IT’S late September, and we’re reminded of two outstanding girls from Andalucía whose anniversaries fall shut collectively.
First, we rejoice the lifetime of Victoria Kent – a pioneering determine whose legacy has left an indelible mark on Spanish historical past.
If you’ve ever taken the native practice to Málaga Airport, you’ve probably handed via a suburban station with a reputation that appears virtually misplaced: Victoria Kent. The station honours one in every of Malaga’s most achieved daughters.
Victoria Kent handed away on 25 September 1987, on the age of 90.
In the Twenties, when Spanish girls had been allowed to attend universities for the primary time, Victoria selected Law as her area of research. She turned the school’s first feminine pupil and later gained nationwide fame for defending Army officer Albornoz -a case that was heard earlier than a courtroom martial, a realm the place no lady had beforehand set foot.
Her skills didn’t go unnoticed. In 1931, on the age of 34, she was appointed Minister of Prisons within the newly established Second Republic. But her politics positioned her on the ‘fallacious’ facet so far as Franco was involved. When the dictator rose to energy, Victoria fled to Paris simply forward of her arrest – she was sentenced to 30 years in jail in absentia.
Victoria’s 4 many years of exile had been crammed with incident. In the late Nineteen Thirties, she sought to to migrate from France to Mexico. However, the delay in processing her paperwork was so extreme that the outbreak of World War II compelled her into hiding on the Mexican embassy.
Although she was a passionate feminist, Victoria was not in a rush to grant Spanish girls the vote. Her stance – one which made her unpopular amongst many – was that Spanish girls of the time had been too subservient to the church and their husbands. She known as for a gradual extension of girls’s suffrage and a collection of civic education schemes to assist break the dominance of the altar and the kitchen.
In the Eighties, many of those restrictions had been lifted. Though she briefly returned to Malaga, Victoria had by then grow to be the soul of an exile, finally settling in New York, the place she handed away in 1987.
Pastora Soler’s identify could not ring a bell, however likelihood is you’ve heard her voice. She is one in every of Andalucía’s most celebrated singers.
Born María del Pilar Sánchez Luque on 28 September 1978 in a small village simply outdoors Sevilla, Pastora Soler will rejoice her forty seventh birthday this week.
From an early age, Pastora exhibited a robust, melodic voice and have become identified for performing coplas – tragic ballads which might be a staple of Spanish music. At simply 16, she was signed to Polygram, and her profession took off from there.
Her debut single, Dámelo Ya (‘Give It To Me Now’), turned an enormous hit, not simply in Spain however internationally, reaching primary in Turkey and promoting a whole lot of 1000’s of copies. The tune stays a traditional in Spanish nightclubs and at native festivals.
Her follow-up hit, Corazón Congelado (‘Frozen Heart’), was adopted because the theme tune for the Vuelta, Spain’s equal of the Tour de France.
In latest years, nonetheless, Pastora’s profession has taken a backseat. The COVID pandemic actually didn’t assist, however the primary purpose for her hiatus has been a concentrate on her household. She has two younger daughters, Estrella and Vega, aged 10 and 5, respectively.
Perhaps probably the most publicised purpose for her break from the highlight, nonetheless, is her sincere admission that she suffers from stage fright. Though some within the press have downplayed her situation, Pastora insists it’s no laughing matter. She believes that societal expectations positioned on girls in Spain are partly accountable for a variety of nervous illnesses, resembling agoraphobia.
“There are 1000’s of girls,” she says, “who’re anticipated to remain at residence and by no means enterprise out. Sadly, lots of them even consider that is their function.” She believes that even in 2025, this mentality prevents many ladies from fulfilling their potential. “In Spain, girls are sometimes valued for being modest, quiet, and home-loving. While these qualities are nice, a few of us have extra to supply.”
Pastora is now again within the public eye, showing on nationwide TV exhibits, and there’s even discuss of her representing Spain within the Eurovision Song Contest.
Although Victoria Kent and Pastora Soler by no means met, it’s fascinating to suppose that, given the proximity of their delivery and demise dates, the baton has handed from one era of Andalusian girls to a different.
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