05/22/2025
Cory Daye:
The Disco Icon Behind “Cherchez La Femme”
and a Legacy of Cultural Fusion
GRAMMY-nominated vocalist Cory Daye first captivated audiences as the fiery voice of *Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band*, delivering the 1976 disco smash **“Cherchez La Femme”**—a glittering anthem that became synonymous with the era’s genre-blurring energy. Later, as a solo artist, she scored another hit with **“Pow Wow”**, a funk-driven track from her gold-certified 1980 debut *Cory and Me*. But behind these chart-toppers lies a story of cultural resilience and musical innovation, rooted in Daye’s rich Puerto Rican and Syrian heritage.
Born in the Bronx on April 25, 1952, Daye’s identity was shaped by her family’s Afro-Puerto Rican roots and their journey from hardship to hope. Her mother, born in 1927 amid Puerto Rico’s economic turmoil, migrated to New York as one of nine children raised in poverty. “They had no money… [My mother] came from a family that had an outhouse,” Daye once shared, reflecting on her family’s perseverance. Her mixed ancestry—spanning her pale-skinned grandfather and dark-complexioned grandmother—mirrored Puerto Rico’s racial mosaic, a duality Daye carried into her genre-defying artistry.
With *Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band*, Daye reimagined American music, fusing swing, big band, Caribbean rhythms, and disco into a sound she called “a love letter to Latino contributions to this country.” Her ethereal vocals on “Cherchez La Femme” propelled the band to stardom, while her solo career solidified her as a versatile force. Tracks like “Pow Wow” and “Green Light” blended R&B, pop, and Latin grooves, echoing her belief that “Latinos *are* American music.”
By the 1980s, Daye joined *Kid Creole & The Coconuts*, adding her signature flair to their album *Tropical Gangsters* and further cementing her status as a crossover pioneer. Decades later, her light, airy voice remains a bridge between cultures—a testament to the power of music born from struggle, diversity, and unshakable pride.
From Bronx tenements to GRAMMY recognition, Cory Daye’s journey isn’t just about hits—it’s a rhythmic tapestry of what it means to be Boricua.
https://youtu.be/L25EDVlgcBY?si=ieZWg5kRTYyq_cJi
