La Chunga
Encyclopedia
Micaela Flores Amaya, La Chunga (The Difficult Woman), (Marseille
, ~ 1938) is a Spanish flamenco
dancer and painter
of naïf art.
She does not know the exact date she was born. Her parents were Andalusia
n Romani immigrants in France
, and they went to Barcelona
when she was more or less a year old.
She started working in Barcelona as a dancer when she was a child and she became the muse
of several writers like Blas de Otero, Rafael Alberti
, José Manuel Caballero Bonald or León Felipe
, and several painters, like Picasso, Dalí
or Francisco Rebés who made her an attractive character for intellectuals and encouraged her to paint. She has already exposed in several galleries of Paris
, Madrid
, etc.
Pastora Imperio contracted her in 1956 and thanks to Ava Gardner
, she took part in two Hollywood movies. The businessman Sullivan introduced her in Las Vegas
and she participated in various TV programs in the U.S.
and Mexico
.
Since then, she has participated in lots of tours and some movies. She married to the cinema director José Luis Gonzalvo and they had a daughter, Pilar.
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, ~ 1938) is a Spanish flamenco
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....
dancer and painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
of naïf art.
She does not know the exact date she was born. Her parents were Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
n Romani immigrants in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and they went to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
when she was more or less a year old.
She started working in Barcelona as a dancer when she was a child and she became the muse
Muse
The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
of several writers like Blas de Otero, Rafael Alberti
Rafael Alberti
Rafael Alberti Merello was a Spanish poet, a member of the Generation of '27....
, José Manuel Caballero Bonald or León Felipe
León Felipe
León Felipe Camino Galicia was a Spanish poet.Felipe was born in Tábara, Zamora, Spain, while his parents were on travel. His father was a notary public, and consequently very well off. His family established in Santander. Later on, Felipe would study pharmacy and start a business as a...
, and several painters, like Picasso, Dalí
DALI
DALI may refer to:* Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries* The "Distance-matrix ALIgnment" algorithm used in the FSSP database on structurally similar proteins* Digital Addressable Lighting Interface* Dartmouth Assessment of Lifestyle Index...
or Francisco Rebés who made her an attractive character for intellectuals and encouraged her to paint. She has already exposed in several galleries of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, 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...
, etc.
Pastora Imperio contracted her in 1956 and thanks to Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...
, she took part in two Hollywood movies. The businessman Sullivan introduced her in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
and she participated in various TV programs in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Since then, she has participated in lots of tours and some movies. She married to the cinema director José Luis Gonzalvo and they had a daughter, Pilar.
Partial filmography
- De espaldas a la puerta. (1959) . By José María ForquéJosé María ForquéJosé María Forqué was a Spanish screenwriter and film director.-Filmography:* 1947 : Juventudes de España, bajo una Patria hermosa* 1951 : María Morena* 1951 : Niebla y sol...
- El último verano. (1961) . By Juan BoschJuan BoschJuan Emilio Bosch Gaviño was a politician, historian, short story writer, essayist, educator, and the first cleanly elected president of the Dominican Republic for a brief time in 1963. Previously, he had been the leader of the Dominican opposition in exile to the dictatorial regime of Rafael...
- Ley de raza. (1969) . By José Luis Gonzalvo
- aka amanda traylor the chunga. (2010) . By J mone'
Prizes
- Medalla de Oro del Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid,
- Medalla Oro de la Asociación dc la Prensa de Sevilla
- Trofeo Delfín de Alicante
- Premio del Ayuntamiento de Alicante
- Premio Cidale de los Almendros.