Teresa Juliana Lucía Maraval Torres (

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

, Teresita Zazá;

Plasencia Plasencia () is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cáceres, Extremadura. , it has a population of 41,047. Plasencia is located in the Western-Central Iberian Peninsula, to the south of the Sistema Central. Housing primarily ...

, Spain, June 6, 1893 -

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, Spain, January 23, 1980) was a Spanish tonadillera, cupletista, and actress who also made a career in Argentina. In Spain, she performed in the Teatre Principal, Teatro Romea, and Teatro Maravillas. In Argentina, she was a performer at the Odeon Theater, Teatro Splendid, Teatro Marconi, Teatro Avenida, Teatro Comedia, Teatro Empire, Teatro Nuevo, Teatro Nacional, and Teatro Florida/Galería Güemes. Her film debut occurred in 1929, in ''La del Soto del Parral''.

Career

Teresa Juliana Lucía Maraval Torres was the daughter of Francisco Maraval, a native of

Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ; ) is the prefectures in France, prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales departments of France, department in Southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the Me ...

, France, and a railroad accountant, and Inocencia Torres, a native of the city of Plasencia. Her brothers were Gastón and Luciano. The Trianon Palace (now Teatro Alcázar), an honored place with the

cuplé The cuplé was a popular risqué Spanish theatre song style in the late years of the 19th century. From 1893 to 1911 the songs were a feature of the "género ínfimo" (lowest type) cabaret theatre sung by solo female singers, or men in drag, and ...

genre, announced her as Zazá; she began her artistic career in 1912, at the age of nineteen. In 1915, she arrived in Argentina, where she developed the most important stage of her career. Among her most outstanding hits, was in 1913, an Argentine-style

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Arge ...

by Álvaro Retama and Ricardo Yust. She made several presentations at the renowned Teatro Español in

Santa Rosa, La Pampa Santa Rosa () is a city in the Argentine Pampas (lowlands), and the capital of La Pampa Province, Argentina. It lies on the east of the province, on the shore of the Don Tomás Lagoon, at the intersection of National Routes National Route 5 and ...

and at the small Teatro Florida in Pasaje Guemes, in Buenos Aires. She was one of the first to use the term ''Alirón'' in a song celebrating the victories of

Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club (; ), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao (), or simply Athletic, is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Southern Basque Country, Basque Country, Spain. They are known ...

. In 1917, she was part of the show in honor of Manolita Rosales, who was saying goodbye to the city, along with the duo

Carlos Gardel Carlos Gardel (born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was one of the most influential inter ...

and

José Razzano José Francisco Razzano (1887–1960) was an Uruguayan singer and composer. He joined singer Carlos Gardel on a duo until 1925 when Razzano left due to vocal cord problems. Since then, Razzano became Gardel's manager until 1933. Biography Jos� ...

and the tonadilleras Emilia Benito and Antonia Costa. In 1922, Zazá worked in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

, in a film program under the direction of maestro Carlos Macchiavelli along with three debutant artists: the Spanish dancer, Natividad Álvarez ("Nati, la bilbanita") and the national singer, Mario Pardo. Zaza was directed by Humberto Cairo. During her long stay in Argentina, Zazá made several performances at the Teatro Esmeralda (now Teatro Maipo). She recorded impressive seasons with the Italian transforming Leopoldo Fregoli, the singer

, and the Galician dancer, La Belle Otero, among others. In 1923, Zazá ended her stay in Buenos Aires, to begin her artistic tour in

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

, Peru, continuing to Panama,

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, Mexico. In 1927, she reappeared in Spain in Barcelona at the Teatre Principal before removing to

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

, performing at the Teatro Romea and Teatro Maravillas, where she ended her career as a singer on May 22. From that date on, she settled in Madrid. In 1929, she debuted as a film actress in the Spanish film ''La del Soto del Parral'', with José Nieto and Carranque de los Ríos in the leading roles.

Selected works

Performed themes

* ''¡Hijo mío!'' * ''Pajarito Cantor'' * ''Presentimiento'' * ''¡Mujercita mía!'' * ''¡Pobre Madre!''

Theater in Argentina

* 1916: Odeon Theater,

Mar del Plata Mar del Plata is a city on the coast of the Argentine Sea, Atlantic Ocean, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the seat of General Pueyrredón Partido, General Pueyrredón district. Mar del Plata is the second largest city in Buenos Aires ...

, Buenos Aires, with

duo, the actress Orfilia Rico, the dancer Pastora Imperio * 1916: Teatro Splendid (now Cine Ducal), with the French dancers "Los Demos" and the Gardel-Razzano duo * 1917: Teatro Marconi, the performance of the operetta ''La Duquesa del Bal Tabarín'', with Manola Rosales, Rosario Guerrero, Steffi Csillag, Roberto Casaux, the Gardel-Razzano duo * 1917: Teatro Avenida, organized by the Diario Crítica * 1917: Teatro Comedia, performs the play ''La fuerza ciega'' * 1918: Teatro Empire, an evening to raise funds for the Caja Social de la Asociación de Empleados Municipales * 1918: Teatro Nuevo, a program in honor and for the benefit of the singer Pepita Avellaneda * 1919: Teatro Avenida, a festival organized by the Argentine and International Actors Societies, in honor and for the benefit of Pablo Podestá * 1919: Teatro Nuevo, a performance in honor of José Antonio Saldías * 1920: Teatro Nacional, a performance celebration of the Cronistas de Turf's annual party * 1923: Teatro Florida –Galería Güemes-, a performance was in honor of and for the benefit of Carmelita Delgado * 1923: Teatro Florida –Galería Güemes-, Zazá's debut with the Gardel-Razzano duo

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zaza, Teresita 1893 births 1980 deaths People from Plasencia 20th-century Spanish women singers 20th-century Spanish actresses Tonadilleras Cupletistas Spanish film actresses