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Chavela VargasMexican singer
Date of Birth: 17.04.1919
Country:  Mexico |
Content:
Biography of Chavela Vargas
Chavela Vargas was a Mexican singer who was particularly famous for her performance of lyrical songs in the traditional Mexican ranchera genre, but she also made significant contributions to other genres of popular Latin American music. Vargas enjoyed popularity and influence in both the Americas and Europe, starred in films by renowned Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, and gave unconventional performances. She was nicknamed 'la voz áspera de la ternura' - the rough voice of tenderness.
Early Life
Isabel Vargas Lizano, later known as Chavela Vargas, was born on April 17, 1919 in San Joaquín de Flores, Costa Rica. Chavela was a diminutive form of Isabel, and she was called by this name since birth. When she was 14 years old, she left her hometown because it seemed impossible to pursue a musical career there. Chavela found her second home in Mexico, where the entertainment industry was rapidly developing and provided talented performers with a chance to showcase their talent.
Music Career
For many years, Chavela Vargas remained a simple street singer, but by the age of thirty, she finally became a professional performer. In her youth, she dressed like a man, smoked cigars, drank heavily, carried a gun everywhere, and always wore her signature red poncho, which became her trademark. Her first album, 'Noche de Bohemia,' was released in 1961 with the professional support of José Alfredo Jiménez, one of the leading singer-songwriters of Mexican ranchera music at the time. Since then, Vargas has recorded over 80 albums. She was a highly successful performer throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and the first half of the 1970s, touring Mexico, the United States, France, and Spain. She also had close relationships with many prominent artists and intellectuals of the time, including writer and photographer Juan Rulfo, singer and composer Agustín Lara, artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, musician and philanthropist Dolores Olmedo, and of course, José Alfredo Jiménez.
Struggles and Comeback
By the late 1970s, Vargas had almost stopped performing, losing a fifteen-year battle with alcoholism, which she later described in her autobiography, 'Y si quieres saber de mi pasado' ('And If You Want to Know About My Past'), published in 2002. She referred to this period as her 'fifteen years in hell.' At the age of 81, Vargas publicly announced that she was a lesbian. She returned to the stage in 1991, participating in the show 'El Hábito' in Coyoacán, Mexico City. In 2003, at the age of 83, she performed for the first time at Carnegie Hall, with the support of her long-time fan and friend, Pedro Almodóvar. Vargas appeared in several films by Almodóvar, including 'Kika' (1993) and 'The Flower of My Secret' (1995), as well as in several television series and films by other directors. She also starred in 'Frida' (2002) alongside Salma Hayek, where she sang the song 'La Llorona.'
Legacy and Death
In her youth, there were rumors about Vargas having a romantic relationship with Frida Kahlo, when Kahlo was already married to Diego Rivera. Additionally, Chavela appeared in Alejandro González Iñárritu's 'Babel' (2006) and sang the song 'Tú me acostumbraste' for the film. However, she stated that acting was not among her priorities. The song 'Por el Boulevar de los Sueños Rotos' by Spanish singer and composer Joaquín Sabina is dedicated to Vargas. Chavela Vargas passed away on August 5, 2012 in Cuernavaca, the capital of Morelos, after being hospitalized for heart and respiratory problems.
