On the night of December 12, Maribel Guardia was one of the most talked-about figures at the traditional mañanitas to the Virgin of Guadalupe, held at the Basilica located on the Cerro del Tepeyac in Mexico City. At dawn, the Costa Rican-Mexican actress and singer appeared before the image of the Virgin to perform “Hermoso cariño”, a song popularized by Vicente Fernández, in an act that mixed religious devotion and family homage.
The participation was part of a television special broadcast for U.S. audiences by Telemundo, while Mexican television stations brought to Mexican homes different coverage of the Guadalupe celebration, one of the most important in the religious calendar in Mexico and in Hispanic communities abroad.
In addition to her performance, the dress that Maribel wore at the altar was a real eye-catcher. The garment was specially designed by the renowned couturier Mitzy, with whom the actress has been collaborating for years. It was a dress in sky blue and pastel tones, with a corset adorned with crystals and roses inspired by the flowers in the story of Juan Diego. Cherubs and clouds were hand-painted on the skirt; in the center, the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and among those clouds, the face of her son Julián Figueroa, who died in 2023.
On social networks, Maribel shared a video prior to the broadcast, where she showed the outfit and thanked the designer and the production for inviting her again to sing to the Virgin. “Already ready. In a few hours I’m going to sing to the beautiful Virgin of Guadalupe. Thanks to Mitzy for this dress so meaningful to me,” she wrote next to the images of the design, which also shows angels and embroidered details.
The living memory of Julián Figueroa by Maribel Guardia
The emotional charge of the evening was marked by the absence of Julian Figueroa, Maribel’s only son, who died in 2023 at the age of 27, victim of an acute myocardial infarction with ventricular fibrillation, according to the official report of the authorities.
During the transmission, the artist spoke of the intimate dimension that being in front of the Virgin has for her on this date. She recalled that years ago she had the opportunity to share this same stage with Julián and her grandson, and explained that this memory confirms to her that “everything is fine” and that God’s plans are “perfect”, even when they include painful farewells.
In declarations taken up by various media, Maribel has expressed that she feels that the Virgin “rescued her from death” by giving her comfort after the loss of her son, convincing her that Julián is “with her Son and better than ever”. That conviction, she said, is part of her spiritual healing process.
The mañanitas special brought together other celebrities such as Maite Perroni, Bobby Pulido, Lila Downs and Joss Favela, hosted by Penélope Menchaca and Ernesto Laguardia, which reinforced the artistic and devotional nature of the evening.
For Maribel Guardia, however, the appointment had a deeply personal nuance: it was an opportunity to give thanks, remember her son and reiterate her faith.
In previous interviews she has said that she feels blessed for the time she was able to share with Julián, from watching him be born to having the difficult mission of saying goodbye to him, and that her symbolic presence in the dress is a way of continuing to carry him with her as she sings to the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Here you can see the video of Maribel Guardia singing to the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Find out more at‘QueOnnda.com’.
Dona y cambia vidas
Tu donativo brinda terapias, esperanza y un futuro sin límites a niños con discapacidad. Haz la diferencia hoy.
