Chavela Vargas, a revered Mexican cancion ranchera singer, began her professional career in the early '50s, gaining popularity in the '60s and '70s both in Mexico and Europe. Despite retiring in 1979 due to alcoholism, she made a comeback in 1990 with a role in a Werner Herzog film and continued to record music until her passing in 2012 at the age of 93 in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Vargas' unique voice and captivating performances endeared her to audiences throughout her long and illustrious career.