Cuban singer-entertainer Juana Bacallao performs on the “One-Eyed Cat” cafe in Havana in 2010.

Javier Galeano/AP

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Javier Galeano/AP

Cuban singer-entertainer Juana Bacallao performs on the “One-Eyed Cat” cafe in Havana in 2010.

Javier Galeano/AP

Cuban cabaret sensation Juana Bacallao died Saturday in her hometown of Havana, in keeping with a statement on social media from Cuba’s Ministry of Culture. She was 98 years previous.

The famed, globe-trotting vocalist carried out alongside artists similar to Nat King Cole and Benny Moré. Her identify turned synonymous with the glamorous Cuban nightclub scene of the Forties and Fifties.

But her profession spanned nearly her total lifetime.

“She marked a milestone in the history of Cuban cabaret, from the 50s of the last century until just a few years ago,” stated the Ministry of Culture’s assertion.

Known for her husky voice, gaudy sequined attire, blonde wigs and risqué performances, Bacallao thrilled audiences at Tropicana and different legendary Havana nightspots. According to a 2010 Denver Post article about one among Bacallao’s performances, she requested the gang, ‘”Do we have any virgins here?’ before suggesting that some of the male patrons ought to pay extra for staring at her so hard.”

Bacallao was the artist’s fundamental stage identify. She was also called Juana La Cubana. Her actual identify was Amelia Martínez Salazar, in keeping with the Ministry of Culture.

Born in a working-class neighborhood in Havana in 1925, Bacallao was orphaned at 6 and attended Catholic college, earlier than she was said to have been found as a young person whereas cleansing homes by bandleader Obdulio Morales.

“Owner of a very special sense of Cuban and Creole humor, she took her art and wit to countries such as the United States, France, Mexico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Spain,” stated the assertion on Facebook. “Her physical departure represents a sensitive loss for the Cuban music scene.”