These Divas Paved the Way for Latina Stars — in the Pre–J. Lo Era!

Jennifer Lopez is today’s ultimate Latin diva. The Nuyorican star shines as a singer, actress, producer, dancer, talent judge, entrepreneur, fashionista…the list is endless! But who were the mujeronas that opened the door for J. Lo and younger generations of Latina stars like Becky G, Karol G and Natti Natasha? Read on! 

J. Lo is an awe-inspiring show woman who magically defies age and any other limitation with seemingly superhuman powers. But before she was famous, other Caribbean divas were breaking barriers for Latinas as actresses, singers and dancers. Iris Chacón, Charytín Goyco and Rita Moreno are still bringing audiences to their feet, and we salute their brilliant trajectories. 

Lopez has said she was inspired by Puerto Rican goddess Iris Chacón. Ironically, in the film El Cantante — starring Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony as the iconic salsa singer Hector Lavoe and his wife Puchi — there is a funny scene where Puchi and Lavoe fight over him watching Chacón shake her famous booty on TV, making his wife jealous. 

Chacón was famous for her talent as a singer and dancer and also for her voluptuous figure and huge derrière. “I’m very happy to be the first one, the one that started that path, that one that opened that space for all of them,” the performer known as “La bomba de Puerto Rico” told Latina about paving the way for other Latin vedettes. 

The entertainer — posing here backstage in 1984 at the Late Show with David Letterman in New York City — won over audiences worldwide. 

Chacón showed she is still queen of the stage with her performance in the musical play “Enchismas” in 2018 at the at Centro de Bellas Artes in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

In her autobiography Yo Soy Iris Chacón, the Puerto Rican star tells the journey of how she went from being a solitary girl full of dreams to becoming “La Vedette de America.” “It’s about how I became the woman I always wanted to be, how I became a human being who truly values her life and the life of others,” she said in a social media post about her book. “It also talks about how I wished for a better world for me and those I loved, and how I achieved that.”

Chacón and Charytín Goyco, another iconic performer from the Dominican Republic, shared the stage last year in the plays “Malas” and “Enchismas” in Puerto Rico. Like the true divas they are, they are great friends and there is no rivalry between the two, despite belonging to the competitive world of showbiz and having both been married (at different times of course!) to late Puerto Rican producer Elín Ortiz.

Charytín (here in the play “Enchismas” in 2018) is a versatile artist who has achieved success as a singer, dancer, actress and TV host. 

The charismatic blonde, known as “La rubia de America,” was also a fan of sequins, metallic outfits and bling. 

Charytín’s glamorous style can be seen here, as she’s wearing a turban adorned with pearls on her wedding day to beloved Puerto Rican television guru Elín Ortiz.

Her son — actor Shalim Ortiz of Grand Hotel and Magic City — told People en Español that he grew up watching his famous mom work hard and many times accompanied her on the set of El Show de Charytín in Puerto Rico.

Like J. Lo, Charytín is always fashionably dressed, with impeccable hair, makeup and nails. Bad hair days don’t apply to divas!

Charytín gave a sweet shoutout to Lopez on her birthday in 2016. “Happy birthday my dear friend @jlo Sending you all the best vibes and blessings!” she posted along with a photo of them. 

With her beauty and talent, Rita Moreno mesmerizes audiences in any language. The actress, singer and dancer of Puerto Rican descent is one of the few people who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony. 

Being a trailblazer runs in her family. “When I was 5, my mother brought me with her to New York City from Puerto Rico. The culture shock is still etched in my 86-year-old mind. The language, the snow — I had never seen snow. The racism, even among children, the name-calling. Suddenly, I was ‘different’! I had never been different. It was sink or swim, build character or give up. Thankfully, I had the model of my mommy’s grit. Never give in, never quit, keep on moving. That was my mom, and that’s me,” she told AARP. 

The actress is adored by many generations, including millennials who are fans of the Netflix series One Day at a Time. 

Her raw and passionate portrayal of Anita in West Side Story is still raved about. 

“I think what’s changed for Latino performers is Latino performers!” Moreno told NPR. “I think we have spoken out, and the door is much more open now. I don’t think it’s open enough, but it’s certainly more open — and we’re pushing the gates, and that’s what it takes.”