La Busdonga

Obdulia Álvarez Díaz (known as La Busdonga; 1896, Oviedo, Asturias – 27 January 1960, Gijón) was a Spanish singer of Asturian folk music.

Biography Obdulia Álvarez Díaz was born in Oviedo in 1896. She lived in Mieres besides Busdongo and, from 1934, resided in Gijón. In Mieres, her family ran a tavern (chigre).

She was considered one of the greatest voices of Asturian folk music. She was a contemporary of Ángel González, El Maragatu, Cuchichi, Botón, Claverol, Quin el Pescador, Santos Bandera, Miranda, El Polenchu de Gráu, and Xuacu'l de Sama. Baldomero Fernández accompanied her on the piano and expanded her repertoire, which also included pasodobles, jotas, cuplés, and flamenco.

In 1955, she participated as a guest artist in the Asturian song contest at the Babel salon, on this occasion, she was accompanied on the bagpipe by her brother Aurelio "El Busdongu", and in 1956 she recorded two songs with Laudelino Alonso for the Columbia record company.

Her recordings have been reissued several times, notably in 1987, when several of her records were recovered.