The residents of Norwood Crossing know her as Esther Maria Garcia, but decades ago she was known in the arts as Esther Maria Valdes Diestro, a soprano and one of the most prestigious singers of Cuban lyric theater. In April 1992 in a letter to the U.S. State Department, she requested political asylum, citing her perilous situation in Cuba that was "becoming more delicate each day." She further added that "I am in agreement with those who fight against communism and those who fight for freedom and human rights." Political asylum was granted, and she arrived in the United States later that year.

Born on September 15, 1927, as one of three children to her parents, Adelaida Diestro Bonilla and Rafael Adolfo Valdes, she attended private elementary and high schools, and then much later fulfilled her father's wishes by attending journalism school although her inner desire was to be a singer.

"My love for music began when I was very small," said Garcia.

By the time Esther was seven years of age, her mother recognized Esther's vocal potential and encouraged her daughter to follow a singing career. After her parents divorced in 1937, her father, a dentist, remarried and Esther lived with her father's family. In 1939, she was enrolled in the School of Music for children, and two years later she was awarded first place in the radio program, "The Supreme Court of Art."

A patient of her father introduced Esther to Mariana de Gonitch, a Russian soprano who defected from Russia in 1942 via France, and became Esther's singing coach. Knowing many music critics, Mariana arranged for Esther to perform a one-person concert for the media, leading them to love her voice and stage presence.

In 1950, she started her professional career as a soloist in the Teatro America (America Theater) in Havana. Her second appearance took place at the Teatro Pagret (Pagret Theater) with the famous Spanish actor, Jorge Mistral.

During these years, the government at best could be described as somewhat unstable; the results of free elections were often overthrown by a military coup, although Esther believed that "my country was free and democratic." As a singer, she did not get involved in political matters and was given free rein "to travel to Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic."

In 1953, she was named Queen of Radio by the Oriente Province and received a trip to Miami, Tampa and Key West as a gift.

Two years later, Esther was elected outstanding lyric singer of the year by critics associated with radio and television.

"My singing career continued to grow and my economic situation got better and better by the day," she described in her letter to the U.S. government, adding that her parents worked hard to raise six children (three were Esther's step-siblings) without any economic hardships.

The year 1955 proved to be a turning point in Esther's career. The famous Cuban composer, Ernesto Lecuona, contracted with her to sing many of his musical compositions on his television program. She also performed the music of composer, Gonzalo Roig, worked under his direction for 20 years, and also worked with composer Rodrigo Prats.

Her fame and popularity rose in the Latin countries, especially Colombia, where she performed in Medellin, Bogota and Cartagenas in 1956, citing it as "the best years of my life."

At age 30, Esther married her first husband, Jose Mendez Pena, a businessman, and continued her singing career. But what promised to be a life of joy and beauty for the singer turned into "a new life of horror" when, in 1959, the government of Fulgencio Batista was overthrown by Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries.

"I continued to work on my own until the government started to intervene with private businesses," she explained in the letter. "I was stripped of my rights as a free agent and was no longer able to enter into contracts. My only alternative was to wait and see where I would be permitted to perform."

Esther continued to work in broadcast media until the government developed the Teatro Lirico De Cuba (Lyric Theater of Cuba), where she was placed. "From that moment on, I lost my liberty; I was a prisoner of the communist regime. I was not allowed to travel anywhere, not even to other states within my country. I was not allowed to contact any journalist outside my country. I was given a pathetic $341 monthly salary which was not enough to supply the basics, like food and clothing or support my mother, which I always did. From this point on, I had to use my life savings and sell most of my valuables just to subsist.

"I continued to work very hard performing light opera plays created in Spain and Cuba, but the government began changing the plays by replacing parts of the plays with revolutionary contents without the approval or permission of the authors," she continued. "I was not in agreement with these changes, but they did not respect or listen to my opinions. They just said that if I didn't want to do the plays that I would not perform at all. I often declined to do the show, but all that did was make it more difficult for me. So I had no choice-perform under their terms and only what they wanted me to perform."

Under the threat of losing her jobs in 1960, she joined the C.D.R. (Defense Committee of the Revolution) and the F.M.C. (Federation of Cuban Women), although she refused to join other communist organizations.

In 1962, she fulfilled her father's wish and graduated as a professional journalist from the Manuel Marquez Sterling School. Later after several attempts to start a radio program, she decided against pursuing this kind of work because of censorship and no freedom of the press.

Four years later, a break came for Esther and her husband. One of her husband' relatives in the United States sponsored Esther's husband to emigrate there. He wanted her to come with him. At the time, she was caring for her mother who was very ill and refused to leave. He disagreed and divorced her, leaving her "emotionally devastated and financially hurt."

An interesting turning point for Esther occurred in 1968 when the government built Las Ruinas, a luxurious restaurant in Lenin Park in Havana, and then resurrected the famous play, Cecilia Valdez. Fidel Castro and other high government officials were expected to attend opening night.

"At that time, I was one of the most recognized lyric singers in the country and Celia Sanchez chose me to perform the play, which received good reviews so I continued to perform." Sanchez was an active participant in the Cuban Revolution and a close companion of Fidel Castro.

"In 1974, the government decided that they wanted to present the play to other socialist countries," she continued. "Many interviews were conducted in order to decide which cast members would be allowed to travel and remain in the play. This was the first time the Cuban government would allow any performer to leave the country, therefore, they wanted to keep a close eye on those selected. After I was selected, the government held a private session to tell me what I must say if anyone asked me about Cuba and its government."

Esther was told how to behave, and to tell others that the people of Cuba favored Castro and that communism was good. She was allowed to travel outside of Cuba for 70 days to visit six socialist countries, but could not go anywhere or use a phone without an escort.

"Although I was outside my country, I felt like a prisoner," she wrote.

Esther married Roberto Oscar Garcia Navarro in 1977. "We both had the same ideals and beliefs, and both of us wanted to leave the country," she said. In the four years from 1978-1982, each lost their parents, but continued to work and struggle "without any hope of leaving this awful country."

Despite her unhappiness with her current situation, the Council of State and Ministers recognized Esther as the most outstanding artist in Cuba and presented her with the National Culture Distinction Award along with a medal for her many years of dedication to the arts. Both awards were presented to her by Fidel Castro.

"In 1984, I represented Cuba in the Cervantino Festival of Mexico where I performed the play Cecilia Valdez. Once I reached Mexico, I tried to reach my brother-in-law in the United States, but it was impossible. I was constantly watched by the government escorts that accompanied us. During my stay in Mexico, I was approached by an English opera agent who asked me if I wanted to perform in England. One of the government escorts saw him speaking to me, and he immediately questioned the gentleman. After they questioned him, the government agents pulled me to the side and interrogated me. I felt embarrassed, harassed and angry because they were invading my privacy and my rights to perform as an actress. When I returned to Cuba, I spoke to my manager about the possibility of performing in England, and I was told that at the moment that would be impossible. I was given no reasons. They reminded me that I had no right talking to the Englishman, and that they didn't appreciate that I had spoken to him. From then on they never let me forget it. They made my life impossible. They took away my traveling papers, and I was replaced in major plays where I always performed."

Several times Esther was summoned by the Union Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba) to sign documents against other performers that were suspected of anti-communist behavior.

"I never appeared to sign any such documents, because I was in agreement with those who fought for freedom and for human rights."

After arriving in the United States in 1992, Esther lived in Wicker Park with her husband, Roberto, a factory worker. They had no children. She continued to sing in Chicago and give concerts until her husband passed away in 2003. Now, she lives at Norwood Crossing, a long-term care retirement community, recalling her life in Cuba, working with outstanding composers, Ernesto Lecuona, Rodrigo Prats and Gonzalo Roig, and thinking about her five brothers still living there. She misses all of them.

During her career, Esther performed in the operettas: Maria la O, El Batey, Rosa la China, and El cafetal. On television, her credits include: Rosa la China, El cafetal, El Batey, La hija del sol, and Soledad. In 1967, she joined the National Lyric Theater of Cuba and starred in Cecilia Valdes, El cafetal y espanol, Luisa Fernanda, Los gavilanes, La del soto del parral, La leyenda del beso, Los claveles, and La corte de Faraon.

One of her more famous and controversial roles was in the opera Cecilia Valdes, directed by Roberto Blanco in 1978. She portrayed the character of Chepilla, which required applying musical and interpretive style. Subsequently, she performed in Dolores Santa Cruz, which was introduced in Central Europe in 1974 and Mexico in 1984.