She first sang on a professional level in the early ’50s and even toured with the legendary José Alfredo Jiménez. Her first recordings were in 1961, and she became quite popular during the ’60s and ’70s, both in her native country of Costa Rica and in Europe. Although she retired in 1979-a victim of alcoholism-Vargas returned to the limelight in 1990 after accepting a role in the Werner Herzog film A Cry of Stone. That next year she contributed a song to the soundtrack of Tacones Lejanos and in 1993 she entered a recording studio for the first time in decades. Vargas was also featured in many of Almodóvar’s films (in both song as well). Isabel Vargas Lizano died in August 2012 in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico at the age of 93, after suffering from heart and respiratory problems.
