Yolandita Monge

Yolanda Rosa Monge Betancourt (born September 16, 1955), known professionally as Yolandita Monge, is a Puerto Rican singer, actress, and television personality.

She has been active in the music business since her teen years and has recorded 27 studio albums and two live albums, as well as several greatest hits compilations and special appearance recordings.

Monge was born in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico on September 16, 1955, is the daughter of Iris Delia Betancourt and Héctor Monge.

She lived the first seven years of her life in New York City and then came back to Puerto Rico.

Blessed with a powerful and versatile vocal range and timbre, Monge started out her career by winning a singing radio contest in 1966 (at the age of eleven).

For such a young performer, she possessed an innate interpretative delivery well beyond her years that matched established performers of the time.

Yolandita was discovered by the producer Julio Alers, and later on, made her TV debut on Luis Vigoreaux's show, Luis Vigoreaux Presenta.

She had a regular section in that show.

In 1968, she signed with record label Patty Records, which released her first album, named Puerto Rico's Poignant... Powerful... Incomparable....

It was "El Estornudo" ("The Sneeze"), and her cover of Italian hit "Vida"' ("Life"), that made her a national star after she released her first album.

At that young age, Yolandita would perform with legendary Argentinian singer Libertad Lamarque and then sing at the Festival De La Canción Nueva York (New York Song Festival).

Soon, she found another job on TV, this time on Tommy Muñiz's show, El Show Del Mediodía.

She followed up with some other hits in Puerto Rico, but then she moved to Mexico, where she signed with Teca Records and had hits such as "Vete de Aqui" ("Get Out of Here"), "Dos Caminos Diferentes" ("Two Different Ways"), "¿Por qué, Papá?"

("Why, Dad?") and "La Voz Del Silencio" ("The Voice of Silence").

During the early 70s, she met Alfredo Lorenzo, in New York, and married him on November 13, 1975.

They had a daughter, Noelia, but the marriage ended soon afterwards.

1975 was a big year for Monge because she released a song named "Cierra Los Ojos" ("Close Your Eyes"), which was a hit in such South American countries as Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, and Argentina, and also in the Dominican Republic.

Yolandita was now an international star.

Soon after, she would be signed by Coco Records of New York, and her career kept going on a steady rise internationally.

She sang at the Carnegie Hall and was backed up by her artistic godmother, legendary Argentinian singer and actress, Libertad Lamarque.

In 1980, international label CBS Records International, (now Sony Discos), signed her up into their line-up.

Tanto Amor (So much love) composed by Lou Briel, was the first hit song of that album named Fantasia produced by Pepe Luis Soto.

She then released another album Historia de Amour which included many top hits.

Monge continued her winning stride in the middle 1980s, when she released what possibly is one of her greatest album ever: Luz de Luna (Moonlight).

This album included her classics "Te Veo Pasar" (I See You Walk By), "Señor Del Pasado" (Man from the Past), and "El Poder del Amor", which was a cover of the popular song "The Power of Love" (most recently recorded by Céline Dion).

With this album, she became the first Puerto Rican female singer to earn a gold record.

She followed up that album with the equally successful Laberinto de Amor (Labyrinth of Love), which earned her another gold album and later went platinum.

The album was nominated for a Grammy Award, years before the Latin Grammy was created.

In this album, she sang a Spanish version of "On My Own" ("Solo Yo") which is a song from the soundtrack of the famous Broadway musical Les Misérables.

Yolandita was a household name.

This album earned her a Grammy nomination in the Best Latin Pop artist category.

With this nomination she became the first Puerto Rican female singer to be nominated to the Grammy Music Awards, joined by fellow Puerto Rican singer Lunna, as well in the same category.

The album also went gold in many countries including the United States.

In 1983, she married Venezuelan singer Balbino, whom she met in Buga, Colombia, and is the father of second daughter Paola González.

A few years later, the couple filed for divorce.

In 1983, she won the Buga Festival, in Buga, Colombia with a song that she wrote her self called Sí (Yes).

Her next release in 1983, Sueños, continued her ascent as one of the most important and best selling female singers in Puerto Rico.

This album marked a radical change in sound and image for Monge, moving towards the Latin pop tendencies of the time while keeping her interpretative delivery.

In 1988, she achieved multi platinum level sales with her album, Vivencias.

On December 31, 1989, Yolandita married her manager Carlos "Topy" Mamery and in 1991 gave birth to her only son Imanol Mamery.