Alejandro Delgado Cabrera, the only son of the legendary Cuban actress Gina Cabrera, published an emotional tribute to his mother on Facebook, in which he remembers her as an artist who devoted her life to her profession with complete honesty, and who paid a very high price for refusing to bow down to the political system that cut short her career.
The text, accompanied by a photograph of the actress in her youth, evokes the brilliant career of the one who was known as the "Queen of Drama in Cuba" in theater, radio, and television, and laments that the unfulfilled promises of the communist revolution cut short a career that could have gone much further.
Alejandro recalls that Cuba has always been among the countries that embraced cutting-edge technologies, and that was the case when television emerged. Gina, who was already recognized in theater and radio at that time, made the leap to television "and made a strong impression there."
"She was also there, at those beginnings shining for our Homeland, like a seed of something magical that has provided and continues to provide joy, knowledge, and entertainment to entire nations," he emphasized.
"But a few years later, 'what deceived most people arrived, promising what would never come to pass. This ended the fruitful careers of her and other great Cubans who either did not know or chose not to escape in time, in one way or another,' she wrote."
It also notes that admirers from the United States, Spain, and Latin America still write to her today, reminiscing about her mother, whom they heard on the radio or saw in movies and television decades ago.
He also regrets that a large part of the recorded material from the early days of Cuban television was lost "due to neglect and even malice."
The tribute concludes with a phrase that encapsulates the essence of his mother: "A simple and beautiful photo captures in that image a brilliant yet humble Cuban who never knew how to lie in her life, who devoted her skill, her work, and her art, and who enjoyed doing good for so many, doing so with nobility, perfection, and a great deal of LOVE. Kisses to the heavens, Mom!"
Gina Cabrera —whose full name was Luisa Georgina Cabrera Parada— was born in Havana on June 28, 1928, and was one of the foundational figures of Cuban television. She starred alongside Alberto González Rubio in the first Cuban telenovela, "Soraya, una flor en la tormenta" (1957), written by Delia Fiallo, a phenomenon that marked the beginning of the genre on the island and its subsequent expansion throughout Latin America.
Her film career in the 1950s included titles such as "La renegada" (1951), "La mentira" (1952), "Ambiciosa" (1953), and "La rosa blanca" (1954). In 1956, the Association of Radio and Television Critics recognized her as the leading television actress, and in 2003 she received the National Television Award for her lifetime achievements.
However, by not following the political game that other artists accepted after 1959, her career gradually faded. Her last television performance was in the telenovela "Sol de Batey" (1985). She passed away on January 3, 2022, at the age of 93, with no award, theater, or institution bearing her name.
Alejandro reported the institutional neglect his mother experienced. In December 2021, he publicly exposed the "miserable assistance" that the then-Cuban Institute of Radio and Television provided: some rice, peas, leftover spaghetti trimmings, sautéed vegetables, and bulk oil.
On the first anniversary of her death, he denounced the "institutional mistreatment" she received over the years and pointed out that Gina Cabrera died without official recognition, unlike artists who "played along with the political game."
Son of the well-regarded actor Tony Delgado, he keeps his mother's memory alive by regularly posting texts about her on social media.
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