Cachita (born c. 1970) is a transexual actress from Cuba. Like Argentine actress Florencia De La V, Cachita refuses to make her birth name and date be known by the public. Her birth name was "Alberto". Her legal name is "Alina", but her last name remains unknown.

Cachita debuted on television as a participant on a singing contest at Don Francisco's Sabado Gigante show, on Univision. After winning the contest, she used the 500 dollars she earned to buy a car. She was still a struggling actor when she found work at Univision's "El Gordo y La Flaca " show, in 1998. There, she became friends with co-hosts Raul De Molina, Lily Estefan and Marta Rodriguez. Many guest entertainers have told her that she looks a lot like Estefan.

Cachita admitted on an internet interview that she was able to have a sex change surgery, becoming a female. She told her fans that she had always felt she had a female mind and was trapped in a male body. She has also admitted to wearing a blond wig; her normal hair color is dark.

Before her sex change operation, Cachita was a restaurant worker. Her boss told her that she would be allowed to come to work dressed as a woman, and her co-workers were adviced to refer to her as "Alina".

Cachita returned to Cuba for a family visit soon after her sex change operation. She had a hard time there with her family, as her aunt and grandmother in particular did not accept her change. Her aunt in particular insisted on calling her "Alberto', and her mother, who supported her decision, reacted angrily at Cachita's aunt, telling her that Alberto was now a woman and her name was Alina.

Cachita is famous among Univision viewers for her entrances to the "El Gordo y La Flaca" show: She always falls to the floor when she enters the studio. Since the show consists mainly of gossip-talking, Cachita is often brought in to talk about scandals; such was the case when she intervened on the show the monday after Janet Jackson's "malfunction" at the 2004 Super Bowl.

Being a regular of "El Gordo y La Flaca" has allowed Cachita to expand her career: she has also worked as a reporter at some award shows, like "Premios Lo Nuestro" and others. Besides that, she is also a writer, with a column in the monthly magazine, TVNotas .

External links

Cachita and Marta interview