Biography
Gladys Moreno Cuéllar (1933 – 2005) was a Bolivian singer who has been called "ambassador" and "diva" of Bolivian Song.
She was born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, on November 28, 1933 and from an early age she showed enthusiasm and talent for singing. At the age of 13 she sang at a charity event and stood out for her warm melodic voice. At the age of 15, she made her official debut at Radio Electra and almost immediately was invited to La Paz by the record company "Méndez" to record traditional songs. She recorded with the national music ensemble "Los Planetas" performing songs such as "Haragán", "When a Camba falls in love", the bolero "To say I love you", the polka "Vida de mi vida", "Vals a Tupiza" and others. All those songs became a big hit and made her famous all over the country
She later toured Brazil and sang on many stages in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, recording with the RCA "Masterdisc" label, with the large orchestra of conductor Daniel Salinas. With a wide and varied repertoire, she toured in various Latin American countries. In 1962 she was named "Ambassador of Bolivian Song" and received the Condor de los Andes award for her contribution to Bolivian folk song. Two years later, in 1964, she married and had a daughter.
The 1970s would be full of tributes and distinctions; in 1977 she traveled to the United States and gave concerts in Washington and New York introducing the first Bolivian song festival. He officially retired from music at the end of the 1980s, after successful performances in Santa Cruz and Cochabamba.
She died of a heart attack on February 3, 2005.