"La Única" — Rita Montaner was one of Cuba's greatest performers, a singer, actress, and pianist whose interpretations of guaracha and son set standards that remain unmatched.
Rita Montaner was one of the most complete performers in Cuban musical history — a trained classical pianist, a powerful singer with extraordinary range, and a charismatic stage presence. She created iconic interpretations of songs that are now inseparable from her voice, including El manicero (The Peanut Vendor), which she introduced and helped make a worldwide hit in 1928.
She worked across theatrical, radio, film, and concert contexts, and her ability to move between highbrow and popular forms gave her a unique position in Cuban culture. Her guaracha interpretations defined the genre's vocal aesthetic in the 1930s and 1940s.