Concepción Piquer López, whose stage name was Concha Piquer, performed for the last time before an audience in 1964, at the presentation of the El Pilar de València falla. It has always been said that she left the stage in 1958; and it is true. She was at the Victoria theater on Isla Cristina. But some time later she was encouraged to act in the El Pilar falla. Days later, the one who had been queen of the copla for fifty years, retired permanently to dedicate her time and her life to her family. No one would ever hear her sing again. Left behind was the life of a novel and a movie, of a woman who had triumphed in Spain and in the United States, who was a rebel and who knew how to face the greatest success, but also the shadows of a complex time and, furthermore, She was a champion of female empowerment. She was a unique woman.
The writer and journalist Manuel Vicent, who interviewed her and to whom he dedicated a book "Portrait of a Modern Woman" (Alfaguara) said of her that "she had a great character and was brave. An empowered woman when becoming empowered was very complicated." Born in Valencia, on December 8, 1908, she was discovered by the musician and producer Manuel Penella who saw her perform at the Huerto de Sogueros theater when she was only 12 years old. The girl had sung with Maestro Laguna. She performed in the Grao, in Gandía and in the Valencian theaters Apolo and Kursaal. She had two younger sisters, Ana and Carmen.
Manuel Penella was preparing a production in New York, "The Wildcat." He talked to his mother, Ramona, who was a seamstress, and the two went to Manhattan. His father, a bricklayer by profession, had died of cirrhosis shortly before, leaving the family in a delicate financial situation. They were two women alone. He spent five years in the United States, singing on Broadway and in many theaters. His music in this period was performed by American and Spanish orchestras, becoming well known in both New York and Madrid and other capitals.
It was in New York where she posed naked, only covered by a mantilla, and where she learned the unpleasantness of love, both with Penella, who became her lover, and with other married men with whom she had relationships. When she returned to Spain she set up her own company to develop copla shows with the grandeur that was exhibited on Broadway. She allied herself with the best: Quintero (composition and staging), León (lyrics) and Quiroga (music). And then she began to forge the myth.
They created a series of shows where songs that became very popular appeared, such as the song "La Parrala." Other of his songs are "Tattoo", "Green Eyes", "Don't look at yourself in the river", "Los piconeros", "La Lirio", "Romance de la Reina Mercedes", "A la lima y al limon", "Antonio Vargas Heredia", "Cárcel de oro", "La Niña de la Estación" and "Don't Me Want Too Much", as well as the versions of "And However I Love You" and "Yo Soy Esa".
Over the years, his voice became a symbol of the passion and drama that characterized Spanish music of the time. Concha Piquer soon stood out on local stages, captivating audiences with her magnetic presence and emotional voice. Soon, her fame crossed borders and she reached audiences in Latin America and the United States, where her interpretations of the Spanish copla, tangos and boleros found echo among those who longed for the excitement and melancholy of Spanish music.
His foray into the world of cinema was as successful as his musical career. In films such as "Tango Bar" (1935) and "Nobleza baturra" (1935), Concha demonstrated her versatility as an actress, captivating the audience with her natural talent and overflowing charisma. Throughout her career, Concha Piquer achieved numerous successes and recognitions, including awards such as the Gold Medal for Merit at Work and the Gold Medal for Fine Arts.
