Mirla Castellanos

Mirla Castellanos, is a noted Venezuelan singer with a career spanning over 40 years. Often referred to as "La Primerísima", she started her career as a singer with the band "Cuarteto Los Naipes" in the 1960s before taking up a solo career.^[1] Moving to Europe in the late 1960s, she recorded music by composers such as Domenico Modugno, with whom she later performed a duet of the song "Meraviglioso" during the preliminary of the 1968 Festival San Remo; she didn’t make the cut for the finals . In 1969, Castellanos won the Benidorm International Song Festival with a composition by Manuel Alejandro.^[1] After returning to South America in 1970, she took second place in the Latin American Song Festival.^[1] With the support of shows such as Sábado Sensacional and her own live show "Primerísima," Castellanos furthered her reputation in the 1970s and 1980s, making her first appearance in New York at the Chateau Madrid in 1976.^[2]

With the album entitled "Vuelve Pronto", she became the first Venezuelan singer to gain Billboard recognition in 1983,^{[citation needed]} before going on to release "Venezuela", recorded along with the Venezuelan Symphonic Orchestra. Mirla Castellanos's album "Como Nunca" is a compilation of her greatest hits. Amongst many successful songs there lots emblematic songs for Castellanos, one being an emotional and strong version of a song composed by Alberto Cortez: "El Abuelo".

Castellanos has taken part, almost every year, in musical presentations for the annual contest Miss Venezuela, produced by Joaquín Riviera.^{[citation needed]} The use of expensive costumes and sparkling choreographies were aspects well managed by Mirla during the "golden years" of Venezuelan television. At the time, and still, she was realized as an authentic "Diva & Primadonna" in the Venezuelan musical scene.

Currently, Mirla Castellanos is a respected singer with many awards and international recognition in the Spanish speaking countries and markets for "Balada romántica" (romantic and popular Hispanic music).

External links

• Official site of Mirla Castellanos
• video Mirla singing "El Abuelo"

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Bonacich, Drago. "Mirla Castellanos: Biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p463948/biography. Retrieved 2008-06-09. 
2. ^ Wilson, John S. (February 1, 1976). "Mirla Castellanos, Venezuelan Singer, At Chateau Madrid". The New York Times: pp. 37. 

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Name	Castellanos, Mirla
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