Paulina Alvarez
Raimunda Paula Peña Álvarez (June 29, 1912 – July 22, 1965), professionally known as Paulina Álvarez, was a Cuban singer recognized for her performances of danzonetes, a style that combines traditional danzón with vocals. She rose to prominence in the 1930s as the genre’s foremost interpreter and was popularly referred to as La Emperatriz del Danzonete (The Empress of the Danzonete). Her most notable success was "Rompiendo la rutina," considered the first danzonete, composed by Aniceto Díaz in 1929. In 1960, she released her only full-length LP. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Cienfuegos (city and capital of Cienfuegos Province, Cuba), Died July 22, 1965 (Havana (capital and largest city of Cuba) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937 - 1940
Roles Represented in DAHR: leader, vocalist, director, composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-010840 | 10-in. | 6/15/1937 | Duerme | Paulina Alvarez ; Orquesta Castillito | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | director | |
| Victor | BS-010841 | 10-in. | 6/15/1937 | Arrepentido | Paulina Alvarez ; Orquesta Castillito | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | director | |
| Victor | BS-010842 | 10-in. | 6/15/1937 | Linda guarachera | Orquesta Castillito | Instrumental ensemble | director | |
| Victor | BS-010843 | 10-in. | 6/15/1937 | Traición | Paulina Alvarez ; Orquesta Castillito | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | director | |
| Victor | BS-010844 | 10-in. | 6/15/1937 | Zamacayú | Orquesta Castillito | Instrumental ensemble | director | |
| Victor | BS-010845 | 10-in. | 6/15/1937 | Alegre en el Cañaveral | Paulina Alvarez ; Orquesta Castillito | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | vocalist, director | |
| Victor | CU-7 | 10-in. | before 7/21/1939 | Almendra | Orquesta Paulina Álvarez | Instrumental ensemble | leader | |
| Victor | CU-8 | 10-in. | before 7/21/1939 | Pimienta y sal | Paulina Alvarez ; Orquesta Paulina Álvarez | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | vocalist, leader | |
| Victor | CU-9 | 10-in. | before 7/21/1939 | Cacarajícara | Orquesta Paulina Álvarez | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| Victor | CU-565 | 10-in. | before 9/12/1940 | Mi Mariposa | Paulina Alvarez ; Orquesta Paulina Álvarez | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
| Victor | CU-570 | 10-in. | before 9/12/1940 | Cataptán-plan-plan | Paulina Alvarez ; Orquesta Paulina Álvarez | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Alvarez, Paulina," accessed January 4, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/115809.
Alvarez, Paulina. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 4, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/115809.
"Alvarez, Paulina." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 4 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Álvarez, Paulina, 1912-1965 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2012043984
Wikidata: Paulina Álvarez - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q20683836
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/100918965
MusicBrainz: Paulina Álvarez - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/03a08a6e-1f42-44aa-b328-488ec08add9b
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