María Conesa was the most beloved actress, vedette and singer in Mexico during the 20th century. During the Mexican Revolution, in addition to having performed for Porfirio Díaz, her admirers included Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata.
There is a saying popularized by the mythical Chavela Vargas that prays that “Mexicans are born where we want”; this could have been the case María Conesa, one of the most beloved and famous women in Mexico during the 20th century.
Throughout his 86 years of life, María Conesa cultivated and harvested a series of endless theatrical successes, bringing to life a long list of characters and stories, but none like the white kittena mischievous character that earned him the nickname and the total affection of the public in Mexico, in a time of evolution for populus arts; when the porfiriato was about to end in one of the highest notes that the country had seen since Independence.
It was during the Mexican Revolutionhistorical event in which María Conesa made a name for herself alongside legendary rebel figures such as Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, with whom he came to have some friction; but nothing more than that, says the actress. During her lifetime, she was seen strongly involved with Mexican high command like some presidents; but also with the underworld, since he came to receive opulent gifts from the criminal world.
Beautiful, talented and great businesswoman of the international entertainment industry, María Conesa was one of the great artists of the 20th century who contributed to the theater in Mexico, because it was one of the pioneers in bringing the Operetta and other popular theatrical genres in Spain. Learn about his story below.
María Conesa, the beginnings of an international icon
Dorotea Conesa Redobetter known in Spain, Cuba, Europe and Mexico What Maria Conesawas born a December 12, 1892 in Spain and from a very young age, her parents decided that she and her older sister, Teresa; They would enter the entertainment industry.
The training of the Conesa sisters would focus on dancing, singing, acting and popular genres of theater in Spain, such as Zarzuela, a Spanish musical genre.
The arrival of a third child would move the family to Barcelona, where they would try their luck putting the girls in a children’s dance and theater company In the year of 1900which led them to participate in a universal exposition in paris, doing tours of Spain, Italy, Cuba, New York and America; arriving in Mexico in 1901where María Conesa made her debut with a small role in the play La Verbena de La Paloma.
María Conesa consecrated herself as tiple (Type of voice) comedian, dancer and actress; to later become one of the most famous vedettes in the world. However, the jealousy of another actress, La Czarina, would bring pain to the life of the one who would be known forever as La Gatita Blanca.
The tragedy of María Conesa, the White Kitten is born
On Tuesday February 27, 1906around 10:15 in the morning, during a heated argument between Maria Conesa, her sister and her mother against Czarina and her mother, Teresa Conesa was stabbed twice by Czarina’s brother; who also ended up killing another person who stood between him and a third stab wound to the young woman.
Due to the horrible incident, María Conesa fell ill and had to briefly withdraw from the show. However, the need to support his family and most likely, being a victim of exploitation by his father; the young woman returned to the theater as the White Kittena roguish number that became his biggest hit and his nickname forever.
Since then, María Conesa, La Gatita Blanca, would become one of the most famous revue theater stars; wherever it was found.
María Conesa, the White Kitten of the Mexican Revolution
María Conesa premiered her character of La Gatita Blanca in Mexico on November 1, 1907. In those days, the revue theater he was going through a crisis; whose most powerful antidote would be the art, charisma, sensuality and elegance of the acclaimed actress.
With only seventeen years old and an incredible professional training in dance, dancing and actingthe White Kitten not only won the hearts of Mexicans for her beauty and attractiveness, but also for the hard work of rehearse between 3 to 4 hours a day, whether I had performances or not; habit which he had until a very old age.
María Conesa became the highest paid artist in the country and the one that generated the greatest controversiesbecause for many conservatives of the time, his number could be seen very risqué, which would be worth some official reprimands by the authorities; which her own fans would pay, who always defended her against everything and everyone.
Maria Conesa and marriage
Between the years of 1908 and 1910 María Conesa fell in love with Manuel Sanz, a young man from a good family, whose love culminated in a scandalous pregnancy, since they were not married. After a family drama between the Conesa and the Sanz, María gave birth in New York City and after much thought; her father agreed to give Manuel Sanz the hand of her daughter.
Manuel Sanz and María Conesa were married approximately until 1923when after years begging him to leave the theater, Manuel decides to divorce María, who continued his passion for his art until his last days.
The White Kitten during the Mexican Revolution
For the year 1910, María Conesa was already considered part of the people of Mexico, was the highest earning actress in the country at the time. It was during the celebrations of the centenary of Independence, that the same Porfirio Díaz and his wife go to the main theater to see it. Two months later, the Mexican Revolution broke out.
In the midst of the revolt, María Conesa becomes the queen of all the revolutionaries, who packed her shows.
To me, the bullets respect me.
María Conesa during the Mexican Revolution.
It is said that the warriors even came with their outfits and weapons after fighting, just to see her perform. The mexican revue theaterhis greatest love, was greatly enriched, thanks to the political satire and the harsh political/social analysis that popular art represented with funny, dramatic and musical acts.
At the height of the Mexican Revolution, María Conesa makes her debut in operetta, a new genre; at the same time that Porfirio Díaz resigns from the presidency and Francisco I. Madero takes power, under the event of an earthquake that claimed hundreds of lives. After this, Maria decides to leave the country at the request of her husband, in the summer of 1912.
After a meeting in Paris with Porfirio Díaz, María Conesa’s father gives her notice that her brother will do his military service; unless he pays for a substitute. She asks her husband for the money, but he refuses, saying that her brother-in-law needs to toughen up and get away from her family. Annoyed, María Conesa signs with the Teatro Colón and returns to the stage in 1915.
The legendary Agustín Lara wrote the songs “La Guapa” and “Monísima Mujer” for María Conesasaid that the revolutionary guerrillas who landed in Mexico City, sought to fulfill 2 wishes every day: To have the opportunity to prostrate themselves every morning in front of the Virgin of Guadalupe and to be able to see María Conesa in the theater.
It is said that the warriors even came with their outfits and weapons after fighting, just to see her perform. The mexican revue theaterhis greatest love, was greatly enriched, thanks to the political satire and the harsh political/social analysis that popular art represented with funny, dramatic and musical acts.
Throughout the Mexican Revolution, his shows were sold out and were resounding successes. It is said that more than once he came face to face with the most important leaders of the movement. It is said that once María Conesa cut Pancho Villa’s uniform button, which excited the bandit more, who threatened to kidnap her; but he never did. On another occasion, she also had the opportunity to flirting with Emiliano Zapatawho gave him a gift.
The queen of the Mexican stages of the 20th century
After the Revolution and an unexpected divorce, María Conesa lived in Mexico and was linked to important figures like Francisco I. Madero, Plutarco Elías Calles, Pascual Ortíz Rubio, Carranza; Ávila Camacho and even with the leader of the criminal organization known as “The Gray Automobile Gang.”
She was a businesswoman and invested in putting on great shows in the best theaters in Mexico, where she served as the main star. María Conesa was a great promoter of Mexican musical theater. During the boom of the cinema, the White Kitten was one of the few artists who did not suffer, because with the Spanish exile, she became the standard of her compatriots.
During the following years and until the day of his death, María Conesa was an artist always active in singing, theater, radio, cinema and television.; mastering all kinds of artistic expressions.
In 1978, at the age of 88, she played her last role, Tía Antonia, in the play with which she made her debut in Mexico. “The Festival of the Dove”, a piece of the genre that gave him everything: La zarzuela. After being named “Maria of Mexico and Spain”, María Conesa died on September 4 of the same year.