Katy de la Cruz
Encyclopedia
Katy de la Cruz was a leading Filipino
singer who specialized in jazz vocals
and torch song
s in a performing career that lasted eight decades. Hailed as "The Queen of Filipino Jazz
" and as "The Queen of Bodabil
", she was, by the age of 18, the highest paid entertainer in the Philippines. De la Cruz also appeared in films and received a FAMAS Best Supporting Actress Award in 1953.
, and at intermissions during cockfight
s and boxing matches
. Her formal schooling ended at the third grade.
In 1914, when de la Cruz was seven, she was hired by the owner of a Manila film theater to sing to the audiences in between movie screenings. Such performances were typical in Manila theaters during that period, and from those routines would emerge a distinct genre eventually known as bodabil
. De la Cruz learned her songs through listening to phonograph records, and mastered the English language with the help of her brother.
who performed alongside her onstage, such as Chichay
, Etang Discher
, Patsy, and Mary Walter
, later become prominent entertainers in their own right.
De la Cruz was acknowledged as a proficient performer of torch song
s who drew comparisons to Sophie Tucker
. Initially, her signature tune was the bluesy ballad St. Louis Blues. After jazz
became popular in the Philippines in the 1920s, de la Cruz adapted her singing style and soon mastered the art of scat singing
, which became a trademark of hers. By the 1930s, de la Cruz would be most identified with the song Balut, a fast-paced jazzy tune written by Jerry Brandy. De la Cruz's take on the song, which afforded her to showcase her scatting ability, has been described as impish and rustic, rounded out by her low, playfully dragging key. A slightly bawdy take on the notorious Filipino culinary delicacy
, Balut remains popular to date, with versions performed by the New Minstrels, Pilita Corrales
, and Lani Misalucha
.
De la Cruz occasionally acted in films, most prominently in Inspirasyon (1953), for which she received the FAMAS Best Supporting Actress Award in 1953. Many of her films were for Sampaguita Pictures
.
performances and international tours. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, she was a top-billed performer at the famed Forbidden City nightclub
in San Francisco
. In 1961, she starred in her own stage show in Las Vegas
. De la Cruz also performed concert tours in Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and Hawaii.
De la Cruz eventually retired to San Francisco, California
, though she would occasionally perform until the late 1980s. In 1989, she visited the Philippines to attend the premiere at the Cultural Center of the Philippines
of Katy!, a highly-publicized stage musical
based on her life. Produced by Celeste Legaspi
, Katy! starred Mitch Valdes in the title role, and its music was composed by Ryan Cayabyab
with lyrics by Jose Javier Reyes
. During this visit, the eighty-two year old de la Cruz appeared on several Philippine television programs, performing her signature tune Balut.
Ill health caused de la Cruz to retire from public life in the 1990s. She died on November 10, 2004, at the age of 97.
Two of her four kids joined her in the show business, Angie and Veronica. Both children dropping out of college two months before graduation to perform in Thailand. Veronica later married Gerald Teator and had four kids also: Teresa, Jeff, Kathy, and Toni.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
singer who specialized in jazz vocals
Vocal jazz
Jazz singing can be defined by the instrumental approach to the voice, where the singer can match the instruments in their stylistic approach to the lyrics, improvised or otherwise, or through scat singing; that is, the use of nonsensical meaningless non-morphemic syllables to imitate the sound of...
and torch song
Torch song
A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship...
s in a performing career that lasted eight decades. Hailed as "The Queen of Filipino Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
" and as "The Queen of Bodabil
Bodabil
Bodabil was a popular genre of entertainment in the Philippines from the 1910s until the mid-1960s. For decades, it competed with film, radio and television as the dominant form of Filipino mass entertainment. It peaked in popularity during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines from 1941 to 1945...
", she was, by the age of 18, the highest paid entertainer in the Philippines. De la Cruz also appeared in films and received a FAMAS Best Supporting Actress Award in 1953.
Early life
De la Cruz was born on February 13, 1907, in Intramuros, Manila. Even as a young child, de la Cruz would be hired to sing at town fiestasFestival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
, and at intermissions during cockfight
Cockfight
A cockfight is a blood sport between two roosters , held in a ring called a cockpit. Cockfighting is now illegal throughout all states in the United States, Brazil, Australia and in most of Europe. It is still legal in several U.S. territories....
s and boxing matches
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. Her formal schooling ended at the third grade.
In 1914, when de la Cruz was seven, she was hired by the owner of a Manila film theater to sing to the audiences in between movie screenings. Such performances were typical in Manila theaters during that period, and from those routines would emerge a distinct genre eventually known as bodabil
Bodabil
Bodabil was a popular genre of entertainment in the Philippines from the 1910s until the mid-1960s. For decades, it competed with film, radio and television as the dominant form of Filipino mass entertainment. It peaked in popularity during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines from 1941 to 1945...
. De la Cruz learned her songs through listening to phonograph records, and mastered the English language with the help of her brother.
Bodabil star
By the age of thirteen, de la Cruz was a rising star in the bodabil circuit, performing alongside other leading stage performers such as Atang de la Rama. She soon became a solo headliner, performing in Manila's largest theaters such as the Savoy, the Palace, and the Lux. By 1925, de la Cruz was the highest paid entertainer in the Philippines. She fell in love, and later married, the piano player of her stage show. Some of the chorus girlsChorus line
A chorus line is a substantial group of dancers who together perform synchronized routines, usually in musical theatre. Sometimes, singing is also performed. Chorus line dancers in Broadway musicals and revues have been referred to by slang terms such as ponies, gypsies and twirlies...
who performed alongside her onstage, such as Chichay
Chichay
Chichay was a Filipino comedienne. Her short and stocky stature, scratchy voice and prematurely aged appearance allowed her to portray grandmothers while only in her thirties.-Biography:...
, Etang Discher
Etang Discher
Etang Discher was a prominent Filipina character film actress frequently cast in villainous roles. Her stern, gaunt Castilian face loomed in many post-war Filipino films, especially soap opera-type dramas...
, Patsy, and Mary Walter
Mary Walter
Mary Walter was a Filipino actress whose 8 decade-long film acting career saw her transformation from a romantic lead in the silent film era into a wizened fixture in horror movies in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
, later become prominent entertainers in their own right.
De la Cruz was acknowledged as a proficient performer of torch song
Torch song
A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship...
s who drew comparisons to Sophie Tucker
Sophie Tucker
Sophie Tucker was a Russian/Ukrainian-born American singer and actress. Known for her stentorian delivery of comical and risqué songs, she was one of the most popular entertainers in America during the first half of the 20th century...
. Initially, her signature tune was the bluesy ballad St. Louis Blues. After jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
became popular in the Philippines in the 1920s, de la Cruz adapted her singing style and soon mastered the art of scat singing
Scat singing
In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice.- Structure and syllable choice...
, which became a trademark of hers. By the 1930s, de la Cruz would be most identified with the song Balut, a fast-paced jazzy tune written by Jerry Brandy. De la Cruz's take on the song, which afforded her to showcase her scatting ability, has been described as impish and rustic, rounded out by her low, playfully dragging key. A slightly bawdy take on the notorious Filipino culinary delicacy
Balut
A balut is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled alive and eaten in the shell.Popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein, hearty snack, balut are mostly sold by street vendors in the regions where they are available. It is commonly sold as streetfood in the Philippines...
, Balut remains popular to date, with versions performed by the New Minstrels, Pilita Corrales
Pilita Corrales
Pilita Garrido Corrales is a Popular Filipina singer. She is tagged "Asia's Queen of Songs."-Biography:Pilita Garrido Corrales was born in Lahug, Cebu to a Spanish mother Maria Garrido and a half Filipino half Spanish father Jose Corrales...
, and Lani Misalucha
Lani Misalucha
Lani Misalucha is a singer from the Philippines currently performing in the United States where she also resides. She holds shows at the Flamingo Las Vegas with the Hawaiian variety troupe Society of Seven - SOS...
.
De la Cruz occasionally acted in films, most prominently in Inspirasyon (1953), for which she received the FAMAS Best Supporting Actress Award in 1953. Many of her films were for Sampaguita Pictures
Sampaguita Pictures
Sampaguita Pictures was a Philippine film production company. It was named for the Philippine National Flower, Sampaguita. The company has been long-defunct since the 1980s with Mike de Leon's classic "Batch '81" being the last film released...
.
Later career
As bodabil slowly declined, de la Cruz concentrated on concertConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
performances and international tours. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, she was a top-billed performer at the famed Forbidden City nightclub
Forbidden City (nightclub)
The Forbidden City was a Chinese-themed nightclub and cabaret in business from the late 1930s to the late 1950s, on the second floor of 363 Sutter Street in San Francisco between Chinatown and Union Square...
in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. In 1961, she starred in her own stage show in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
. De la Cruz also performed concert tours in Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and Hawaii.
De la Cruz eventually retired to San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, though she would occasionally perform until the late 1980s. In 1989, she visited the Philippines to attend the premiere at the Cultural Center of the Philippines
Cultural Center of the Philippines
The Cultural Center of the Philippines is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines. The CCP was established through Executive Order No. 30 s. 1966 by President Ferdinand Marcos...
of Katy!, a highly-publicized stage musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
based on her life. Produced by Celeste Legaspi
Celeste Legaspi
Celeste Legaspi is a Filipino singer and actress. Her singles and albums reached gold or platinum status during the 1970s and 1980s. She is the daughter of National Artist for Visual Arts Cesar Legaspi...
, Katy! starred Mitch Valdes in the title role, and its music was composed by Ryan Cayabyab
Ryan Cayabyab
Ryan Cayabyab is a Filipino musician and was the Executive and Artistic Director of the defunct San Miguel Foundation for the Performing Arts...
with lyrics by Jose Javier Reyes
José Javier Reyes
Jose Javier Reyes is a Filipino writer, director, miscellaneous crew and actor. He has won awards at the Gawad Urian, Metro Manila Film Festival and Filipino Star Awards for Movies for his films, which include Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga, Batang PX and Kasal, kasali, kasalo.-References:...
. During this visit, the eighty-two year old de la Cruz appeared on several Philippine television programs, performing her signature tune Balut.
Ill health caused de la Cruz to retire from public life in the 1990s. She died on November 10, 2004, at the age of 97.
Family
Of de la Cruz's four children, her daughter Angie followed her into showbusiness, pairing with Nikki Ross to form Wing Duo, a singing tandem that was popular on the bodabil circuit and on film during the 1950s.Two of her four kids joined her in the show business, Angie and Veronica. Both children dropping out of college two months before graduation to perform in Thailand. Veronica later married Gerald Teator and had four kids also: Teresa, Jeff, Kathy, and Toni.