La Caramba
Encyclopedia
Maria Antonia Fernandez was a flamenco
singer and dancer. She was known as La Caramba after the exclamation caramba! which concluded a tonadilla
which she performed soon after her arrival in Madrid
. Her costume featured a topknot
of brightly coloured ribbon
s which became known as a caramba too. She married in 1781 but soon left her husband and returned to performing.
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
singer and dancer. She was known as La Caramba after the exclamation caramba! which concluded a tonadilla
Tonadilla
Tonadilla was a Spanish musical song form of theatrical origin; not danced. The genre was a type of short, satirical musical comedy popular in 18th-century Spain, and later in Cuba and other Spanish colonial countries. It originated as a song type, then dialogue for characters was written into the...
which she performed soon after her arrival in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. Her costume featured a topknot
Topknot
Topknot may refer to:* A hairstyle or haircut, historically prevalent in Asia:**Chonmage, a traditional Japanese haircut worn by men**Sangtu, a knot of hair that married men of the Joseon Dynasty wore in Korea.**Sikha, worn by orthodox Hindus....
of brightly coloured ribbon
Ribbon
A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily for binding and tying. Cloth ribbons, most commonly silk, are often used in connection with clothing, but are also applied for innumerable useful, ornamental and symbolic purposes...
s which became known as a caramba too. She married in 1781 but soon left her husband and returned to performing.