Ruth Fernandez was a well renowned Puerto Rican singer, (equivalent to a Bessie Smith or a Mahalia Jackson in the United States, in terms of career recognition in and out of Puerto Rico). She was also a senator, a philanthropist, and a cultural icon. She was also Sunshine Logroño's next-door neighbor. One of her songs, "Gracias, Mundo", was a favored telethon closer in Puerto Rico (very much as "You Never Walk Alone" was for Jerry Lewis in his own MDA telethons). Logroño asked her to sing it as a closer for his movie. She was horrified with the idea, but decided to give it a go, as to be a good sport. Hers is the closing theme song for the movie.