María Dolores Pradera has long been revered as one of Spain's greatest voices, but her talent also made her an icon far beyond her homeland. After her stint as an actress in the '40s and '50s, her decades-spanning singing career began reaching new heights—and global distances. Pradera's music united the Spanish-speaking world by encompassing a vast range of traditions, from elegant bolero to energetic mariachi. Her voice could soothe with the delicacy of a folk storyteller (“Que Te Vaya Bonito”), swing with the sultriness of a jazz chanteuse (“Caballo Viejo”) and overwhelm with the force of an opera diva (“Lágrimas Negras”). Interpreting the work of legendary Latin songwriters like Mexican ranchera master José Alfredo Jiménez and Peruvian waltz innovator Chabuca Granda in surprising, eclectic ways, Pradera animated life's ups and downs across dozens of albums, producing shivers and swoons whenever her voice soared above the graceful requinto guitar melodies that colour so many of these classics.