Mexican singer Dulce La Cantante has died. She was 69 years old.
News of her death was shared on Facebook on Wednesday, Dec. 25, via her family. “It is with deep sorrow that we confirm the passing of our beloved singer, Dulce.🕊️,” it said, translated from Spanish. “We appreciate your support and respect for the family during these difficult times.🙏🏼”
Dulce’s sister Isabel Noeggerath also announced her death on Facebook. “Sister, you’re already with our mom in heaven singing to her, I’m going to miss you rest in peace,” she wrote. “I love you.”
Dulce’s official Instagram account also shared a video montage commemorating the singer with pictures of her throughout her lifetime. “With a career that transcended borders and genres, Dulce became one of the most iconic voices Mexico has given, a legacy that makes us vibrate and reflect,” the caption read.
“But beyond her talent and her success, Dulce was a woman who taught us to believe in ourselves, to chase our dreams, and to never give up.”
Dulce was born in 1955 in Matamoros, Tamaulipasas in northern Mexico, as per Telemundo52. The singer’s real name was Bertha Elisa Noeggerath Cárdenas.
According to Quien.com, Dulce’s career began in the 1970s with the band Toby y Sus Amigos. Her solo career took off in the 1980s with the help of José José. Among Dulce’s big songs were “Déjame Volver Contigo,” “Soy Tu Dama,” “Lobo” and “Tu Muñeca.”
She also appeared in several soap operas throughout her career, along with the Netflix reality series Siempre Reinas (Forever Queens). She last went on tour with the musical group Grandiosas in 2022.
Dulce revealed in early 2024 that she had been diagnosed with a tumor, leaving her hospitalized. In August, she revealed that the tumor, which was on her kidney, had been cancerous.
Telemundo52 reported that she underwent pleuropulmonary decortication for her lungs in December and took time off from her scheduled appearances, but was expecting to be discharged from the hospital days later.
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“Following medical recommendations, I am hospitalized to treat a health condition that requires care and rest,” Dulce said in a statement posted on Instagram on. Dec. 2. “I am calm, in good hands, and confident that I will soon be fully recovered.”
The following week, her son-in-law Moisés González shared that she suffered from a bout of pneumonia and underwent surgery to be treated as a result of her “delicate” condition.
“[Dulce] is still exhausted from the operation. It was a rather complex operation and she comes out in a lot of pain after it,” he told Mexican television program De primera mano (Imagen TV) at the time, explaining how the singer was feeling.
“They are giving her the medications that are quite strong to prevent her from feeling more discomfort than she should. But this makes you very sleepy, you are constantly exhausted,” González continued. “Your body is doing everything possible to heal itself and this demands a lot of energy, and that is what still has her here in the hospital.”