LA NIÑA DE LOS PEINES

Pastora Pavón

Garcia Lorca:
“voice of the shadows, voice of tin, voice of moss...”.

In 1996 her voice was declared a part of Andalusian cultural heritage by the Cultural Council of the Regional Government of Andalucía. Pastora Pavón is now considered the best and most important cantaora of all time. Her singing, which she described as “singing with a foundation”, is the mirror through which all other cantaoras look at themselves.

Pastora Pavón Cruz, known as La Niña de los Peines Seville, Spain-10 February ,1890-November- 26-1969

She is considered the most important woman flamenco singer of the 20th century She was a sister of singers Arturo Pavón and Tomás Pavón, also an important flamenco singer, and aunt to Arturo Pavón, the first flamenco pianist. Both brothers, Pastora and Tomás, together with singer Manuel Torre,, were the inspiring models for the next generation of singers like Antonio Mairena, Pepe de la Matrona or Fosforito , who led the movement towaBorn in the famous quarter of Alameda de Hércules, in Seville, she started singing for the public as at the age of 8, in the Seville Spring Fair . Later, when she was singing at Café de la Marina, a café cantante in Madrid, she acquired the nickname La Niña de los Peines (The Girl of the Combs, a nickname she never liked), as she usually sang a stanza in tangos style with the following lyrics:

Peinate tú con mis peines
Mis peines son de canela

Comb with my combs
My combs are made of cinammonrds