Havana, Feb 12 (Prensa Latina) The greatest gift of my life is the love audience have showed me when I perform, Cuban vedette Rosita Fornes said, on the occasion of celebrating her 90th birthday in this capital.
Born in New York on February 11, 1923, Rosita Fornes (whose real name is Rosalia Lourdes Elisa Palet Bonavia), has spent more than 75 years achieving successes on stage in Cuba and abroad.
Fornes began her career on September 12, 1938, at the age of 15, when she performed for a first time at the Supreme Court of Arts, in a popular talent search contest, in which she was a winner.
“It was an ambition I had, I doubted I’d become famous, but time showed me that I have achieved a lot in recent years,” the popular Cuban artist told exclusively Prensa Latina.
In her 90 years, Rosita is still performing to the audience that acclaimed her as the first day, and said her only concern is that her performance fits well, but without letting the nervousness that causes when something is wrong.
Leading figures of the Cuban arts have given their opinion about Rosita’s work, including choreographer Alberto Alonso, who described her as “a great artist, a real master of the scene,” actress Raquel Revuelta considered her “a sister,” and painter Mariano Rodriguez said she “touched the necessary magic to communicate with the audience.”
Also, actress Maria de los Angeles Santana described her as “an electrifying personality,” animator German Pinelli classified her with an exceptional talent, journalist Angela Grau being the most complete Cuban artist, and writer Miguel Barnet said “her full, integral art has been an inspiration from which many generations has been nurtured.
In her 90 years, Rosita maintains an impressive vitality that enabled her to spend her nonagenarian birthday receiving neighbors, friends, and admirers from everywhere, and congratulatory calls from the United States, Mexico, Bulgaria, Italy and Spain.
“My best birthday gift is the audience that received me with much applauses and love, that is the biggest prize and that motivates me, it is something I feel and I can not explain in words, and I have to thank them very much that even receive me so fondly,” Fornes said.