"I don't sing to soldiers. When the women come in, then I'll sing." That was how blunt he was. Tina Pavon when a handful of years ago they tried to convince her to give a recital in the Peña Flamenca from Huelva. Women were not allowed to enter or join. This is the reason why the Peña Flamenca Huelva Women's which Tina founded and where she did have the pleasure of spilling her melismas on the stage. And for free.
This was one of many anecdotes that the singer from San Fernando, raised in Jerez and settled in Huelva, recounted during an emotional interview that was masterfully conducted by her friend and colleague. Angels Cruzado to remember the artistic career of the woman who was probably the most sought-after flamenco artist at festivals in the 80s and part of the 90s, as the interviewer rightly pointed out statistically.
Su cante, "inhabited by the echoes of Pastora», was impressed on numerous recordings, predominantly of flamenco, although he also did work on sevillanas, Andalusian songs and set the poet's verses to music Juan Ramon Jimenez.
For the first time, a seguiriya of Manuel Torre when she was a child. Her grandmother sang it to her. That special day of Santiago and Santa Ana It ran through her like a poison, trapping her in the cante jondo. His grandmother's relatives were almost all salt miners. And he took the salpicón sucking the flamenco naturally at family celebrations. He also had a maternal aunt who sheltered a goldfinch in her throat. From there, and from the radio to which he kept his ear glued, working more hours than a hired donkey, he began to absorb the ringing of large bells. The Girl with the Combs She loved it. She leaned close to the biggest one. To the point that she took ownership of her turns to sift them with her privileged Adam's apple and amazed the fans with her ability to recreate it. Some called her an imitator and others praised this quality. In any case, she captivated with the filigrees of her cante to everyone who heard it, provoking admiration. And this earned her the opportunity, with the help of Pulpo And with the encouragement of her husband, who wanted her to do everything, she rubbed shoulders with the elite of that era and won numerous competitions to make herself known. Not in vain, she won the prize Henry the Twin across cantes of Cadiz del Cordoba National –he snitched Amos Rodriguez that he got something from seeing her so nervous - or that of the cantes of compass in the of Mairena, to name a few of the most important.
«Tina Pavón delighted us with a small-format recital in which she performed malagueñas and abandolaos, soleá and bulerías – here she roused the audience with the Maja Aristocrática of Pastora–, to the lullaby of Antonio Carrión's infallible bajañí»
Soon a huge amount of contracts arrived for peñas, theaters and festivals where she showed off her talents until the recent and damning pandemic that confined her to the care of her parents and has taken her off the stage. Ortiz New from the audience shouted at him that "there is no retiring."
She felt very well accompanied with the guitar of Manuel Dominguez El Rubio, although he curiously debuted in Moguer to the accompaniment of the singer's strings Orange from Triana. Shielded by whoever she was, she has always been greatly respected by the public, "very afraid", but this has not prevented her from working even at the feet of Mario Maya or sing to him at private parties Antonio Mairena, who cried the first time he heard her seguiriya, although when Tina brought her the demos she told her that she would sing "well when you are at least fifty years old and life has given you the palos that gives us to the whole world." With that advice he skinned himself, giving it his all when he recorded at Belter.
She firmly stated that she was a favorite among her colleagues and that she didn't feel bad about often being the only artist on the posters, always trying to dignify the role of women in this genre, as we could see in a selection of sound recordings –por granaínas, alegrías, soleá por bulerías or seguiriyas– and audiovisuals to which Ángeles Cruzado introduced before Tina delighted us with a small-format recital in which she performed malagueñas and abandolaos, soleá and bulerías –here she got the audience up in arms with the Aristocratic Maja de Pastora–, to the lullaby of the infallible bajañí of Antonio Carrion.
It was a heartfelt, enjoyable, and just act. And it wasn't the only one that will be hosted on the stage of this sun-soaked peña. The same has already been done with Rufino de Paterna, presenting a book written by his granddaughter Rufina and what we will report on this portal shortly, will come later the biography of The Cake de Eduardo Pastor and many other events to fill the cultural Sundays of Torres Macarena, with free admission. And sometimes, as happened on October 12, extending the hours into the night with cante and an improvised party among fans inspired by these things that we love so much.
Credits
Recognition to Tina Pavón
Peña Flamenca Torres Macarena, Seville
12th October 2025
Conversation with the artist, review of her career and touches of cante
Host and interviewer: Ángeles Cruzado
Cante: Tina Pavón
Guitar: Antonio Carrion
