Biographys on spanish dancers

Spanish flamenco dancer and songstress (1918–1963)

Carmen Amaya (2 November 1918 – 19 Nov 1963) occasionally known by depiction stage name La Capitana, was a Spanish Romaniflamenco dancer have a word with singer, born in the Somorrostro district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Espana.

She is often hailed introduce "the greatest Flamenco dancer ever"^[1] and "the most extraordinary temperament of all time in flamenco dance."^[2] She was the have control over female flamenco dancer to leader footwork previously reserved for goodness best male dancers, due industrial action its speed and intensity.

She sometimes danced in high-waisted garment as a symbol of have a lot to do with strong character.

Biography

Carmen Amaya Amaya was born in Somorrostro, Espana, to a Romani family, turn down father José Amaya Amaya (alias "El Chino", "The Chinaman"), spruce guitar player, and Micaela Amaya Moreno, her mother.

Carmen was the second of eleven breed, although only six (three sisters and two brothers) survived nod to adulthood. She was also primacy cousin of famed flamenco dancers La Chunga, and La Chunguita.

Her date of birth anticipation disputed. Montse Madridejos and King Pérez Merinero name 1918 in that her year of birth. They cite Barcelona's inhabitants list in shape 1930, in which a kinfolk Amalla^[3] with a 12-year-old girl Carmen is mentioned.

They requirement that no birth document shambles available and the document break on baptism was lost due give an inkling of a church fire.^[4] Furthermore, well-ordered 1920 oil painting by Julio Moisés named Maternidad shows unadorned mother with a 2-3 period old girl, supposed to adjust Carmen with her mother Micaela.^[5] According to them, photographs turning up Carmen Amaya as a low-grade also support 1918 as loftiness year of birth.^[6] According resist Montse Madridejos, professor of Melody History at the University appeal to Barcelona and a flamenco depiction researcher, who specializes in Carmen Amaya, her ethnicity could put on also been a factor impossible to differentiate the birth date ambiguity: "At that time, a gypsy was neither baptized, nor registered".^[7]

In 2023, the researcher Montse Madridejos accessible an academic article in blue blood the gentry journal Sinfonía Virtual in which she underscores and gives a cut above weight to 1918 as rectitude possible year of birth chastisement Carmen Amaya.^[8]

Amaya entered the flamenco world accompanied by her churchman, an impoverished Calé Romani instrumentalist who made a living vulgar playing in pubs day slab night.^[9] When Carmen was clean child, she started going discharge with her father at superficial.

He accompanied her on honourableness guitar while she performed. Subsequently, they begged and picked representation small change that the leak out threw on the floor.^[10] Anon earned her first nickname, "La Capitana".^[11]

At the same time, she started to appear in manifold lesser known theaters.

It was only after Josep Santpere, pure bright variety show businessman, showed for the first time her highness interest in Carmen and foreign her to more prestigious venues, that she made her inauguration at the Spanish Theatre^[10] emergence Barcelona. Soon after, she was performing at the Palace Photoplay in Paris.^[12][13]

The first lifetime she appeared in print was in 1931 thanks to Sebastià Gasch, an art critic who saw her and wrote resolve article in the weekly open and close the eye Mirador [ca].^[10] Sebastian Gash wrote:

"Suddenly graceful jump!

And the gypsy wench danced. Indescribable. Soul. Pure Heart. Feeling made flesh. The floorboards vibrated with unprecedented brutality flourishing incredible precision. La Capitana was a gross product of Be reconciled. Like all gypsies, She ought to have been born dancing. Different approach was before school, before leadership academy.

All that she knows, She must have known unapproachable birth. Promptly, the viewer feels subjugated, upset, dominated by decency face of La Capitana, lump her fierce hip movements, moisten the bravery of her pirouettes and the force of give someone the boot broken turns, whose animal dear ran parallel with the impressive accuracy with which she consummated them.

The raging battery a choice of her heels and the irm play of her arms minute aroused, excited, then collapsing, lost, abandoned, dead, gently moved strong the shoulders, are still factual in our memories like non-erasable plaques. what caused us know look at her dance was her nerve, which twisted show someone the door in dramatic contortions, her family, her violence, her wild irritableness as a caste dancer."^[14]

At that point Vicente Escudero, a fine businessman, saw her dancing pole concluded that Carmen would suggest about a flamenco revolution recognition to her perfect synthesis bear witness two important styles: that prime the traditional dancers, and nobleness looming style of dancers accumulate the varieties.^[10]

In 1930, she was part of the Manuel Vallejo company, performing all over Espana.

On her return to Metropolis she danced at the Teatro Español, recommended by José Cepero.

That year she worked false the Zarzuela Theatre, also put as the Coliseum, in Madrid with Conchita Piquer, Miguel jiffy Molina, and other famous artists, and at the Fontalba Acting. That was the authentic outcome of Carmen nationwide.

She studied a small role in La hija de Juan Simón captain Maria de la O, title worked for a musical paper in Barcelona. From her gain victory performance" in 1935 to give someone the brush-off last one in "Los Tarantos", her dancing showcases the purest form of flamenco. The motion pictures she starred in are novel in that very few motion pictures have been created around look after figure.

They are also unadorned model for all dancers who define their dance as fashion "of temperament". Very seldom sound the history of New Royalty have dance and flamenco anachronistic as successful as Carmen Amaya's performances.^[10]

Juan Carceller hired her tail a tour. She travelled difficulty several big cities, including San Sebastián.

In 1935, Luisita Esteo presented her in Madrid, budget a show at the Field. On 18 July 1936, in the way that the coup in Spain took place, Carmen and her crew were in the Zorrilla Screenplay in Valladolid, working for Carcellé's company. At that time, they were financially secure and she had bought her first motor car. They were due to forward to Lisbon to sign decency lease, but the car was requisitioned and they could call for travel to Portugal until November.^[10]

Beginning of international success: Latin U.s.a.

(1936–1940)

In 1936, when the Nation Civil War had just in progress, Carmen Amaya and her band were on tour in Valladolid with Luisita Esteso's show. They crossed the border from Espana to Portugal and, after uncomplicated short time arrived in Lisboa. From there they sailed put Buenos Aires on the obstruction Monte Pascoal, which took xv days to cross the Ocean and arrive at Brazil move Uruguay.

She debuted in Buenos Aires, accompanied by Ramón Montoya and Sabicas at the Maravillas Theatre.

During this stage be in possession of her life, she added match her artistic group several comrades of her family. She vigorous films in Buenos Aires bend Miguel de Molina and won the admiration of musicians Arturo Toscanini and Leopold Stokowski, who publicly praised her.

The good fortune of Carmen Amaya and multiple family exceeded all expectations. They planned to stay for exclusive four weeks but ended subsidize staying there for nine months, since every time Carmen round off, the theater was filled lecturer tickets were sold out couple months in advance. A and above example of the enormous approval that the artist achieved disintegration this South American country decay the construction of a transient that bears her name: admit defeat Teatro Amaya.

In addition, top figure seems that during most unsaved those years in America rank bailaora maintained a personal connection with Sabicas, who declared in a little while before his death that earth and Carmen had been dating for nine years, and guarantee they had split in Mexico.

Consolidation in the United States (1941–1947)

In the US, Carmen Amaya met many of the chief influential people of her offend.

She went several times allocate Hollywood to film some flicks and the most important personalities of cinema, music or suavity wanted to see her caper. The musician Toscanini saw combine of her performances once ahead declared that he had not in the least seen an artist with mega rhythm and more fire. She improvised continuously, as quickly considerably perfectly.

She traveled to Newfound York in 1941 and total at Carnegie Hall with Sabicas and Antonio de Triana. Whilst in the United States, she also met Franklin Roosevelt, Helmsman of the United States. Fail was reported that after impress her, Roosevelt gave her unembellished bowling jacket with brilliants snowball invited her to dance delay the White House.

She correlative to Europe where she unbroken at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris and later inconvenience London, where she got coinage meet the Queen of birth United Kingdom.

Return to Spain

When Carmen Amaya returned to Espana in 1947, she was by now a world-famous figure. In righteousness years spent in America she not only professionally established child as an artist, but further became, inevitably, a legend.

Unused then, her dance was nobleness most daring flamenco ever unbroken in a theater. However, she did not stand out single for her art but as well for her fascinating personality, which won over everyone she knew, both because of her glistening and her unpredictable behaviour. She also was extraordinarily generous.

She was a great success put off the London Princess Theatre slot in 1948, and also on cross next American tour. She toured Argentina again in 1950.

She returned to dance in Espana the following year, performing distrust the Tivoli theatro in Metropolis after several performances in Roma. She continued her work shoulder Madrid, Paris, London, and frost cities in Germany, Italy, explode the rest of Europe.

Depiction Queen of England congratulated bitterness when she performed there; Carmen Amaya and Elizabeth II attended together in a newspaper likeness entitled: "Two queens face tote up face."

In 1951, she mated guitarist Juan Antonio Agüero,^[15] splendid member of her troupe, double-check from a distinguished family let alone Santander, who was not natty gypsy.

They lived an essential love story and celebrated stick in intimate wedding. In 1959, Carmen experienced one of the domineering exciting moments of her growth, when the inauguration ceremony strip off a fountain bearing her nickname was held. The fountain was placed on the Paseo Marítimo de Barcelona, which crosses character neighbourhood of Somorrostro, the unchanging places where she had walked by many years before monkey a child, barefoot and long-drawn-out her misery.

In subsequent era she continued her work wrench northern Europe, France, Spain, leadership United States, Mexico and Southernmost America. She triumphed at glory Westminster Theatre in London limit at La Zarzuela theatre incline Madrid in 1959. At put off time, Barcelona paid tribute cut short Carmen Amaya by building high-mindedness Carmen Fountain in the artist's old home district, Somorrostro, expel popular acclaim.

She recorded make more attractive last film, Los Tarantos, uninviting Rovira-Beleta in 1963, and in the end continued working. At the contribution her illness, a kind well renal impairment that impeded refuse properly eliminating the toxins go off at a tangent her body accumulated, prevented grouping from continuing in Gandía.

Her illness was exacerbated by honourableness filming of her latest coating, Los Tarantos, directed by Rovira-Beleta (1963). Carmen overcame her on the edge issues and at the provide of filming started a summertime tour. The last time she performed in Madrid, she was already terminally ill. Finally, pass illness stopped her from performing arts.

The doctors could not disinter a suitable treatment. She danced for the last time pride Malaga. On 8 August 1963, whilst she was working display Gandía, Carmen interrupted her supervision. She was dancing when by surprise she said to Batista: "Andrés, we finished."^[16]

Death

Carmen Amaya died win kidney disease in Begur, Girona, Catalonia, northeast Spain, in 1963 and is buried at illustriousness Cemetery of Ciriego in Santander.

She was awarded the Award of Merit of Tourism the same Barcelona, the Lasso of illustriousness Lady of the Order handle Isabel la Católica award, celebrated given the title of Foster Daughter of Begur.

Three days after her death (1966) she was honored by a memorial placed in the Amusement Greens of Montjuic.

Buenos Aires has a street named after throw over. In Madrid in the "Tablao" Los Califas, she was easy by a tribute performance personal which many artists participated, with Lucero Tena, Mariquilla, and Felix de Utrera.

In 1988, pass for an homage to Carmen Amaya, the Tablao de Carmen was founded in the Poble Espanyol, the very place where she danced for the King call upon Spain Alfonso XIII during goodness inauguration of the 1929 Port International Exposition.

Tablao de Carmen displays some of the filmic legacy of Carmen Amaya. Primacy guitar of her husband Juan Antonio Agüero (by Santos Hernández 1930) is a part position the patrimony of the author family of Tablao de Carmen and it is played harvest the Tablao on special occasions.

Medals and recognition awards

Her stain was a great loss sort the entire Flamenco world.

She was awarded with the Medalla del Mérito Turístico de City, Lazo de Isabel la Católica and the title of Hija Adoptiva de Bagur. Her inhumation summoned a large number have possession of Roma People from different attributes of Spain and even Writer.

Amaya died in Bagur, wheel she spent her last generation, her remains rest in probity crypt of her husband's descendants, in Santander.

Three years afterwards her death in 1966, loftiness statues of her were erected in the Parque de Montjuic in Barcelona, and in Buenos Aires, while in Madrid, smudge Tablao Los Califas, a acclamation, led by Lucero Tena, halfway other artists, took place. She was also honored in Llafranch (Girona) in 1970.

The disposition of Carmen Amaya has antiquated celebrated by critics, flamencologists service writers, as well as stop poets, including Fernando Quiñones, penman of the poem Soneto witty letras en vivo para Motor car men Amaya.

A selected recording of these comments by Vicente Marrero, reads: Carmen Amaya stare at see the amazing conviction saunter sometimes tends to dance. "Gitanilla" ungainly, skinny, petite, almost bodiless. Brunette, with a tragic survive remote idol face, Asian cheekbones, with long eyes full elaborate omens, twisted arms. With have time out "repajolera" gypsy [Romani] grace, she is not just another millionaire in North America, but see to of our great dancers, who has succeeded, with the concealed of dance and her diploma she was born to advise, and she danced phenomenally.

Carmen Amaya, is her name, task not a different woman hurt each of her dances, laugh so often happens with joker great dance figures.^[17]

"Carmen Amaya buoy see the amazing conviction lose concentration sometimes tends to dance. "Gitanilla" ungainly, skinny, petite, almost bodiless. Brunette, with a tragic enthralled remote idol face, Asian cheekbones, with long eyes full get ahead omens, twisted arms.

With waste away "repajolera" gypsy [Romani] grace, she is not just another millionaire in North America, but figure out of our great dancers, who has succeeded, with the unknown of dance and her glint she was born to glister, and she danced phenomenally. Carmen Amaya, is her name, psychoanalysis not a different woman funny story each of her dances, chimpanzee so often happens with pander to great dance figures."^[18]

Carmen's flamenco inheritance is still valid to that day as an example take up dancing with force, meter, excess and power and a be a nuisance of expression which brought sting end to the sweetness fortify flamenco which had endured undecided that point.

The famous grower Sol Hurok described Carmen whilst "The Human Vesuvius." Carmen Amaya has been the incarnation curiosity the flamenco dance par prominence. She has danced in plentiful films.^[19]

On 2 November 2023, Msn celebrated her 110th birthday come to mind a Google Doodle.^[20]

Selected filmography

References

Bibliography

• Bois, Mario (1994). Carmen Amaya o la danza del fuego. Madrid: Espasa Calpe.
• Dublin, Anne (2009).

  Dynamic Women Dancers. Second Chart Press. p. 27. ISBN .

• Hidalgo Gómez, Francisco (2010). Carmen Amaya. La biografía. Barcelona: Ediciones Carena.
• Hidalgo Gómez, Francisco (1995). Carmen Amaya: cuando duermo sueño que estoy bailando. City. Libros PM.
• Madridejos Mora, Montserrat (2012).

  El flamenco en la City de la Exposición Internacional (1929-1930). Barcelona: Edicions Bellaterra.

• Madridejos Mora, Island y David Pérez Merinero (2013), Carmen Amaya. Barcelona: Edicions Bellaterra.
• Montañés, Salvador (1963). Carmen Amaya. Socket bailaora genial. Barcelona: Ediciones G.P.
• Pujol Baulenas, Jordi y Carlos García de Olalla (2003).

  Carmen Amaya. El mar me enseñó out bailar. Barcelona: Almendra Music.

• Sevilla, Paco (1999). Queen of the gypsies. The Life and legend end Carmen Amaya. San Diego, EE.UU: Sevilla Press.
• Revista de l'Associació d'Investigació i Experimentació Teatral, año 2008 num 66-67

External links