Santo Domingo. – Dominican vedette Angelita Curiel, popularly known as “La Mulatona,” passed away early this Sunday morning. She was one of the most popular female figures in entertainment and television in the eighties.
“Rest in peace (…) I know God will receive you with open arms. Take all your joy to heaven! I will take care of your son,” wrote journalist Edith Báez.
Curiel had been admitted days ago to the Doctor Darío Contreras Hospital after suffering a fall at her residence, which caused a femur fracture and the need for surgical intervention. Her delicate state of health prompted her family to urgently request type A negative blood donors, a call that generated displays of solidarity from various sectors of society.
Even the First Lady of the Republic, Raquel Arbaje, publicly expressed her support for the artist, highlighting her admiration for Curiel’s career and reiterating that she had her backing in those difficult moments.
Artistic Career
Angelita Curiel achieved great popularity in the 1980s as one of the main figures of the program “El Show del Mediodía”, where she shared the stage with Anthony Ríos, Luisito Martí and Freddy Beras Goico. Her charisma, stage presence and sensual costumes made her one of the most remembered vedettes of her generation, being highlighted in the press as the best representative of this artistic genre.
In addition to her role as a showgirl, she ventured into music with interpretations such as “You are my man”, “El Quejaito” and “Tengo”, and participated in humorous spaces such as “De Remate”, “El show de Luisito y Anthony” and “La Opción de las 12”. After retiring from the stage, she remained active behind the scenes, collaborating for six years as a scriptwriter on “El Show del Mediodía”.
In recent interviews, including on the programs “Es Temprano Todavía” by Jochy Santos, and “Con Jatnna” by Jatnna Tavárez, Curiel expressed feeling proud of her career: “I feel happy with what I did. If God gave me the chance to be born again, I would want to be a vedette.”
Daughter of artists Tony Curiel (baritone who passed away in 2009) and Ángela Vásquez (bolero singer who passed away in 2020), Angelita Curiel came from a family closely linked to Dominican art. From a very young age, she started in Josefina Miniño’s dance company, which allowed her to develop her artistic talent and make her way into the world of entertainment.
Her nickname “La Mulatona” became popular thanks to her particular style, her imposing physique and her dazzling staging, attributes that placed her in the collective memory as one of the most emblematic women of Dominican television in the 80s.
With her passing, Angelita Curiel leaves a legacy difficult to match in Dominican popular culture. Her artistic life, marked by talent, sensuality, and authenticity, turned “La Mulatona” into a symbol of a golden age of national television.
