[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 141 (Tuesday, October 31, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2034]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      IN HONOR OF OLGA CHORENS AND TONY ALVAREZ, ``OLGA AND TONY''

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 31, 2000

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Olga Chorens and 
Tony Alvarez (``Olga and Tony''), two very special and talented 
entertainers, who have been in show business for six decades.
  Olga and Tony began their careers as singers in Cuba during the early 
1940's. When they married in 1945, their celebrity status turned the 
wedding into a popular social event.
  After the wedding, Olga and Tony went on a 5-year tour through Latin 
America, which began in Panama and ended in Argentina. Upon returning 
to Cuba, they were offered the opportunity to host a daily 1-hour 
television and radio program for CMQ and Radio Progreso, which they did 
with great success from 1951 to 1959, while also recording many 
successful albums. Because of their popularity, Olga and Tony were 
named Miss and Mr. Cuban Television.
  Olga and Tony fled communist rule in Cuba for New York City and 
Puerto Rico, where they again performed on television. From 1965 to 
1972, they performed on Telemundo, Channel 7, Channel 11, and WNJU 
Channel 47 in New York.
  For the past 20 years, Olga and Tony have lived in South Florida, 
where they maintain a large fan base and where their voices can be 
heard every Saturday morning on Radio Mambi. They also star on ``El 
Show de Olga y Tony,'' which airs twice a week on Tele-Miami. In 1999, 
they were awarded a Star on the ``Calle Ocho'' Walk of Fame.
  As entertainers, Olga and Tony have always promoted family values. 
They have been married for 55 years, and their parents and children 
often participated in bringing family-based entertainment to the 
television audience.
  Today, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Olga Chorens and 
Tony Alvarez for entertaining so many for so long, and for being 
inspirational role models to Hispanics throughout Latin America.

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