Carmen Amaya was a Spanish Romani flamenco dancer and singer. Her death has left a big void in the hearts of many, including her partner. We will discuss the details of Carmen Amaya’s children in this write-up.
Who is Carmen Amaya?
Carmen Amaya was born in the Somorrostro district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, to José Amaya Amaya, a guitar player, and Micaela Amaya Moreno. Carmen was the second of eleven children, although only six, consisting of three sisters and two brothers, survived to adulthood.
Carmen Amaya entered the flamenco world accompanied by her father, an impoverished Calé Romani guitarist who made a living by playing in pubs day and night. When she was a child, she started going out with her father at night. He accompanied her on the guitar while she performed. Afterwards, they begged and picked up the small change that the public threw on the floor.
At the same time, she started to appear in some lesser-known theatres. It was only after Josep Santpere, a bright variety show businessman, showed for the first time his interest in Carmen and introduced her to more prestigious venues that she made her debut at the Spanish Theatre in Barcelona. Soon after, she was performing at the Palace Theatre in Paris.
In 1936, when the Spanish Civil War had just begun, Carmen Amaya and her troupe were on tour in Valladolid with Luisita Esteso’s show. They crossed the border from Spain to Portugal and, after a short time, arrived in Lisbon. From there, they sailed for Buenos Aires on the ship Monte Pascoal, which took fifteen days to cross the Atlantic and arrive in Brazil and Uruguay.
She debuted in Buenos Aires, accompanied by Ramón Montoya and Sabicas, at the Maravillas Theatre.
During this stage of her life, she added to her artistic group several members of her family. She made films in Buenos Aires with Miguel de Molina and won the admiration of musicians Arturo Toscanini and Leopold Stokowski, who publicly praised her.
The success of Carmen Amaya and her family exceeded all expectations. They planned to stay for only four weeks but ended up staying there for nine months, since every time Carmen performed, the theater was filled and tickets were sold out two months in advance.
Carmen Amaya Children: Does Carmen Amaya have kids?
There are no details about the Carmen Amaya kids; it is not yet known whether she had given birth to any children before her death. She was, however, happily married to Juan Antonio Agüro. The pair actually met in the late 1940s and later fell in love with each other before getting married in 1952.
Juan Antonio Agüero was a guitarist and a member of Carmen Amaya’s troupe. He came from a distinguished family from Santander.
Carmen Amaya’s Death Explored
Carmen Amaya died of kidney disease in Begur, Girona, northeast Catalonia, in 1963 and is buried at the Cemetery of Ciriego in Santander.
She was awarded the Medal of Merit of Tourism in Barcelona, the Lasso of the Lady of the Order of Isabel la Católica award, and given the title of Adoptive Daughter of Begur.
Three years after her death (1966), she was honored by a monument placed in the Amusement Park of Montjuic. Buenos Aires has a street named after her. In Madrid, in the “Tablao” Los Califas, she was honored by a tribute performance in which many artists participated, including Lucero Tena, Mariquilla, and Felix de Utrera.
