Pastorita Huaracina
Encyclopedia
Pastorita Huaracina born María Alvarado Trujillo, was a Peru
vian singer who strongly identified with the traditions of the rural Andes
. Her career began in the era of 78 rpm records
and lasted into that of compact disc
s. In the 1950s she recorded 4 songs a month and sold more records in Peru than the Beatles
. Her success established her reputation as the diva of Andean song and she won every award that pertained to her type of music. She toured extensively in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
, Ancash region
. Reportedly, even as a young child tending the flocks, she already loved to sing. Raised speaking Quechua, upon the death of her mother she came to Lima at the age of 8, with no luggage or money and no one to meet her, and speaking very little Spanish
.
She debuted as a performer on her 12th birthday. She began as a performer of Andean dances but later became a singer and composer of songs. She developed a reputation as disciplined trouper, always the first to arrive at a rehearsal or performance; this continued even once she became a star. She always advocated for authenticity in the performance of Andean music and dance, including the use of traditional outfits: "typical dress is not a costume, it is part of our identity, something we must assume with honor and pride, being conscious of whom we represent..."
Her singing became a symbol of liberty and of a demand for the rights of the serranos, the people of the high Andes, expressing beauty but also bearing the people's demand for opportunity and conditions for their development. On her program on Radio Santa Rosa, Canta el Perú Profundo she openly expressed her opposition to the dictatorship
of Alberto Fujimori
and Vladimiro Montesinos
, and she was a longtime defender of the validity of the Quechua language. Loyal to her principles, she refused significant sums of money from politicians who solicited her for their electoral campaigns and from businesses which she felt unfairly exploited the people. Towards the end of her life, in delicate health, one week after an operation, she voted in the Peruvian presidential election of 2001.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian singer who strongly identified with the traditions of the rural Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
. Her career began in the era of 78 rpm records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
and lasted into that of compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s. In the 1950s she recorded 4 songs a month and sold more records in Peru than the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Her success established her reputation as the diva of Andean song and she won every award that pertained to her type of music. She toured extensively in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Biography
Pastorita Huaracina was born in the Malvas district of Aija ProvinceAija Province
The Aija Province is one of 20 provinces of the Ancash Region in Peru.-Political division:Aija is divided into five districts, which are:...
, Ancash region
Ancash Region
Ancash is a region in northern Peru. It is bordered by the La Libertad region on the north, the Huánuco and Pasco regions on the east, the Lima region on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital is the city of Huaraz, and its largest city and port is Chimbote...
. Reportedly, even as a young child tending the flocks, she already loved to sing. Raised speaking Quechua, upon the death of her mother she came to Lima at the age of 8, with no luggage or money and no one to meet her, and speaking very little Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.
She debuted as a performer on her 12th birthday. She began as a performer of Andean dances but later became a singer and composer of songs. She developed a reputation as disciplined trouper, always the first to arrive at a rehearsal or performance; this continued even once she became a star. She always advocated for authenticity in the performance of Andean music and dance, including the use of traditional outfits: "typical dress is not a costume, it is part of our identity, something we must assume with honor and pride, being conscious of whom we represent..."
Her singing became a symbol of liberty and of a demand for the rights of the serranos, the people of the high Andes, expressing beauty but also bearing the people's demand for opportunity and conditions for their development. On her program on Radio Santa Rosa, Canta el Perú Profundo she openly expressed her opposition to the dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
of Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori served as President of Peru from 28 July 1990 to 17 November 2000. A controversial figure, Fujimori has been credited with the creation of Fujimorism, uprooting terrorism in Peru and restoring its macroeconomic stability, though his methods have drawn charges of...
and Vladimiro Montesinos
Vladimiro Montesinos
Vladimiro Ilyich Montesinos Torres was the long-standing head of Peru's intelligence service, Servicio de Inteligencia Nacional , under President Alberto Fujimori. In 2000, secret videos, which he had recorded, were televised that showed his bribing an elected congressman to leave the opposition...
, and she was a longtime defender of the validity of the Quechua language. Loyal to her principles, she refused significant sums of money from politicians who solicited her for their electoral campaigns and from businesses which she felt unfairly exploited the people. Towards the end of her life, in delicate health, one week after an operation, she voted in the Peruvian presidential election of 2001.