Lucha Reyes’ 83rd Birthday, Google Doodle Celebrating Today

Today’s Doodle Celebrates Lucha Reyes, a Peruvian singer whose powerful and poignant voice was known to move people deeply. Born in Lima’s Rímac district into a poor family with 15 brothers on this day in 1936, Reyes went on to become one of her country’s most beloved singers.

Google Doodle Celebrating Today

Supporting herself by selling newspapers, washing clothes, and working long hours in restaurant kitchens, Reyes’ vocal talents were discovered while working at El sentir de los barrios, a Creole club whose name means “the feeling of the neighborhoods.” Soon she was performing at venues like the Pizarro Theater and singing on “Peña Ferrando,” Augusto Ferrando’s popular show on Victoria radio.

In 1970, she released her first album entitled La morena de oro del Perú (The Golden Brunette Of Peru), which included songs that came to be well-known amongst Peru, such as Regresa. This Vals Criollo (Peruvian Waltz) adapted the European musical form with South American sabor, using two guitars and a box-shaped drum called a cajón. Lucha Reyes’ heartrending rendition of lyrics like "Come back, even if it's to say goodbye” made it one of her biggest hits.

During her career, Reyes helped popularize música criolla, a unique style of Creole music blending Afro-Peruvian and Andean musical traditions and expressing the feelings of everyday people. The last day of her life, October 31st, happened to coincide with Día de la Canción Criolla (“Day of the Creole Song”), keeping her legacy and música criolla alive for generations to come.