Dolores Perez Photo Gallery

Dolores Perez Herrera

Dolores Perez is one of Cuba's greatest singers.  She has been with Afrocuba de Matanzas since its founding and can be heard on their most recent recording, Raices Africanas, from Shanacie.  You can even hear her on the CD demo available on-line at Amazon.com.  Try the first cut especially:    Caridad (BataRumba)

An Omo Yemaya and a madrina to many, Dolores was featured in Afrocuba's 1987 trip to the Smithsonian Folkway Festival.  Yemaya came down while she was dancing on the Washington Mall.

Dolores is an ahijada of her aunt Tomasa Villamil, the 97 year old dueña of the Villamil family who passed on to the ancestors.   Tomasa's grandparents were two musicians from Oyo, Nigeria, the old imperial Yoruba capital.  They were kidnapped and brought over to Cuba in the 1880's.  The family has given Matanzas many of its best musicians, singers, and dancers.

Prior to joining Afrocuba, Dolores sang and danced with Los Portuarios, La Imaliana, and in the carnival comparsas in Matanzas. In addition to her overwhelming talents as a singer, Dolores is also a well respected teacher of both singing and dancing.