My Best Memory of Cuba

Orly Solomon was a child star in France, the French Shirley Temple if I may tell the truth. At the young age of eight she became a famous singer, actress and TV host. She even got into the Guinness World Records as the youngest TV host in history. For years Orly toured around singing, released CDs and performed on television and on stages. But as she grew into adulthood, due to poor management, she lost momentum and her position in the entertainment industry, and was soon forgotten.

Orly was never one to give up easily, and as such, a few years later she applied for a main role in the world renowned production The Lion King. Of all things it was in German, a language she did not speak. After rigorous auditions, having to learn German in a very short time in order to pass her final audition, in 2003 she got accepted and moved to Germany. Orly was back in the game and was singing her heart out entertaining audiences again.

After a few years of living the same role over and over Orly started getting tired of the assembly line routine. She craved creativity and change as any artist does in a long repetitive production. Her dream was to travel to Cuba to learn Spanish and salsa. She took her first trip to Cuba and fell in love with the place and its highly developed art scene. Orly had another dream - to release a single with some of the most famous Cuban artists such as Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor, Pupy y Los Que Son Son and more. And like everything in her life shortly after she made her dream come true.

This artist-entrepreneur has always had a brilliant mind initiating profitable projects. It started as a young teenager while organizing karaoke parties mixed with her singing, which in those times was truly ground breaking. It continued to organizing big events and later concerts for big stars such as Maykel Blanco and his band when they toured in France. Orly’s life would not have shamed a telanovela and one should probably be produced in her honour