Rebekah Del Rio, the gifted songwriter and powerhouse vocalist greatest recognized for her haunting efficiency of “Llorando” within the iconic Membership Silencio scene from David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, has tragically handed away. In accordance with Selection, her loss of life was confirmed by the Los Angeles coroner’s workplace, revealing that she departed on Monday, June 23, in her Los Angeles residence. The reason for loss of life stays undisclosed. Del Rio was 57 years outdated.
Del Rio’s passionate rendition of “Llorando,” a Spanish adaptation of Roy Orbison’s operatic ballad “Crying,” is broadly thought to be the emotional zenith of Lynch’s 2001 cinematic masterpiece, Mulholland Drive. The music makes a profound influence late within the movie, set within the atmospheric, crimson-draped inside of Membership Silencio. Because the characters performed by Naomi Watts and Laura Harring weep, Del Rio’s uncooked, a cappella efficiency resonates deeply. In a poignant twist, because the music unfolds, Del Rio collapses on stage, revealing that her highly effective show was, actually, an intense lip-sync.
Born of Mexican, Italian, and Sephardic descent, Rebekah Del Rio grew up in San Diego. Previous to her encounter with David Lynch, she established herself as a rustic singer. The music “Crying” had been a staple in her performances for the reason that early Nineties, and he or she usually selected to sing it a cappella, as accompanying bands would typically battle with the advanced chord modifications. In a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Del Rio defined, “I might sing it a cappella as a result of, oftentimes, the band would have a tough time with a number of the chord modifications.” Following the tragic homicide of Tejano pop star Selena in 1995, which deeply affected Del Rio and her followers, she felt compelled to create a Spanish model of the music.
On the time, Del Rio was primarily based in Nashville, targeted on writing and recording nation music. In the future, her agent reached out with a possibility to satisfy David Lynch throughout her subsequent journey to Los Angeles. In an unforgettable encounter at Lynch’s residence studio, the director spontaneously requested her to carry out “Llorando.” Unbeknownst to her, he recorded the impromptu efficiency. Reflecting on that whirlwind assembly in a 2018 interview, Del Rio recounted, “It was throughout within the size of 1 and a half songs, two cigarettes, and a cup of espresso.” Lynch complimented her uniquely spirited efficiency with a traditional comment: “Ding dang, Rebekah Del Rio, that was aces.”
When it got here time to movie Mulholland Drive, Lynch initially instructed Del Rio to lip-sync to a backing monitor of “Llorando.” Nevertheless, her dedication to authentically expressing the music was too robust to easily mime her personal recorded vocals. “I mentioned to him, ‘I can’t do this. I can’t mouth my very own monitor. No! You received’t seize the vibrato; I’m singing alongside!’” Del Rio recalled in one other 2018 interview. Relatively than counting on a pre-recorded monitor, she selected to sing dwell for every take, permitting Watts and Harring to expertise the total emotional weight of the efficiency in actual time.
Del Rio’s artistry and dedication to her craft left an indelible mark not solely on Mulholland Drive but in addition on the hearts of those that had the privilege to listen to her sing. Her life and profession have been a testomony to the facility of music to evoke deep feelings, and he or she will probably be remembered for her outstanding contributions to the humanities.
