Blanca Rosa Gil was born on August 26, 1937, in Matanzas, Cuba. As the youngest of 10 siblings, Gil moved to La Habana with her family, where her love of music developed thanks to the influence of her parents. Her father was a tenor and her mother was a mezzo-soprano. Gil's children inherited their parents' interests and strengths. Her brother Pedro was a part of the Casino Deportivo Orchestra. When it comes to her sisters, Rita and Mercedes, the three began taking singing lessons when they were kids, with them taking the stage when Blanca was five years old.
When Blanca was 17 years old, she moved to Caracas, Venezuela, where she had some relatives. At her cousin's birthday party, Blanca's singing was heard by the producer Aristides Borrego, captivating him immediately. After a brief interview where she performed the song "Reloj" by Roberto Cantoral, Blanca began performing in the kids' show "Humo y Fantasia," where she began paving the road for her career as a singer.
"I remember everything about my land. It was a beautiful time I spent there."
In 1957, Blanca began performing regularly at Plaza Cabaret, where the producer Gaspar Pumarejo was shocked by her voice and by the fact that she was a fellow Cuban. He offered to take her back to her country, so that the Cuban people would get to know her. This marked her comeback and her deal with Pumarejo, which resulted in her singing on the radio and television.
Blanca was known as "The doll that sings," a nickname that referenced her age and short stature. As her popularity grew, Blanca began recording her record "Romance Azul." But it was her song "Sombras" that catapulted her to national fame and took her to Mexico, where she was offered the chance to act onscreen, something that didn't interest her.
After two years spent in Mexico, Blanca moved to Miami, where she recorded "La Triunfadora de Cuba" and other compilation records. In the midst of all of her success, Blanca married Francisco Garcia, with whom she had a daughter. Her professional expansion resulted in her forming her own record label called Benson, with whom she continued to work for many years.
"I have been singing since I was five years old. I was the family's entertainment, for real!"
In 1979, Blanca retired from making music after releasing a record under her own name. In the following years, she dedicated her life to God and steered clear of the stage. It was only in 2009 that Blanca performed again, singing in Miami and Puerto Rico to gather funds for her friend Blanquita Amaro, who was imprisoned. That year, she released her last record, "Ayer y Hoy."
Nowadays, Blanca is considered a diva of the song. Her music remains in the public's memory. She's been living in Puerto Rico for the past four decades and is currently 88 years old.