Argentinian Folk Singer. Over a 60 year career, she championed liberal political causes, while recording around 70 albums. Raised in Tuchman Province, Sosa got her professional start by winning a radio contest (under the name Gladys Osario) at 15. Taking her nickname from her black hair and her mixed French and Quechuan Indian ancestry, she and her first husband Manuel Oscar Matus became regulars on the South American music scene in the mid-1960s; she released her initial record, "Canciones con Fundamento", and, in 1967, made her first tour of the United States and of Europe. During the 1970s, Sosa collaborated with composer Ariel Ramirez and lyricist Felix Luna to make two major hits, "Cantata Sudamericana" and "Mujeras Argentinias". In 1979, she was arrested on stage, along with her entire audience; released in a few hours due to international pressure, she fled to Paris, and thence to Madrid. She made a successful return in 1982, with the two disc album of her concert at Teatro Colon becoming a best-seller. Continuing to perform despite a multiplicity of chronic health problems, she appeared frequently at such noted venues as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, always including her signature pieces "Gracias a la Vida" and "Si se Calla el Cantor". Sosa's wide repertoire enabled her to share the stage and studio with such differing artists as Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Baez, Sting, and Andrea Bocelli. She won three Latin Grammys, in 2000, 2003, and 2006, with her final recording, "Cantora 1", being nominated for three more. Of her career, she said simply: "Life chose me to sing".
Argentinian Folk Singer. Over a 60 year career, she championed liberal political causes, while recording around 70 albums. Raised in Tuchman Province, Sosa got her professional start by winning a radio contest (under the name Gladys Osario) at 15. Taking her nickname from her black hair and her mixed French and Quechuan Indian ancestry, she and her first husband Manuel Oscar Matus became regulars on the South American music scene in the mid-1960s; she released her initial record, "Canciones con Fundamento", and, in 1967, made her first tour of the United States and of Europe. During the 1970s, Sosa collaborated with composer Ariel Ramirez and lyricist Felix Luna to make two major hits, "Cantata Sudamericana" and "Mujeras Argentinias". In 1979, she was arrested on stage, along with her entire audience; released in a few hours due to international pressure, she fled to Paris, and thence to Madrid. She made a successful return in 1982, with the two disc album of her concert at Teatro Colon becoming a best-seller. Continuing to perform despite a multiplicity of chronic health problems, she appeared frequently at such noted venues as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, always including her signature pieces "Gracias a la Vida" and "Si se Calla el Cantor". Sosa's wide repertoire enabled her to share the stage and studio with such differing artists as Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Baez, Sting, and Andrea Bocelli. She won three Latin Grammys, in 2000, 2003, and 2006, with her final recording, "Cantora 1", being nominated for three more. Of her career, she said simply: "Life chose me to sing".
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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