Milagros del Rosario Quezada Borbón (born May 21, 1955) is a Dominican-American singer specializing in Merengue. She is a four-time Latin Grammy Award winner and has been referred to as the "Queen of Merengue" because of her impact on the world of merengue music.[1]
Early life
Milagros Quezada Borbón was born in Santo Domingo, the daughter of two Cibao natives and sister of four musician brothers. Growing up in such a musical family, Quezada became interested in music as a toddler—she would sing along with her brothers for family, friends, and small gatherings near her home.
Quezada spent her pre-teen and teen years in Washington Heights, which was a central point in the Latin music boom of the era. In New York, Quezada developed an in-depth knowledge of her favorite musical genre, merengue, the fastest of the Latin American popular dance music styles, sung in Spanish and native to the Dominican Republic.
Her musical inclinations developed as a pastime in the streets of Washington Heights where she formed with her brothers and sister, the group that would become known as Milly, Jocelyn & Los Vecinos. Their music would identify the growing Hispanic Community of Dominicans in Washington Heights and their distinctly feminist style of Merengue captured the hearts and imagination of the growing Hispanic Community. Hits that would rise in popularity during the ‘70s 80s and 90s include "Volvio Juanita," “La Guacherna," “Tengo," and many other songs that would go on to become Christmas hits on national and international music platforms.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Led by her oldest brother and musical arranger, Rafael Quezada, the "Queen of Merengue" along with the group would travel worldwide and become pioneers in the female-led musical Orchestra modality. They were first to bring live Dominican Merengue to major cities in Japan: Tokyo, Nagasaki and Osaka and regularly tour countries such as Madrid, Spain, Central and South America and many states with the United States where the Dominican Diaspora thrived. The group was also first in entertaining a Presidential Inaugural Gala in 1990: President George H. W. Bush in Washington, D.C.
Solo career
Quezada later decided to embark on a solo career, moving to Puerto Rico where she also married and became a mother, enjoying even more success as a solo artist. Since the 1990s, Quezada has been either on tour or in recording studios almost constantly, earning several prestigious awards and public recognition such as keys to cities (see below).
In January 1996, after the death of her husband and manager, Rafael Vázquez, Quezada took a break from her musical career which had reached twenty years and twenty long playing records at this tragic moment in her life and the lives of her family. In 1997 she was encouraged by her longtime friend and manager, Pedro Nuñez del Risco, to retake her musical recording career which marked a "before" and "after" in her musical accomplishments. Following Vázquez's death, Quezada went on to release and popularize songs like, "Lo Tengo Todo" “Entre tu Cuerpo y el Mío" “Porque me Amaste, "Para darte mi Vida" “Vive" “Toma mi Vida" amongst many other songs.
Since 2021, Quezada has served as a coach on The Voice Dominicana where her singer won in both seasons.[11]
In 2022, Quezada published her thirty-fifth release, Resistirá, with Chris Hierro, the son of singer Henry Hierro.[12] On July 29, she released a remix of the song "Se Busca" with Alexandra, La Ross Maria, and Techy Fatule.[13] In 2023, she released a single, "Llegasté" with Manny Cruz.[14]
Quezada married to Rafael Vázquez from 1976 until his death in 1996. He was also her manager. They had three kids, Miguel, Anthony and Rafael Jesús.
Quezada was a close friend and protégé of singer, band leader and politician Johnny Ventura. After his death in 2021, Quezada frequently performed tributes to him in her concerts. She joined Ventura's son, Jandy, on a tribute album where she performed "La Agarradera".
Awards and recognition
The "Queen of Merengue" went on to be nominated and received multiple national and international awards in the Tropical Music genre such as, four Latin Grammy Awards to date; Premios Cassandra Awards in the Dominican Republic including the highest honor in her genre "Premio Soberano" in 1997. Billboard awards and Univision's Premio Lo Nuestro in 1998, ACE Awards in New York, "Tu Musica" award as well as "Premios Globo in NYC and in Barranquilla, Colombia various "Congo de Oro" awards during several annual Carnaval de Barranquilla tours performed. Her well known Carnaval Song "La Guacherna" written by Esther Forero, is recognized along with Barranquilla's Carnival by the coveted "Worldwide Cultural Heritage" issued by UNESCO. Qwuezada been recognized by both the Senate of Puerto Rico and the Senate of the Dominican Republic as well as the Mayor of New York City for her cultural contribution to the music of the Americas.
OTHER AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. ~ Inducted in the musical archives along with Dominican artists Luis Kalaff and Joseito Mateo in 1998.
Decorated by President Hipolito Mejia with medal "Orden Cristobal Colon/Grado Oficial" 2001
Boulevard of the Stars in Panama City, Panama ~ Awarded Bronze Star in this walk of fame Blvd.
Dominican Consul General Eduardo Selman presented in 2008 the medal "Orden al Merito Ciudadano" as the awards first recipient.
Named by Decree "Ambassador of Cultural Affairs" by President Dr. Leonel Fernandez in 2008 and attached to the Dominican Chancellorship, a title which remains to this day.
2008 Master of Ceremony to the Cassandra Awards televised Ceremony where she receives the "Best Actress" award for her role in the movie, "Yuniol 2" – The movie also receives "Best Picture Award" for the same year.
2010 Dominican American Nat'l Roundtable, Washington, D.C. "Lifetime Achievement Award”
2011 Berklee College of Music, Boston, MS awards special recognition in their event at Miami Dade County Auditorium.
2011 Hostos Community College’s Presidential Medal of honor for musical contribution ~ this award was only presented to one other woman, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Sotomayor.
2011 Atlantic Chamber of Representatives of Barranquilla, Colombia's "Orden de Barlovento" medal for promoting Colombian Music worldwide.
2012 Two Latin Grammy Awards for current musical production "Aqui Estoy Yo" for Best Contemporary Tropical Album and for best Tropical Song, feat. Juan Luis Guerra "Toma Mi Vida".
2015 Barranquilla’s Mayor's Office declares Milly "Adoptive Daughter" with the golden Medal "Categoria Oro Grado Comendador".
March 8, 2017 Providence, Rhode Island During "International Women's Day" is awarded 8 declarations of excellence during the "Extraordinary Woman Gala Ceremony of 2017" along with a special citation by the Office of the Senate of the state of Rhode Island.
2017 Governor's Atlantic Department of Colombia awards the medal, "Puerta de Oro de Colombia" by the Colombian Embassy in the Dominican Republic; and declares artist as musical Ambassador, during special event in Teatro La Fiesta, Hotel Jaragua, D.R. for worldwide promotion of Colombian songs written by Barranquilla's author, Esther Forero.
In February 2021, the United States Congress, led by Representative Adriano Espaillat (a fellow Dominican), officially recognized Quezada and her contributions to music.[16]
In early 2009, Milly joined eleven other Dominican music legends on a national tour celebrating the merengue and bachata music traditions of the country. That tour was transformed into a Felix Limardo documentary entitled Sol Caribe. The movie features an original song, La Puerta del Nuevo Mundo that is a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration of the twelve stars. The film was the closing feature at the III Dominican Republic Global Film Festival in November 2009 and was attended by the President of the Dominican Republic.
In addition to the Cassandra Awarded movie, "Yuniol 2" Milly has played important roles in the movies: “Cal y Arena,” Puerto Rico; “Hermanos R.D.” in Dominican Republic and the movie “Juanita” written produced and directed by Leticia Tonos that was released in December 2018.
In 2022, a biopic about Quezada, titled MILLY Queen of Merengue, was announced starring Sandy Hernandez and directed by Leticia Tonos.[18]
Discography
In over four decades in the music industry, Quezada has released 31 records sponsored by a variety of record labels including Sony Music Entertainment Japan.
Milly y los Vecinos
1976 Esta es Milly con los Vecinos (This is Milly with los Vecinos)
^Paul Austerlitz Merengue 1566394848 1997 p.125 "The first of these to establish a following in the Dominican Republic was Millie, jocelyn, y los Vecinos, founded by sisters Millie and Jocelyn Quezada (lead singers) and their brother Rafael Merengue"
^Billboard 10 Nov. 1984 - Page 59 The group is more properly called Milly, Jocelyn y Los Vecinos, after the two sisters who front it. In fact, the whole ensemble is a family affair that includes two of Milly and Jocelyn's brothers and is managed by Milly's husband, Rafael Vasquez."
^Ronald H. Bayor Multicultural America: An Encyclopedia of the Newest ... 0313357870 2011 "Milly is reported to be "the first woman to sing down-home merengue commercially" (Hanley 1991, 44). Many of the songs made popular by Milly, Jocelyn y Los Vecinos deal with issues related to the tensions and transformations ..."
^Julie A. Sellers Merengue and Dominican Identity: Music as National Unifier 2004 078641815X p.169 "Some of the first of such groups were Milly, Jocelyn y los Vecinos, La Gran Manzana and the New York Band. Of these, the most popular both in the host and the home countries was Milly, Jocelyn y los Vecinos, a group comprised of two ..."
^Silvio Torres-Saillant, Ramona Hernández, The Dominican Americans 1998 p.136 "Milly is reported to be "the first woman to sing down-home merengue commercially" (Hanley 1991: 44). Many of the songs made popular by Milly and Jocelyn y Los Vecinos deal with issues related to the tensions and transformations ..."
^Sydney Hutchinson Merengue Tipico in Transnational Dominican Communities 0549819363 2008 " “Chinito” Díaz began playing with orquestas like the well-known New York group of Milly, Jocelyn, y los Vecinos, and took some of what he did there into his típico playing. "
^Deborah Pacini Hernandez Oye Como Va!: Hybridity and Identity in Latino Popular Music 2010 1439900914 p.87 "Milly Jocelyn y Los Vecinos"
^Tonos, Leticia, MILLY Queen of Merengue (Biography, Musical), Sandy Hernandez, Juan Carlos Pichardo Jr, Raidher Díaz, Producciones Linea Espiral, retrieved July 11, 2023
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