Olga Guillot

Olga Guillot (October 9, 1922 – July 12, 2010) was a Cuban singer who was known as the "queen of bolero." She was a native of the Cuban city of Santiago de Cuba.
Biography.
Daughter of Catalan-Jewish immigrants who moved to Cuba, her father was a tailor and her mother was a seamstress. Olga Guillot was born in Santiago de Cuba, and her family moved to Havana, Cuba when she was five years old. As a teenager, she and her sister, Ana Luisa, performed as the "Duo Hermanitas Guillot." It wasn't until 1945 that her talent as a bolero singer was discovered, when Facundo Rivero, an influential man in the Cuban music scene of the era, heard her sing for the first time and helped her make her professional singing debut at a famous Havana night club. Soon after, Guillot met Miguelito Valdés, who took her to New York City, where Guillot was able to record her first album with the Decca label.
She first achieved international fame in the United States with her version in Spanish of "Stormy Weather" in 1946.
Guillot traveled to Mexico in 1948. There, she established herself as an international singer and actress, appearing in various films and making her second album. In Mexico, Guillot began to enjoy much popularity for the first time in her career.
In 1954, she recorded her song "Miénteme" ("Lie to Me") by the Mexican composer Chamaco Domínguez, and which became a huge hit across Latin America and earned her three consecutive awards back home in Cuba as Cuba's best female singer.
1958 proved to be an important year for Guillot, as she toured Europe for the first time, performing in Italy, France, Spain and Germany. She sang alongside the legendary Édith Piaf at a concert held in Cannes.
Olga Guillot kept a house in Cuba as she traveled around the world, along with her house in Mexico. But Guillot opposed Fidel Castro's regime, and in 1962 she decided to leave Cuba for good and establish herself in Venezuela. Not long after that, she left Venezuela, making Mexico her only permanent country of residence.
Meanwhile, she kept touring around the world, singing in places such as Israel, Japan and Hong Kong. In 1963, Guillot was given the Golden Palm Award as "best bolero singer of Latin America." She received the award in Hollywood, California. Guillot sang in 1964 at New York's famed Carnegie Hall, becoming the first Latin artist to sing there. During her career, she performed alongside superstars of music such as Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, and her close friend and fellow Cuban exile, the great Celia Cruz.
Guillot continued touring for the next forty years, releasing over fifty albums and winning numerous awards for her achievements in the music world. She was very good friends with Celia Cruz, whom she often referred to as "(her) sister". When Cruz died from cancer, Guillot was very bereaved over the loss of her close friend and compatriot. She was the godmother of singer José José. Guillot lived mainly in Mexico and had another home on Miami Beach, Florida.
Death.
On July 12, 2010, she died of a heart attack at the age of 87 in the city of Miami Beach. She is survived by one daughter, Olga Maria Touzet-Guillot, born from her relationship with pianist and composer, René Touzet.
Discography.
Please note that the dating information was obtained mostly from The Cristóbal Díaz Ayala collection at FIU and from the original recordings when available. The discography is not complete as there are other recordings and reissues outstanding. Updated September 2, 2017.
With Panart Records
With Puchito Records
With Musart Records
With Oasis/Musart Records
With Aro Records
With Trébol/Musart
With Codiscos/Trebol
With Dardo Records
With Disco Records
Montilla Records
With CBS/Caytronics Records
With Music Hall/ Musart Records
With Odeon Records
With Orfeon Records
With Gaviota/Cisne Records
With Astral Records
With AF Records
With Rex/Musart Records
With Ricky Records
With Tropical records
With Interdisc Records
With Zafiro/Musart Records
With DM Records
With Adria/Antilla Records (Reissues)
With UA Latino
With Warner Records