Marquita Rivera(1922-2002)
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Dubbed the "Queen of La Conga," "Queen of Latin Rhythm" and "Latin
Hurricane" during various stages of her career, dazzling, flashy-eyed
entertainer Marquita Rivera, one of the great enduring Latin-born
beauties of the late 30s, 40s and 50s, went on to enjoy a strong
musical career both here and in her native Puerto Rico. Born MarÃa
HeroÃna Rivera de Santiago on May 18th, 1922 in Fajardo, Puerto Rico,
she was the youngest in a family of seven sons and five daughters. The
de Riveras moved to New York City when Marquita was only three months
old and it was there that her musical career blossomed. Studying dance
and flamenco at an early age (6), she originally studied with
Rita Hayworth's father, well-known dance
master Eduardo Cansino. Rita herself gave Marquita a set of castanets
as a gift. A childhood friend of bandleader
Tito Puente, Marquita's musical gifts were
noticed early. Accompanied on her tours by her costume designer mother,
the teenage Marquita went on to earn a featured role as a dancer with
"George White's Scandals of 1936," but it was her performance before
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at the New York's World's Fair
during their respective royal visits in 1939 that she considered the
highlight of her nascent career. She also toured Boston, Chicago and
Philadelphia in bands headed by
Paul Whiteman and
Noro Morales . Appearing in many New York
venues, including The Roxy, Paramount, Loews State, Strand and Radio
City Musical Hall, Marquita shared their stages with such illustrious
stars as Frank Sinatra,
Mickey Rooney,
Ann Miller,
Dean Martin and
Jerry Lewis,
Kathryn Grayson,
Victor Borge,
Ed Sullivan,
Merv Griffin and
Betty Hutton. Marquita Rivera
became an established name on the club circuit when she put together
her own show and performed it at the Latin Quarter and Havana-Madrid in
New York. She was also a marquee name back in her homeland where she
entertained at popular venues such as Zero's Nightclub and the famous
El San Juan Theatre. In the mid 1940s Marquita was signed by Azteca
Studios in Mexico City. She acted for director
Fernando Soler in both the film drama
Me persigue una mujer (1947)
with José Torvay and
David Silva, and the comedy
El conquistador (1947), also
starring Torvay and
Enrique Herrera. After her
contract ended at Azteca, Marquita drew the interest of Paramount
Studios. Thus, the singer/actress went on to become the first native
Puerto Rican actress/dancer to sign a Hollywood contract with a major
studio, and made her American movie debut as a specialty performer in
the Hope-Crosby-Lamour comedy
Road to Rio (1947). During this
promising turn of events, Marquita was selected (in a popularity poll
by Mexican film goers) to star in a Hollywood film biography of the late
Mexican spitfire Lupe Velez. Unfortunately
the film was shelved when legal issues involving Ms. Velez's estate
reared its head. One can only wonder what a showcase of this caliber
might have done for her career in Hollywood. Nevertheless, she
continued to work in such popular "hot spots" such as the famous Ciro's
nightclub with Desi Arnaz's band. Marquita
was married to business tycoon Albert Vernon Ashbrook from 1946 to 1949
and had one child, Marquita, her namesake. In 1951, she married
physician Eugene N. Biscardi, Jr. in New York City. They eventually
became a family of seven children. Of their children, eldest son
Eugene Biscardi III is a
model-turned-fashion photographer who has appeared occasionally as an
actor on film and TV, and daughter
Jessica Biscardi is a one-time former
model/actress and former "Miss New York". By the 1950s, Marquita had
phased out her career in order to concentrate on raising her large
family. In 1963, however, she made a special appearance at Carnegie
Hall that featured an all-star lineup, including opera performers
Thomas Hayward, Rina Telli, Dino Formichini and James Boxwill, led by
Philharmonic conductor Warner S. Bass. She did not appear again
publicly until 1977 when she returned to the stage in a limited
engagement of her own off-Broadway revue, "The Marquita Rivera Show."
In the 1980s her husband, Dr. Biscardi, retired and the couple
relocated to Los Angeles where Marquita would occasionally be wooed
back to episodic TV appearances, including "Sanford" with
Redd Foxx. She also traveled
frequently throughout the South on the beauty pageant circuit as a
judge. Following the death of her beloved husband in 1988, Marquita
chose to retire completely from the limelight. She passed away in 2002.
Singer, actress, castanet player, flamenco dancer - all of these facets
and more made up the lovely and talented "Latin Hurricane" Marquita
Rivera, a pioneering musical performer in her time and a legend in
ours.