Francisca Viveros Barradas (born April 2, 1947), most-known professionally as Paquita la del Barrio ("Paquita from the neighborhood"), is a Mexican singer, songwriter, and actress. She is a Grammy-nominated performer of rancheras, boleros and other traditional and contemporary Mexican musical genres.[1]
Career
Paquita started her career in Mexico City in 1970, where she performed at a local restaurant in Colonia Guerrero, and fans began returning every week to listen to her sing. It is here where she started using her stage name, Paquita la del Barrio.[2] Her big break came in 1986, after she performed on a Televisa show that exposed her to a wider audience; this led to a recording contract with CBS Records.[2]
Paquita’s catalogue of songs usually take a feminist stance against Mexico's sexist and “macho” male culture and attitudes, often pointing the finger at the men in her lyrics for causing problems in relationships, and generally making them out to be “tontos y bobos” (clowns and fools).[3] This has made her especially popular among female audiences. Paquita is known for her somewhat condescending way of speaking, and for her confrontational presence; her signature phrase, with which she often teases male spectators at her shows, is "¿Me estás oyendo, inútil?", or "are you listening to me, you good-for-nothing?" (“inútil” literally translates to “useless”). In the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, when reguetonero and singer Bad Bunny went to the stage—to kindly help her with her faulty microphone—she (lovingly) told him “Eres un inútil”.[4]
In an interview in 2008, with The Miami Herald, Paquita said, "I am defending women. It is very important. I am a woman. I speak of my experiences."[5] Her best-known song is "Rata de dos patas" (English: "Two-legged rat"), in which she compares an ex-lover to a variety of vermin and other untrustworthy animals, including bugs and “goddamn cockroaches”. The song is the title track on her album of the same name.[6] Many of Paquita's albums and songs are popular jukebox staples in Mexican clubs and cantinas. Paquita's influences stemmed from ranchera music, and singers like Antonio Aguilar and Pedro Infante.[7] Many of her fans, particularly outside of México, also appreciate her for her overall style, glamour and “camp” value.
Paquita la del Barrio has inspired a television series on Univision. The series, Paquita la del Barrio, follows the fictional life story behind the Mexican singer.[10] Paquita stated that it was difficult to watch a story of her life, but was pleased that her story was being told.
Nominations
Her album Romeo Y Su Nieta earned her a nomination for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards (2013) under Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano).[11]
Paquita la del Barrio was born Francisca Viveros Barradas in Alto Lucero, Veracruz.
When she was fifteen years old she eloped with forty-four-year-old Miguel Magaña. Her marriage with Magaña lasted seven years, and she had two sons.[13] Her first marriage ended when she discovered her husband was married to another woman and had a family. Her second marriage lasted 31 years, and ended with her husband's death in 2000.[14]
Controversy
She was criticized by the LGBT community when she said in an interview, "It is better for orphans to die than to be adopted by a homosexual family."[15] She then apologized to the LGBT community and did a special performance and a press conference in a gay club called Spartacus Disco.[16][17]
Discography
1982. Paquita La Del Barrio Y Sus Boleros Romanticos
(originally on LP & Cassette; sometimes titled "...Y Sus Boleros Rancheros" on some CD editions)
1988. Mi Renuncia
(originally on LP and cassette; re-released in 1993 on CD as "Tres Veces Te Engañé)
1990. Ando Tapada
1992. Desquítate Conmigo
1993. Te Voy A Recordar
1993. Ni Un Cigarro
1993. Invítame A Pecar
1993. Bórrate
1994. Acábame De Matar
1995. Dicen Que Tú
1997. Destapa Me
1998. Me Saludas A La Tuya
1999. Al Cuarto Vaso
2000. Piérdeme El Respeto
2000. El Club De Los Inútiles
2000. Azul Celeste
2001. Taco Placero
2001. Duro Y Contra Ellos
2002. Verdad Que Duele
2002. Pa' Puras Vergüenzas
2002. Falsaria
2003. La Mera Chingona
2004. Qué Mamá Tan Chaparrita
2004. Para Los Inútiles
2004. Me Estás Oyendo, Inútil?
2004. Lámpara Sin Luz
2004. La Crema De La Crema
2004. Hombres Malvados
2005. Qué Chulos Campos
2005. No Me Amenaces
2005. Mi Historia
2005. Llorarás
2005. En La Bohemia
2006. El Estilo Inconfundible De Paquita La Del Barrio
^Vargas, Deborah R.. Dissonant Divas in Chicana Music : The Limits of La Onda. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2012. Accessed March 10, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central.