Concha Velasco

Concepción Velasco Varona OAXS MML (born 29 November 1939), known professionally as Concha Velasco, or Conchita Velasco in her beginnings, is a Spanish actress, singer and television presenter. She has received numerous accolades throughout her career in film, theater and television spanning over six decades, including two National Theater Awards presented by the Spanish Ministry of Culture in 1972 and 2016, the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Spanish Television Academy in 2009 and the Honorary Goya Award presented by the Spanish Film Academy in 2012.

Some of her credits include leading film performances in ''Red Cross Girls'' (1958), ''Los tramposos'' (1959), ''The Fair of the Dove'' (1963), ''Television Stories'' (1965), '' The Witching Hour'' (1985) and ''Beyond the Garden'' (1996); stage performances in ''¡Mamá, quiero ser artista!'', in several plays that author Antonio Gala wrote for her and in the Spanish productions of ''Filumena Marturano'' and '' Hello, Dolly!''; television performances in ''Teresa de Jesús'' and ''Herederos'' on Televisión Española, ''Motivos personales'' on Telecinco and '' Gran Hotel'' on Antena 3, as well as in numerous television shows as a presenter for those three networks.

She has been also the recipient of many honors. The Government of Spain honored her with the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts in 1987, the Gold Medal of Merit in Labour in 2008 and with the Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise in 2016. The Spanish Film Academy honored her with its Gold Medal in 2003.

Career

Velasco was born in Valladolid in 1939. At the age of ten, she moved to Madrid where she studied classical and Spanish dance at the National Conservatory. She made her debut as a dancer in the ''corps de ballet'' of the La Coruña opera and later worked as a flamenco dancer with Manolo Caracol and as revue dancer with Celia Gámez.

She began her career in the cinema at the age of fifteen in several titles as a supporting actress. Her first films as a leading actress was ''Red Cross Girls'' (1958). During the 1960s and 1970s she combined her work starring in films and in plays for theater and television. In the film ''Television Stories'' (1965) she performed the song "Chica ye ye" composed by Augusto Algueró with lyrics by Antonio Guijarro. The song became a hit and she suddenly found success as a ''yé-yé'' singer recording eight albums.

During the 1970s and 1980s she performed more serious roles. Her most successful role for television was in ''Teresa de Jesús'' (1984) as Teresa of Ávila. Also in the 1980s she launched her career as television presenter hosting the New Year's Eve variety shows to welcome 1985, 1986 and 1987 on Televisión Española.

On 14 March 2018 she announced that, after a career of 64 years, the stage play ''El funeral'' would be her last. She retired on 21 September 2021 with her last performance of the play ''La habitación de María'' at Theatre of Bretón de los Herreros in Logroño.

Filmography

Film

* 1954: ''El bandido generoso''
* 1955: '' The Moorish Queen'' as Bailaora
* 1956: ''La fierecilla domada''
* 1956: ''Dos novias para un torero''
* 1956: ''Los maridos no cenan en casa''
* 1957: ''Mensajeros de paz''
* 1957: ''Muchachas en vacaciones''
* 1958: ''Red Cross Girls'' as Paloma
* 1959: ''El día de los enamorados'' as Conchita
* 1959: ''Los tramposos'' as Julita
* 1959: ''Crimen para recién casados''
* 1959: ''Vida sin risas''
* 1960: ''Amor bajo cero''
* 1960: ''Julia y el celacanto''
* 1960: ''Peace Never Comes'' as Paula
* 1961: ''The Reprieve'' as Antonia
* 1961: ''Trampa para Catalina''
* 1961: ''Martes y trece''
* 1961: ''My Wedding Night'' as Fernanda Jiménez
* 1961: ''Festival en Benidorm'' as Lía / María / Estefanía
* 1962: ''Sabían demasiado''
* 1963: ''La boda era a las doce''
* 1963: ''The Fair of the Dove'' as Susana / Mari Loli
* 1964: ''Casi un caballero''
* 1965: ''Television Stories'' as Katy
* 1965: ''Susana''
* 1965: ''Honeymoon, Italian Style'' as Rosetta de Curtis
* 1965: ''La frontera de Dios''
* 1966: ''El arte de no casarse''
* 1966: ''Hoy como ayer''
* 1966: ''El arte de casarse''
* 1966: ''Honeymoon, Italian Style''
* 1967: ''Pero... ¿en qué país vivimos?''
* 1967: '' Las Locas del conventillo'' as María
* 1967: ''Las que tienen que servir'' as Juana Cortés
* 1968: ''Una vez al año, ser hippy no hace daño''
* 1968: ''Relaciones casi públicas'' as Marta
* 1968: ''Los que tocan el piano''
* 1969: ''Cuatro noches de boda''
* 1969: ''Matrimonios separados''
* 1969: ''Juicio de faldas'' as Marta
* 1970: ''La decente'' as Nuria
* 1970: ''Después de los nueve meses''
* 1970: ''En un lugar de La Manga''
* 1971: ''Me debes un muerto''
* 1971: ''Préstame quince días'' as Iris
* 1972: ''No encontré rosas para mi madre''
* 1972: ''Venta por pisos''
* 1973: ''El amor empieza a medianoche''
* 1973: ''El Love Feroz o cuando los hijos juegan al amor''
* 1974: ''Tormento''
* 1974: ''Mi mujer es muy decente, dentro de lo que cabe'' as Margarita
* 1975: ''Yo soy fulana de tal'' as Mapi Sánchez
* 1975: '' Pim, pam, pum... ¡fuego!''
* 1975: ''Un lujo a su alcance''
* 1976: ''Long Vacations of 36'' as Mercedes
* 1976: ''Libertad provisional''
* 1977: ''Esposa y amante''
* 1978: ''Jaque a la dama''
* 1979: ''Cinco tenedores''
* 1979: ''Ernesto'' as Aunt Regina
* 1982: '' La colmena'' as Purita
* 1985: '' The Witching Hour'' as Pilar
* 1989: ''Esquilache'' as Pastora Patermo
* 1992: ''Yo me bajo en la próxima... ¿y usted?'' as Concha
* 1996: ''Beyond the Garden'' as Palmira Gadea
* 1996: ''Sombras y luces. Cien años de cine español''
* 1999: ''París-Tombuctú''
* 2000: '' Km. 0'' as Marga
* 2001: ''Sólo yo sé tu nombre''
* 2002: ''El oro de Moscú'' as Pastora Bernal
* 2006: '' Welcome Home''
* 2007: '' Boystown'' as Antonia
* 2007: ''Crazy'' as Nuria
* 2009: ''Por la gracia de Luis''
* 2009: '' Rage'' as Sra. Torres

Stage

Television

As herself

Awards and nominations

Honours

* Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts (Kingdom of Spain, 30 December 1987).
* Gold Medal of the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain (4 April 2003).
* Gold Medal of Merit in Labour (Kingdom of Spain, 5 December 2008).
* Dame Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise (Kingdom of Spain, 7 October 2016).
* Valladolid Gold Medal (City Council of Valladolid, 17 March 2018).
* Madrid Gold Medal (City Council of Madrid, 15 May 2018).

References

External links

*
Spanish page about Concha Velasco

{{DEFAULTSORT:Velasco, Concha
1939 births
Living people
People from Valladolid
Actresses from Castile and León
Spanish television presenters
Spanish women singers
Spanish film actresses
Spanish stage actresses
Spanish Roman Catholics
Recipients of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise
Spanish women television presenters
20th-century Spanish actresses
21st-century Spanish actresses