Shocking Omissions: The Astonishing Desolation Of Chavela Vargas' 'La Llorona'
Vargas' ability to tap into the depths of the human spirit using just a guitar and her voice is exemplified by her 1994 album of original material and Mexican classics.
This essay is one in a series celebrating deserving artists or albums not included on NPR Music's list of 150 Greatest Albums By Women.
Isabel Vargas Lizano first unveiled her inimitable musical alter ego, Chavela Vargas, in 1942. It was less of a name than it was a reaction. As she explained in Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi's 2017 documentary Chavela: "A bull came out to charge against life, goring and kicking. I would fight like a bull and march on."
Vargas — who was born in Costa Rica but who spent the majority of her life living in Mexico, where she became a
