Nr. 15 – Chavela Vargas

Mexican singer Chavela Vargas is known for her rendition of a Mexican genre in music called rancheras. She is also known for her beautiful lyrics and her powerful voice. At the age of 91 she is surprisingly still active as a singer (releasing her latest album this year). I don’t know how active she is as a performer. But I do know that she re-recorded some of her songs and also appeared in the movie Frida about painter Frida Kahlo in 2002, at the age of 83. The first clip I’ve chosen shows her debut at Carnegie Hall, at the age of 84, where she is introduced by film director Pedro Almodóvar. I don’t speak Spanish but I heard him mentioning “passion”, which I think is a key word in her music. Do I have to clarify why she’s cool? She is 91 years old and still an active musician.