Quick Facts
Biography
Lágrima Ríos was the stage name of Lida Melba Benavídez Tabárez (Durazno, September 26th, 1924 - Montevideo, December 25th, 2006), a prominent candombe and tango singer of Afro-Uruguayan descent. Her voice was powerful and she is also known as the "Black Pearl of the Tango" and the "Lady of Candombe". Her rendition of Vieja viola was listed in the book 1001 Songs you must hear before you die (London, 2010).
Biography
Lida Benavídez was born in Durazno, Uruguay, in 1924, to a teenaged mother who was employed as a maid, and a father who was a day labourer. During her childhood, she lived in extreme poverty.
Her breakthrough as a singer came in 1956, when she won a singing competition organised by the newspaper La Tribuna Popular and the CX24 radio station. She adopted the stage name "Lágrima Ríos" and went on to sing with a number of well-known bands.
She died in Montevideo at the age of 82.