Dagmar (Puerto Rico entertainer)

Dagmar (born March 24, 1955), is a Puerto Rican television host, actress and singer.

Dagmar Rivera was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Dorado, Puerto Rico. She started her career as a teenage singer in 1976. The only hit single of her first album was Soy la Mañana (I'm the Morning), by Puerto Rican composer Rafi Monclova. She was also a member of a vocal group called: Allegro alongside Tito Lara, Angel "Cuco" Peña & Lunna, among others, the gospel group: Spiritual, and the female vocal trio: The Masterpiece.

During the 1970s, she started her career as a comedian with her child role Dagmarita in the comedy series Esto No Tiene Nombre (It does not have name which is an expression in Puerto Rico used when something cannot be explained or it is absurd), broadcast by WAPA-TV.

During the 1980s, she married Faustino García, and they had their only son: Faustino J.R..

She was featured as a comedian in Nydia Caro's television show as Dagmarita, Los Kakucómicos, and from 1985 to 1991, she starred alongside Lou Briel in two television shows. The musical comedy En Broma y en Serio (Joking and Seriously), and the children's television series Teatrimundo (Small Theater World), both broadcast by Telemundo. Sandra Zaiter was also featured in the latter. Years later, she was featured alongside Zaiter in Telecómicas.

As the 1980s came about, Dagmar was the host of the variety show Estudio Alegre (Cheerful Studio), in substitution of Awilda Carbia, alongside Juan Manuel Lebrón and Otilio Warrington. She was also one of the hosts of the game show Super Sabados (Super Saturdays), alongside Eddie Miró and Johanna Rosaly.

During the 1990s she hosted for several years the game show Dame un Break (Gimme a Break) broadcast originally by WAPA-TV, and later in Telemundo.

Presently, Dagmar hosts the midday show Día a Día con Raymond y Dagmar, alongside Raymond Arrieta, broadcast by Telemundo.

Recently, she has fully embraced the Christian faith, in a practical & unique way, and she recorded gospel songs as a soloist, in a CD called Aquí Estoy, although years before, she had already recorded various gospel albums as the lead singer of the Christian group: Spiritual, with whom she performed a concert in Performing Arts Center, in Santurce.

During the month of July, 2007, Dagmar, alongside Otilio Warrington, Chucho Avellanet, José Nogueras and Nano Cabrera, starred in Cosa Nuestra (Our Thing), a retrospective of Puerto Rican music and culture during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, at the Caguas Performing Arts Center.

During the month of October, 2007, Dagmar, alongside Lou Briel, Celinés, and José Juan Tañón, starred in the unplugged concert: San Juan Se Pinta de Rosa (San Juan's Painted in Pink), dedicated to breast cancer victims, staged at the historic Casa Ashford (Ashford Home), located in the Condado tourist district.

In December, 2007, Dagmar underwent major liver surgery at a hospital in San Juan which would keep her away from her broadcast duties for over a month.

On November 10, 2008, her TV producer Antonio (Tony) Mojena and fellow entertainer Raymond Arrieta interrupted their programming to announce that Dagmar would remain away from the cameras for several months while she receives chemotherapy and radiotherapy for a cancerous tumor found at the base of her tongue which does not appear to have metastasized. Competitors from other stations joined in wishing her a quick and full recovery. She returned fully recovered to the program on May 12, 2009 during a special broadcast attended by many of the nearly thirty entertainers who filled in for her, as well as Governor Luis Fortuño and First Lady Lucé Vela.