Photo: Maj LindströmWhen the singer Chavela Vargas began performing in Mexico, in the 1950s, she dressed as a woman. While Chavela, as she is known, may still be unknown to a great many people, there is not a lesbian in Mexico, according to some accounts, who does not know and revere Chavela Vargas. This year, the directors Daresha Kyi and Catherine Gund released a feature-length documentary on the singer, titled simply Chavela, to pay tribute to a life deeply and fearlessly lived. Chavela died in 2012, at the age of 93, enjoying greater celebrity than at any point in her life. And while she is far better known internationally today than she was even 10 years ago, the name Chavela is still not a household name.

Source: Forbes October 30, 2017 20:26 UTC