ABSTRACT
In a recent article in Spanish newspaper ABC, noted flamenco critic Ríos Ruiz reviewed a concert in honor of legendary singer La Niña de Los Peines that took place at the Teatro Albéniz in Madrid. In his description of the program given by cantaoras Tina Pavón, Remedios Amaya, La Negra and La Cañeta, Ríos Ruiz noted the strong presence of women throughout the history of flamenco and made the following comments about the role of women in cante flamenco:
”We are experiencing a time in which women once again have a great presence in the flamenco panorama. If, in the time of the cafés cantantes at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginnings of this one, there were many singers, from Maria Borrico or the Niña de los Peines, from La Trini, La Parrala, la Serrana and so many others, and in the era of the so-called Opera flamenca a large number of them also shone, headed by the Niña de la Puebla, women have known how, in the years of the revaluing of flamenco cante, to reinterpret the cante in a very responsible way, which is proved by just citing some names: Fernanda De Utrera, La Perla de Cádiz, La Paquera, María Vargas… But it is in the nineteen nineties that more big-time cantaoras are headlining concerts.” 1
The observations of Ríos Ruiz, a poet, aficionado and critic who has been involved with flamenco for years, reveal how prominent women have become in flamenco in the past decade. Cantaoras have been responsible for revitalizing and renewing flamenco at every level and in the 1990s have been moving into new territory, as they engage in projects that range from traditional recitals to theatrical productions to experimental collaborations with jazz, classical and rock musicians. Women singers are no longer merely performing the time-honored cante in ensembles directed by male artists. Many of them are heading up their own original projects and producing recordings and performances that reflect their own interests and decisions. These singers range from older women like La Paquera, La Negra and Fernanda de Utrera, who made their careers in the 1950s, to the generation of singers in their late 40s and early 50s, such as María Vargas, Tina Pavón and Carmen Linares; to emerging younger talents like Esperanza Fernández, La Macanita, Elu de Jerez and even younger singers Niña Pastori and Marina Heredia, whose pop flamenco has had great commercial success.