Iris Chacon was a pioneer. She had her own variety show and was very famous all across Latin America because she was the first to do what she did the way she did it.
As far as crossing over to North America, that's every performer's dream. Once you open those floodgates it's a wrap. But she couldn't sing in English (didn't have a great voice to begin with) and her act was, by North American standards, way too cheesy and over-the-top.
By the way, as much as I love La Lupe, as a singer Celia Cruz was number 1.
I know opinions are subjective, but Celia had a voice like no other.
Yes, her life was tragic. She wound up living in the South Bronx and died a pauper at an early age.
Throughout her career she also suffered the typical trappings of fame-always late or never showing up to recording gigs, alcohol/drug issues, problems with the IRS, and her voice finally giving out from the strain of hard living.
Spending her last years in the 138th Street and Brook Avenue section of the Bronx during the time it was the biggest open-air heroin supermarket on the East Coast and dying of a heart attack at age 52 has tragedy written all over it.
You sound like my dad, man...haha! I saw a few clips of Iris Chancon on Youtube and I find it inconceivable how she could have gotten her show past puritanical American censors. There is basically no act, she just comes out scantily-clad with 6 male dancers and does a revue of some popular song, then turns to the left, shows her ass and and then turns the right and continues with her dance routine. I dont know how a big butt Puerto Rican woman would play in St. Louis in a song and dance show where she doesnt really sing...and for 15 years?? She struck me as the kind of women who could have had a career in the 1970s singing overly orchestrated disco records.
You should be more open to the statement that she was drug user. Junkies cant hide their "junken"(my take on drunken) stupor, especially not in a live performance. For example, there is a tale of how La Lupe arrived at Carnegie Hall one time 90 minutes late for her concert. The crowd was booing her and when she did the first song, they gave her a standing ovation. Junkies cant do that. We all saw Britney Spears give a dazed performance during the American Music Awards a few years ago. We even saw Whitney Houston give a odd performance for her album drop on Good Morning America last year. Junkies are inconsistent in their performance and cant keep it up for the 90 minutes to 2 hours these concerts usually go, especially if there are wardrobe changes or dance routines. Like La Lupe your repetoire requires ALOT of energy.
I would rather believe that unlike Celia Cruz, who had her affairs managed by Pedro Knight, her band leader and husband, Nina Simone, who had her husband manage her affairs, or Aretha Franklin who had her sister manage her, La Lupe put morons in charge of her affairs and subsequently wound up broke. It is unfair to insinuate that drugs impoverished her. Joe Louis died broke in a single room hotel in Detroit. Sugar Ray Robinson, Charlie Mingus, Miriam Makeba and Woody Herman all died broke. Additionally Nat "King" Cole and John Coltrane both died in their 40s of lung cancer, Coltrane quitting
the stuff cold turkey. Woody Herman died sleeping on the street in the West Village-also a den of drugs and prostitution at the time. Miriam Makeba just thought she was doing the right investments which would make her people self-sufficient, but people took advantage of her. Those guys never did drugs, it was bad investments, bad advice, bad luck and bad management. We were not there at the time so all we can do is speculate but I hold to the fact
in entertainment there is a lot of money to be made. Not all of it being by the performer.
Using current examples I could see how consistent bad negotiations put her on the outside. For example, Dave Chappelle had the most popular show on TV a few years ago. Remember at this time the actors at FRIENDS were making $250,000 per actor per episode. The cast of The Chappelle Show(2nd only in ratings to The Daily Show with John Stewart) was earning $800/week for main actors and $500 for recurring actors. I bet John Stewart wasnt making $800/week. They dont make $800/week at Saturday Night Live and that is a sketch comedy show also. So I for one wasnt surprised when he left in the pre-production stages of the 3rd Season. What were we told? Because I know you heard it like I did. We were told he checked himself into a drug rehab clinic in Africa....IN AFRICA?????? Chappelle is a Muslim and he doesnt use drugs. He had an interview with Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes where he said he didnt want to do it if it wasnt fun. But we know he hasnt turned his back on comedy. He skipped out on the show because they were not paying him what he was worth based on the popularity of the show. I m saying this is the same thing that happened to La Lupe. You sign one deal to do a concert, show up and the promoter wants to play hi-jinx with the rest of the money. What would you do? I heard last year how it happened to Stephanie Mills when she went to do a concert in Los Angeles with the Whispers or the OJays. Her business manager goes to get the money and the promoter starts backpedalling on how he doesnt feel he should pay because _____(XYZ). Rakim said in Eric B is President "my lines I wont be kickin' until I get my last note", and you have to hold fast to that.
Let use the Carnegie Hall concert, and assume the promoter sold 7,000 seats at $30. Her fee is $50,000 for a concert, you give her $10K(deposit) and a contract to secure the date. Time comes to pay the balance on concert day and the promoter starts talking that "you should use the house band" or whatever, but never giving you the balance $40K. Remember he is trying to test you, but you dont work for him, you work for you. So what do you do? You wait until the theatre owner gets upset and puts pressure on the promoter, somebody gotta give. So the show goes on late and the artist gets a reputation for being "difficult".
Plus keep in mind how many times do we here talk about the people we meet who beg us for money? And I dont know about you, but I dont have a hit record. Remember a few years ago how Sosa had given his family in San Pedro de Macoris all of this money for some charity and they lost it. If it happened to Miriam Makeba, MC Hammer, Sammy Sosa, and countless other professional athletes then it is reasonable to believe it happened to La Lupe also.
