In the desire to confirm that the present is a continuation of the past, so forgotten, and that it should not be idealized, but studied, we bring today to the plural window of expoflamenco the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the birth of the famous Medina boy, a singer born in Seville where he was a fundamental reference of the Girl of the Combs, and that, even though he achieved celebrity, that is, even though he enjoyed the advantage of becoming known to those who did not know him, his name has only found refuge in historical oblivion.
De Niño Medina exists in the heart of the flamencology a falsely true and truly false image, two positions that will have to be reconciled and overcome in a valid synthesis, since it is considered beautifully false in the light of research, but it is equally true in the darkness of inexpressible convictions, of beliefs, of the elemental larvae that move the behavior of passionate fans.
Although not all speculations are fleeting, the first contradiction surrounding his family genealogy was resolved about six decades ago. Until then, confusion had reigned, as it was widely believed that he was the son of José Rodríguez Concepción. Medina the Old, a professional singer from the Jerez neighborhood of Santiago, whose father was from Jerez and whose mother was from Arcense, who abandoned his wife and moved to Seville, where he apparently lived his final years in a shack on the San Jerónimo road.
Well, in 1995, the poet and researcher Antonio Murciano not only documented that José María Rodríguez de la Rosa, Niño Medina, was a grandson on his father's side (not a son) of Medina the Elder, but he was also born in Arcos de la Frontera (and not in Jerez), on October 8, 1875 and in Pesas del Reloj Street (today Obispo Villavivencio), number 19, as shown in the baptismal certificate located in the parish of Santa María.
But going back in time, Medina the Elder –nicknamed thus because of the surname he carried in fourth place–, after leaving his art in Arcos and Jerez, was recognized as an artist of great importance in the capital of Seville, so he established his residence in a mansion on Butrón Street, 19, where the Pavones.
And so Antonio Rodríguez Rosado, a barber by profession, and Manuela de la Rosa Linares arrived with their three children, Ana María, Mercedes, and José. The youngest grew up in a professional environment and stood out precociously at the age of 14, so that, together with his friend Arturo Pavon, picked up his grandfather's singing legacy, such as the petenera, the bulerías and the slow tangos (tientos) of Cádiz, styles that later caught the attention of Niña de los Peines, since apart from the friendship that united them, it must be said that they continued to be neighbours, since Niño Medina lived until his death at 14 Calatrava Street, passing away in the Hospital of Seville in 1939.
His artistic beginnings coincided with the disappearance of the Café de Silverio and the Café del Burrero in Seville, but the Novedades, Filarmónico, Salón Oriente, Café de la Marina, and the Gran Café Suizo were still in their heyday. And it was precisely at the Café Concierto Novedades, in the heart of Campana, where he cultivated a profound understanding of the fundamental styles of the time.
«This is how the life of Niño Medina passed, a teacher who is, along with Pastora Pavón, the bronze statue in the central square of the memory of the bulería and the petenera (…), despite the overwhelming personality of Pastora, as José Blas Vega stated, overwhelmed him, which explains why the brilliant teacher, tired of being compared to Niño Medina, refused to acknowledge her worth in public.
He also shared the aesthetic that was being developed in private venues and inns, such as Las Delicias, the Salón Barrera, the Venta Eritaña or El Pasaje del Duque, a venue with main entrance through the Plaza del Duque and whose rear façade faced San Eloy Street. He also participated, along with Mr. Antonio Chacon, who frequently called Medina el Viejo to listen to his seguiriyas and peteneras, Ramón from Triana, Pepe Villalba, The Sanluqueño, Guitarist Bean, Salvaorillo, Arturo Pavón and Ferdinand the Blacksmith, at the festivities that were organized in the Pasaje del Duque in Seville.
This did not prevent him from organizing companies in 1906 and including in his cast Pastora on his tours of Andalusia. His friend 'Pastorica' was 16 years old, and the press wouldn't report on her prowess until 1908, when she appeared with our protagonist at the Eslava Theater in Seville, where, in addition to singing tangos, he thrilled the audience "by singing malagueñas, the garrotín, and, at the public's request, jotas and guajiras. Every time he sang a jota, the Aragonese people would stand up and applaud enthusiastically. It was a good afternoon for Medina."
On June 16, 1911, he sang Niño de Medina at the Rodrigo Caro Theater (today Enrique de la Cuadra), Utrera, “coming from the Duke of Seville's theater” and “accompanied by his guitar player Antonio Torres Jiménez”, to participate a year later, in December 1912, in the festival in the Seville Salón Oriente dedicated to the benefit of Maria la Moreno, where he shares the stage with Pastora Pavon, Cepero y Escacena, among others.
Four years later we located him in Almeria, in the Luz Edén Hall, with the guitarist Eduardo Molina Melgares, Melgarillo, a capital that knew of its successes, as the newspaper clearly reflected The defense In February 1924, after his performance at the Salón del Lión d'Or, where, after recalling past appearances, he described him as “the idol of all those who know how to feel the soul of Andalusia.”
It was in the second decade of the last century when he strengthened his relationship with Fernando el Herrero, with whom, in addition to sharing an album, he performed on several occasions in Martos, a town with which he had a double relationship, artistic and sentimental, both for his peculiar way of playing tangos, and for gaining the sympathy of the people of Martí, thanks to the fact that he established his residence on Almedina Street with his then partner. Aurora Ramírez, at his mother's inn, La Portuguesa.
The engagement was broken, and in 1922 he competed in Saint John of the Palm, from Seville, in a competition with Coca, Cojo Pomares y Manuel Rye –a frustrated bullfighter who became a singer following the advice of Niño Medina–, with whom he toured Andalusia, and a year later he went on tour with Manuel Torre, Marchena, The Glory y Manolo from Huelva, and then carried out a season at the Kursaal Imperial in Madrid.
Around 1925 he was a member of the Benavente Theatre Society in Seville, and two years later, in 1927, he returned to the capital of the Kingdom to sing at the Madrid Cinema, finally being located in his homeland in June 1928 to participate in the tribute to benefit "his" Brotherhood, that of San Antonio and the Virgin of Peace, alternating with Sorry son, Aznalcollar and Centeno, this being the last public appearance that we know of, since until his death he lived in the reserve of his sanity.
This is how the life of Niño Medina passed, a teacher who is, along with Pastora Pavón, the bronze statue in the central square of the memory of the bulería and the petenera, but also embellished by a very peculiar feature (due to its proximity to the sources, it never lacked the profound notion of the structures), and by an aptitude of great strength and effectiveness, despite the overwhelming personality of Pastora, as he sentenced Jose Blas Vega, overwhelmed him, which explains why the brilliant teacher, tired of being compared to Niño Medina –according to dixit The Lebrijano–, was reluctant to acknowledge his worth in public.
