The voice of Latin America, Mercedes Sosa, passes away at 74

10/4/2009
Amanda Johnson
Many are mourning the loss of Aregentine folk singer, Mercedes Sosa, who passed away Sunday after battling liver, kidney, and heart problems.

The woman known as "the voice of Latin America", Mercedes Sosa, died Sunday at the age of 74. According to CNN the singer passed away after spending nearly two weeks in a Buenos Aires clinic. She had been battling disorders of the liver, kidney, and heart.

Sosa was born in the summer of 1935 in San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina. When she was 15 she entered a radio contest which won her a two month contract with them.

She was known for her performances at the Sistine Chapel and New York's Carnegie Hall. She was "a UNICEF goodwill ambassador for Latin America" and Grammy award winner.

Sosa was exiled to Europe in the late '70s when military forces took over. TheAssociated Press said that around that time she "released the socially and politically charged album "Hasta la Victoria" (Till Victory)." She did not return until 1982. Her combination of folk and contemporary music made her a force to be reckoned with. Friends, family and fans will deeply miss the Argentine singer.

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