Lucila J. Sarsines Reyes (July 19, 1936 – October 31, 1973), was a Peruvian performer and one of the most respected singers of her country, one of Peru's most famous Afro-Peruvian personalities as well as a symbol of Peruvian nationalism both in Peru and to expatriates. She was also known by the pseudonyms "La Morena de Oro del Perú", given to her by Augusto Ferrando, and "La Reina de la Popularidad". She is well known for her voice and her music has gone through history as some of the best in the history of Peruvian music. History Born to a poor family in the capital, Lima, Reyes was one of sixteen siblings. Her father, Tobias Sarsines, died after she turned six months old. Reyes spent much of her childhood living away from her immediate family. She sold newspapers and lottery tickets to survive. Her house burned down, and she went on to live at a Catholic church. As a child, Reyes met Pitito Perez, a famous Peruvian singer of the era. Perez liked her voice and invited her to join him in a duo. The duo was named Lucha y Juan. The duo gave Reyes the opportunity to be heard on national radio stations. Lucha Reyes debuted in a show named El Sentir de los Barrios (or "The way the Barrio/People Feel") singing the cultural standard "Abandonada" of Sixto Carrera, a song with lyrics that resembled her own experiences on the streets. She eventually joined the controversial music group Peña Ferrando of Augusto Ferrando (1919-1999). Lucha Reyes was briefly married to a policeman. Art Reyes acted sporadically in theater plays around Lima and would later go on to act in a movie named Una Carta al Cielo ("A Letter to Heaven") of Salvador Oda, about a boy whose dead mother (voiced-over by Reyes) would speak to him. Lucha performed in various acts, living on art in a bohemian style, and produced music favored by the military nationalist government, who encouraged the diffusion of the Peruvian cultural expressions through mass media. In 1970, helped by Nilo Marchand, manager of the record label FTA (Fabricantes Te'cnicos Asociados), Reyes recorded her greatest success, "Regresa" ("Come Back") of Augusto Polo Campos, a number one international hit. On the success of "Regresa," Reyes recorded her first LP and, soon after, began her only international tour. Last days She was diagnosed with tuberculosis and diabetes. The