza sings this bolero by Mario Alvarez with Bill Gale and Orquesta de Salon Columbia (19??) * ''Sera Por Eso'' - Seeco Records (Catalogue # 609 B) Eva Garza sings this bolero by Consuelo Velazquez with the Lazaro Qunitero Orchestra (19??) * ''Sin Motivo'' - Columbia Records (Catalogue # 6207-X)- Eva Garza sings this bolero by Gabriel Ruiz with La Orquesta de Salon Columbia (19??) * ''Sombras'' - Seeco Records (Catalogue # 658B) - Eva Garza sings this bolero by Agustín Lara with Roberto Ondina y La Orquesta Suaritos (19??) * ''Tiempo Perdido'' - Seeco Records (Catalogue # 7102 B) - Eva Garza sings this bolero by Eduardo Lazo with La Orquesta de Juan Britto Tarraza (19??) * ''Usted'' - Seeco Records (Catalogue # 7102 A) - Eva Garza sings this bolero by Gabriel Ruiz with La Orquesta de Juan Brito Tarraza (19??)

Selected filmography

* ''Si Fuera una Cualquiera'' (1950) * ''

Women's Prison Approximately 741,000 women are incarcerated in correctional facilities, a 17% increase since 2010 and the female prison population has been increasing across all continents.Women Without Tomorrow'' (1951) * '' Arrabalera'' (1951) * '' Love for Sale'' (1951) * ''

Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , ; ), is a city and Port of Acapulco, major seaport in the Political divisions of Mexico, state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Located on a deep, semicirc ...

'' (1952) * '' Paco the Elegant'' (1952) * '' Women Who Work'' (1953) * ''Bolero Inmortal'' (1958) * ''Pistolos de Oro'' (1959)

References

Bibliography

* Deborah R. Vargas. ''Dissonant Divas in Chicana Music: The Limits of la Onda''. University of Minnesota Press, 2012. * "Modern Spanglish: A Chat With Carrie Rodriguez," Texas Monthly, January 2016, https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/interview-carrie-rodriguez/

External links

*
''Eva Garza'' recordings on Archive.org

''Eva Garza'' music on worlcat.org

''Eva Garza'' Discography on fronter.library.ucla.edu
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Garza, Eva 1917 births 1966 deaths Mexican film actresses 20th-century Mexican women singers Actresses from San Antonio Actresses from Mexico City 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers Deaths from pneumonia in Arizona Women in Latin music