Maria Martínez

Ana María Loreto Martínez was a Cuban guitarist and singer who was active in Spain, France, and the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century. Originating in Cuba, she moved to Seville and studied at the Madrid Royal Conservatory. She performed to prominent audiences in Paris and later London, at Her Majesty's Theatre, which attracted significant press coverage.

Early life and family Martínez was born in Havana, Cuba, to free Black parents. Her father was a cabinetmaker, employed at a store called "La Gamba". Her musical abilities were recognised at a young age and she became part of the family of the Intendente of Havana, Don Francisco Aguilar, and was educated with his daughters.

Aguilar and his family returned to their native Spain, and Martinez accompanied them, settling in Seville. Martínez married Don Mariano Morena, a Cuban army officer, but the couple were later forced to leave Cuba after falling foul of the Cuban authorities.

Career Martínez returned to Seville and taught guitar to pay for her entry to the Madrid Royal Conservatory. Martínez impressed Queen Isabella II of Spain and received a "life pension" from her in 1848, though it was ended two years later in 1850, after which Martínez frequently struggled financially. Martínez later performed in Paris to great success.

July 1850 performances at Her Majesty's Theatre, London In July 1850 Martínez appeared in a divertissement at Her Majesty's Theatre in London called Les Delices du Serail, set in a seraglio. After the curtain came up, a Sultan was shown amused by the dances of odalisques. Martínez then appeared "attired in a suit of rich amber-coloured satin" and performed. Her debut appearance at the theatre had been twice delayed by the closure of the theatre as a result of the death of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, and her vocal hoarseness. The Illustrated London News described her voice as "wild, quaint and graceful" with its "dominant qualities" of "picturesqueness and its strong and unanticipated contrasts" and described her vocal quality as "sweet and luscious".

Paris, France

Martínez resided in France around 1858–1863. The French writer Théophile Gautier corresponded with Martínez while she was in Paris earlier in 1850, marveling at "La Malibran" and recommending her to various theaters and operas. Between 1856 and 1859 Félix Nadar took a series of studio photographs of "Maria l'Antillaise", thought to be of Maria Martínez. She did not find the success of her earlier performances, and returned to Spain in 1863.