During the 70's a musical era locally known as "La Nueva Ola " ( The New Wave ), came to be in Puerto Rico, and with it surged an extraordinary vocalist that captivated the local audiences with her strong musical interpretations and a pert and cute disposition. Her name was Luz Esther Benitez, but soon she became everyone's " Lucecita ".

Born in Puerto Rico, in Bayamon, a suburb of San Juan, the island's capital, she quickly rose to fame at an early age, and, at 17, she was part of a group of artists that were collectively known as the " Club del Clan " (The Members of tht Club ) .

In very little time, Lucecita achieved popularity and recognition, and from
1965 to 1976, she won several contests for artistic popularity in Puerto
Rico, Santo Domingo, Venezuela, the United States ( in the Hispanic market ).

She became a phenomenon, because during the 70's , female artists did not have hits played on the radio, nor were their songs bought at the record stores. However, Lucecita placed the ten songs of her LP in the " top ten " playlists, simultaneously, in the local radio stations and in several countries, becoming the best selling singer of that era.

Mexico, in 1969 sponsored the 1st Festival of Latin Song and voice, and to represent Puerto Rico, Danny Rivera and Lucecita were sent to compete. To the surprise of all the contestants and to the delight of all
puertorricans, Lucecita personally won the prize for Best Performance,
along with three other prizes : for Best Song : "Genesis ",written by Guillermo Venegas Lloveras , Best Dressed ( Martin ) and Second Place, for Best Musical Arrangement ( Pedro Rivera Toledo). The competition had been tough and well fought by several artists that went on to claim their fame, among which were : José Luis Rodriguez ( El Puma ), Denisse de Calaf and Nini Cafaro. The budding puertorrican star shone brightly , and after that evening she became world acclaimed. Her achievements and renown allowed her to gain many firsts. She sang in the Ed Sullivan Show in the coveted closing number, her concerts filled the Madison Square Garden , in New York, and the local stadiums- Roberto Clemente and Hiram Bithorn. She shared the stage with Sammy Davis, Jr plus other feats that no Hispanic artist had previously attained.

Nevertheless, her maturity and her conscience started to make a deep
influence in her repertoire and her songs blossomed from a need to express genuine feelings that conveyed her conscience and her patriotism. Not for naught, she was proclaimed by the Senate as the National Voice of Puerto Rico, in a ceremony held at the Capitol Building, in San Juan. Lucecita now has her own record label, Producciones Lobo, which has brought forth several records of excellent quality that reflect the love, dedication and respect that she has for her public. These, along with her other recordings , comprise a large collection of music that reflect her passions and heartaches.

The fight for her ideals is not over, her commitment is apparent, and her
voice, along with a talent to make poetry and music meld into a whole that touches our soul with a laser that cuts deep within our feelings. Lucecita is more than a light that leads the path, she beams a course with
her talent and commitment to higher ideals.

Lucecita will be at the “ Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré “ on December 26 and 27 for her “ First Goodbye” ( “ El Primer Adiós “ ) a concert that will precede her planned relocation to Argentina to fulfill previous engagements .

The concert will feature an orchestra of more than a dozen accomplished musicians with the back-up of a three voice choir, all under the baton of Ito Serrano. She has sifted through her favorite melodies to bring a sampling of past hits, lyrical songs, Christmas carols and a “ ñapa”, a special treat that will have everyone on their feet hollering not to leave the stage. But it is just an “ Hasta Luego”, a brief goodbye with a promise of a return .
                    

COUNTRIES WHERE SHE HAS SUNG:

USA: New York., New Jersey, Chicago, Miami, Boston, others
PANAMÁ
MÉXICO
COLOMBIA
VENEZUELA
ARGENTINA
CUBA
PERÚ
SPAIN
RUSSIA
DOMINICAN REPÚBLIC
OTHERS



She has shared stage with:

Sammy Davis Jr.
Placido Domingo
Pablo Milanes
Rubén Blades
Mercedes Sosa
Pablo Elvira
Justino Diaz
Danny Rivera
Others