Eternal night of my eyes / light hidden in the shadows / I live in darkness / with no other light than my life / light and life is my song / I felt like tearsThe haunting milonga of The Girl from Puebla summarizes the drama of Dolores Jimenez Alcantara (La Puebla de Cazalla, Seville, 1908 – Málaga, 1999), better known as La Niña de la Puebla, an exceptional figure in the flamenco of the 20th century not only because of his blindness, but also because of his unique career and his way of being ahead of his time with a unique personality.
Almost thirty years after her death, and largely forgotten by some fans, the filmmaker from Huelva Remedios Malvarez she wanted to vindicate her in the documentary Remember me, which premieres on March 12th in the Picasso Museum, within the framework of the Malaga FestivalClosely linked to flamenco, as evidenced by a filmography that includes titles such as Menese, Pico Reja o FandangoMalvárez has used for his project the precious material of some cassette tapes in which La Niña de la Puebla conversed with her granddaughter, the actress Calvo Oleander, when the singer was 82 lucid and with a good memory.
In these family conversations, Dolores would recall once again how she lost her sight three days after birth due to a medical error—a poorly prepared eye drop—as well as the main milestones of her life, from her discovery of the cante de Pepe Marchena, her great role model, until her marriage to another esteemed flamenco singer, Luquitas de Marchenaagainst the wishes of an overly strict father. She reveals all this while, in archival footage, we see her doing her chores, reading in Braille, or sharing intimate moments with her granddaughters.
"Closely linked to flamencoAs evidenced by a filmography that includes titles such as Menese, Pico Reja or Fandango, Remedios Malvárez has used for her project the precious material of some cassette tapes in which La Niña de la Puebla conversed with her granddaughter, the actress Adelfa Calvo, when the singer was 82 lucid and with a good memory.
Special mention should be made of his version of The Bell Ringers, lighter than that of Manuel Torreand which became a true republican anthem. After the civil war, and thanks to her enormous popularity, La Niña de la Puebla was able to continue performing as part of that internal exile of the postwar period, although fear would never leave her. “I risked being shot,” she confessed to her granddaughter. “People have been killed for less.”
None of this prevented that The Bell Ringers It was the most popular song in the drab Spain of 1952. But the singing spectrum of La Niña de la Puebla is much broader, encompassing song and the flamencowith recordings ranging from Sevillanas, Granaínas, Malagueñas, Fandangos or Tarantas to Seguiriyas and Soleás, among many others palosAnd the same can be said of the musicians with whom he shared the stage: from his idol Marchena to Vallejo, Valderrama, Pepe Pinto, Rafael Farina o The Titmouse, Manolo Sanlúcar, Paco de Lucía, José Menese o Camarón.
And although there are still those who deny her even the most basic recognition, the legacy of La Niña de la Puebla has taken root in new generations. Remember me They appear, for example, the young flamenco singer Sandra Carrasco with the guitar of David of Arahal remembering the teacher, or a groundbreaking Maria Pelae a contemporary version. Other important moments in the film include the remembrance of his daughter Adelfa Soto, a successful copla singer, and the visit to the peña from the seafaring neighborhood of Pedragalejo in Malaga, now sadly closed, where the memory of the great artist is kept.
La Niña de la Puebla passed away in 1999, shortly before she was to receive the Medal of Merit in Fine Arts. She was an example of resilience, professionalism, and stage presence, as well as a rare sensitivity that deserves a place of honor in the memory of flamenco aficionados. When her granddaughters asked her if, thanks to advances in science, she would like to regain her sight, she always said that she preferred to remain as she was: “I like the world not as it is, but as I imagine it.” ♦
