María del Rosario Graciela Rayas Trejo (1943 – 21 August 2014), known professionally as Tehua ("you" in

Nahuatl Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller ...

), was a Mexican singer and popularizer of traditional music. She was named by the poet Jaime Sabines as the "abusive voice of birds."

Biography

When she was two years old, Tehua's family emigrated from

Querétaro City Santiago de Querétaro (; Otomi: Dähnini Maxei), known simply as Querétaro City ( es, Ciudad de Querétaro), is the capital and largest city of the state of Querétaro, located in central Mexico. It is part of the macroregion of Bajío. It is n ...

to San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, of which she considers herself a native. At age 26 she moved to Mexico City to begin her career as a singer. According to her own admissions, her intention was to have a style similar to that of

Lucha Villa Luz Elena Ruiz Bejarano (born November 30, 1936), more commonly known by her stage name Lucha Villa, is a Mexican singer and actress. Early life Born in Camargo, Chihuahua, Luz Elena Ruiz Bejarano was given her pseudonym "Lucha Villa" by telev ...

. However, the difference in their voices made it impossible to continue in that direction. She began to sing in bars. In the early 1970s she began to sing protest songs. In that environment she met Óscar Chávez and

Amparo Ochoa María Amparo Ochoa Castaños, (29 September 1946 in Culiacán – 8 February 1994) better known as Amparo Ochoa, was a Mexican singer-songwriter. She was one of several other Mexican artists who emerged in the 1960s belonging to the movement know ...

, with whom she collaborated on multiple occasions. During this decade she participated, within its musical segment, on the educational program ''Caminito'', led by Pepita Gómiz, as well as the program ''Sábados con Saldaña'', directed by , where she worked with musicians and singers such as Jorge Macías, Óscar Chávez, and Daniel García Blanco. Among Tehua's repertoire were old Mexican songs from different parts of the country, from

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

to Oaxaca and

Chiapas Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...

. She has interpreted songs by composers such as Joaquín Pardavé, Agustín Lara, Ignacio Fernández Esperón (Tata Nacho), and Salvador Chava Flores. She has rescued songs such as "Mis blancas mariposas", "La norteña", "El buque de más potencia", "Cuatro milpas", "Mi casita de paja", and "El jarabe loco", which were in danger of being forgotten. Her career was not very commercial. In addition to her records, her songs appear on cultural radio stations. She gave special attention to live performances, in association with cultural institutions of Mexico City and some states of the republic. Tehua died from cancer in Mexico City on 21 August 2014.

Select discography

* ''Añoranzas mexicanas'' * ''Añoranzas mexicanas volumen II'' * ''Añoranzas mexicanas volumen III'' * ''Añoranzas mexicanas volumen IV'' * ''Añoranzas mexicanas volumen V'', with Óscar Chávez * ''Añoranzas mexicanas volumen VI'', with Óscar Chávez * ''Añoranzas mexicanas volumen VII'', interpreting Tata Nacho * ''Y la canción se hizo... Historia'' * ''La canción femenina'', singing María Grever * ''Tehua interpreta a

Chava Flores Salvador Flores Rivera (January 14, 1920 – August 5, 1987), also known as Chava Flores, was a Mexican composer and singer of popular and folkloric music. His songs often described the lives of Mexico City's ordinary people. Biography Flores ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1943 births 2014 deaths Deaths from cancer in Mexico People from Querétaro City Singers from Querétaro 20th-century Mexican women singers 21st-century Mexican women singers