Mexican singer puts machismo in its place

Central Valley fans have had to wait a long time to see Paquita la del Barrio.

The show by the Mexican singing superstar was booked a full year in advance at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Her Saturday, Nov. 14, concert also will be the Grammy Award-nominated performer’s first stop in Modesto in her 45-year career.

“Paquita is one of those unique Mexican artists we have had lots of requests for over the years. Any time we do community outreach to the Latino patron base, her name always comes up,” said Gallo Center CEO Lynn Dickerson.

Paquita la del Barrio (which translates to “Franny from the Neighborhood”) started her career in Mexico City in 1970 and gained fame singing ranchera and other Spanish-lanuage styles. Born Francisca Viveros Barradas, she gained a strong following, particularly among Mexican women, for singing about the slights and sexism present in the country’s male culture. Audiences love to hear her signature phrase at shows: “¿Me estás oyendo, inútil?” (“Are you listening to me, you good-for-nothing?”)

“She has a loyal following, especially among women. Her message is all about female empowerment,” Dickerson said. “According my sources, that is unusual in the Latino community. In fact, I’m told many macho men don’t ‘allow’ their wives/girlfriends to listen to Paquita because of her message encouraging women to stand up to men.”

Paquita’s radio staples reflect that attitude with titles such as “Hipócrita” (“Hypocrite”), “El Fracaso de Mi Amor” (“The Failure of My Love”) and “Hombres Malvados” (“Wicked Men”). Her biggest hit to date has been “Rata de Dos Patas” (“Two-Legged Rat”). The rat in question is a less-than-subtle metaphor for a misbehaving man.

“I am defending women. It is very important. I am a woman. I speak of my experiences,” Paquita said in a past interview with the Miami Herald. “We Mexicans have this machismo situation. Women are always hurt by what men do to them. I don’t sing what others sing. I sing the truth, even if the gentlemen don’t like it.”

The singer has been married twice herself. Her first marriage when she was a teenager ended in divorce, and her second marriage lasted more than 30 years and ended when her husband died in 2000.

Her career and the vein of feminism, and anger, that runs through her work has even been the subject of academic papers. David Foster, a Spanish professor at Arizona State University, wrote a paper titled “Paquita la del Barrio: Singing Feminine Rage.”

In it he wrote that Paquita “stands out as surprisingly unique in Mexican popular culture and, for that matter, in Latin American culture in general” because her “overall appeal is strictly and proudly Mexican and working class.”

While her songs have become jukebox favorites, the 68-year-old singing icon continues to be a force in contemporary Mexican music as well. In 2008 she recorded the duet “Ni Tu, Ni Yo” with Grammy-winning Latin pop legend Ricardo Arjona. Earlier this month, she performed in front of a crowd of more than 9,000 in Mexico City at a celebration for her 45 years in music.

She also recently signed on join the cast of the Mexican telenovela “Amor de Barrio.”

“You never imagine where you’re going and what you will achieve; this industry is very hard. At first you work to eat and maintain your children, but I never imagined what would happen and achieve so much,” Paquita told TVNotas in the Latin Times. “Celebrating so many years singing with the satisfactions that life gives you, the good and the bad memories, I feel very happy, like never before.”

This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Mexican singer puts machismo in its place."