Journalist Valeria Vegas builds in this beautiful book an emotional, fun portrait full of surprises and anecdotes about the main women who, against all odds, have shaped one of our essential identity markers over the last century: flamenco folklore.
They are the voice of our musical culture, they "españolearon" around the world, and lived thrilling lives in difficult times—brave, talented, and... so flamenco.
Questioned, undervalued, and often unfairly forgotten, our folkloric women are volcanic by nature, who sang and lived love and drama like no one else. Their stories, in times when being female was a disadvantage, show that they were clever, managed to control their lives, and were ahead of their time while building our most international cultural legacy, becoming true stars of cinema and music, and connecting with the great intellectual figures of their era.
Flamenco folklore has been disparaged for decades due to its apparent closeness to the Regime and a certain musty smell, yet through the history of its most pioneering women from the early 20th century to today, journalist Valeria Vegas seeks to do justice and show how much we owe to all of them and how brave they were. Through the sharp wit and the ironic yet affectionate gaze of its author, we will learn the anecdotes, curiosities, and everything that made this unique and pioneering breed of women so special—whether we like it or not, for better or worse, they are our heritage and our culture, our history and our brand.
"This is not a manual for flamencologists, purists, or scholars, who might from the start question the vindication of some of them, but rather a review of the life and work of twenty-seven women who stood out in copla and national folklore. They were the soundtrack of a changing country, in constant transformation, expressing the rawest emotions and the most passionate feelings. The figure of the folkloric woman reaches us today in the form of an emoji and a fridge magnet, as clear evidence of her impact on the collective imagination. A hallmark of a Spain that recognized itself in them, they were also the must-see attraction for any discerning foreigner passing through. And if not, they went to the country in question to show their talent, and as one said, to 'españolear around the world.' Backed by sharp lyricists and composers, they performed with passion songs about heartbreak, secret affairs, incurable sorrows, unspeakable secrets, and various torments. They also delighted audiences with humorous songs that poked fun at singleness, age, marriage, or women's freedom. In short, they gave voice and attitude to what many people thought, dreamed, or desired, and these women, many of humble origin and sometimes nearly illiterate, proved they had the talent needed for evocation, in the difficult art of storytelling." – Valeria Vegas
