Rita Moreno just can’t stop having fun. At the age of 83, the award winning actress, has just released her first album, en español.
Produced by Latino music powerhouse Emilio Estefan, the recording, “Una Vez Más,” (One More Time), is a mix of Latino music styles. The highlight is the recording of “Somewhere” — the song from “West Side Story.” Moreno earned an Oscar for her role in the 1961 film.
“It’s a very iconic song and iconic movie,” said Moreno in a phone interview from Oakland, California. “And who’s better to sing it than me. It’s beautiful,” said Moreno who will be in Tucson this week for the Loft Film Fest, which begins Wednesday.
Moreno, the only Latina and one of only a handful of people who have received an EGOT — Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — will receive the 2015 Lofty Lifetime Achievement Award and participate in a Q&A before the screening of “West Side Story” at 6 p.m. Friday at the Loft Cinema.
“I’m just astonished. I need to put a new shelf in my living room,” said Moreno who in December will receive a prestigious Kennedy Center honor.
Moreno, who was born in Puerto Rico, said the Spanish version of “Somewhere” was a must on her new record, just as was “Preciosa,” a classic tune composed by Puerto Rican Rafael Hernandez.
“I could not do an album without doing that song (‘Preciosa’). I’m proud of my nationality,” Moreno said.
She’s also proud of being a trailblazer for Latinas in the closed world of American arts. While it is difficult for Latinas today to find good roles on stage and screen, 50 years ago it was almost impossible.
She remains proud that she was asked to do the film, reprising the role that Chita Rivera did on Broadway.
“That experience will never go away, making that film,” she said.
The film, earned 10 Oscars, featured music by Leonard Bernstein, a libretto by Stephen Sondheim and choreography by Jerome Robbins.
“Geniuses,” Moreno called the trio.
Despite the acclaim Moreno received in her role as Anita, offers to do more movies came slowly.
Still, she remains active. This summer she completed filming “Remember Me,” a small indie film in the San Francisco Bay area. And she recently appeared in the CW television series, “Jane the Virgin.”
Finding the time to do all these appearances takes a lot of energy, which she has in abundance, said Moreno.
