Paola Fabiana Ponce, better known as Lola Ponce, was born to shine. With a remarkable career as a singer, actress, host, model, and influencer, the Argentine star knows that the sky is the limit. Born in Gran Rosario, Argentina, on June 25, 1982, Ponce grew up surrounded by artists, including her father, musician Héctor Ponce, and her grandfather, tango composer and orchestra director Osvaldo Fresedo. As a child, she was part of her brother's folk music group and later began auditioning for television roles.
© Raffaele MaroneIn 1998, she appeared in the Argentine series "Chiquititas." Two years later, she released her debut album,"Inalcanzable," recorded in Los Angeles. As expected, music captivated her from a young age, and she decided it would be her path, even if it meant leaving her homeland and everything she knew behind to forge her way in Europe.
"Thank God I had a family that always pushed me to the max to conquer all my dreams and go for more. Instead of holding me back, they gave me wings and are always there supporting me," she said in an interview with Infobae.
In 2002, she moved to Italy to star in "Notre-Dame de Paris," the opera created by Italian singer-songwriter Riccardo Cocciante. A six-month stay in Italy turned into a year-long residence, with her performance as Esmeralda leading her to perform 600 shows, from March 2002 to September 2008. The Italian audience loved her and embraced her as one of their own.
After her theatrical success, Ponce released her first English-language album, "Fearless" (2004), earning positive reviews. Now based in Italy and rising as a celebrity, she appeared on the show "Ma il cielo è sempre più blu," hosted by Giorgio Panariello. She's also continued to work in Argentina, where she had a 10-episode role in the telenovela "Sin Código."
"I've always dreamed of a career that would take me around the world, and suddenly I find myself working a month and a half, two months, in Italy, then a month in Argentina. We're independent artists and producers."
© Getty ImagesIn 2008, she achieved a major milestone when she won the 58th edition of the Sanremo Music Festival, alongside Italian singer Giò Di Tonno, with the song "Colpo di fulmine." That same year, she released her third studio album, "Il Diario di Lola."
Lola also appeared in "I promessi sposi," a modern opera based on the novel by Alessandro Manzoni of the same name. She played the role of La Monaca di Monza (The Nun of Monza). Her debut in this production was on June 18, 2010, at Milan's San Siro Stadium, a significant event as it was the first time a modern opera was performed in a stadium and broadcast on RAI, the Italian television channel.
Throughout her career, Lola has had the opportunity to share the stage with renowned performers, including Andrea Bocelli, with the two performing a rendition of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina." One of her most memorable performances in Argentina was at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, where she sang that very song.
Lola Ponce's life is like that of a nomad in constant evolution. She and her family split their time among four countries: the United States, Mexico, Argentina, and Italy. Along the way, this multi-talented woman found the perfect partner in artist Aarón Díaz, with whom she has built a family, sharing their daughters Erin and Regina.
Lola Ponce has not only amazed with her extraordinary voice but also captivated with her poise and charisma in the world of telenovelas. In 2012, she appeared in "El Talismán," where she played Lucrecia Negrete alongside actors like Blanca Soto, Aarón Díaz, Rafael Novoa, and Marcela Mar. It was on this production that she crossed paths with Díaz.
"Human beings are the most sophisticated and extraordinarily perfect work of art. So let's showcase that love, let's expand it as much as we can."
© Getty ImagesAlthough she won the hearts of the Latin audience, in 2016, Lola Ponce returned to Italy to once again play Esmeralda in "Notre Dame de Paris." This return was a restaging of the musical where she had already enjoyed great success years earlier.
Earlier this year, Ponce fulfilled one of her biggest dreams: the release of her EP "Lola canta Manzanero," in which she got to perform the late maestro Armando Manzanero's greatest hits. The record features her singing alongside Manzanero, in one of his last performances ever recorded.
