Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballe, also known as “La Superba”, was born 89 years ago on Tuesday.
She was widely celebrated for her distinctive bel canto vocal technique and was also recognized for taking opera into the pop charts by singing with Queen singer Freddie Mercury.
Maria de Montserrat Viviana Concepcion Caballe was born in Barcelona on April 12, 1933.
Her formerly middle-class family struggled financially during the 1930s Depression and Spanish Civil War.
“Despite the civil war and the difficult post-war period when you never knew where the next crust of bread was coming from, [my parents] were always happy and optimistic,”
They also appreciated classical music. Carles Caballe i Borras and his wife, Anna Folch, often listened to their opera collection in front of young Caballe, who showed great talent in music.
She trained with Eugenia Kemeny who taught students breath training. Due to this training, the opera singer later said she maintained a long career without deterioration in her vocal quality.
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