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From guest blogger Ramon Hernandez.Yolanda Del Rio: songs that strike a chord
"I too was a hija de nadie counting on just my father's last name (Jaén)," the Gemini songbird said, her eyes getting a little watery. "I was born and raised poor with both my parents until I was ten. It was then that I went to Mexico City with my mother, María Del Consuelo López, and he stayed in Pachuca."
In the Capital City of Mexico, they lived a modest life at her uncle Ramón and aunt's humble home where she and her mother slept on the floor.
Later they graduated to a box spring mattress that had coils popping out on all sides. The now famous singer/actress got a serious infection from one of the cuts and that gave the warbler her second goal.
"That gave me the obsession to earn money to buy a bed for us. That became my ultimate goal," Del Rio said. "I would tell mom I would be famous and buy a bed for us."
During those lean hungry years, just watching her mother stretch a peso also taught the pig-tailed little girl how to budget her money.
(Photos courtesy Ramon Hernandez)
"I remember going to a park near the colonia and I told my mother I was very hungry. I didn't realize she only had one peso, but she took that peso, walked to the Mercado, purchased a batch of ripe
bananas for 50 centavos (cents), then she bought two bolillos (submarine-type buns) and that was our meal for the day, two banana sandwiches."
Experiences such as this motivated this year's winner of Univision Premios a La Música Latina Lifetime Achievement Award to study and pull her family out of poverty. A woman would give her used clothes to resell at the market and her older brother, Carlos, sold encyclopedias to pay for his studies to become a teacher.
Del Rio also sold Tupperware, studied interior decorating and worked as a secretary until they were able to get their own apartment. The only thing that did not change is that they continued to sleep on the floor.
A STAR IS BORN
Del Rio was five when her mother took note of her vocal talent as she sang along with the songs being played on the radio. She herself wanted to be a singer, but her parents were so strict, they squelched her lifelong dream.
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Now Doña María saw a way to achieve her dreams through her daughter. So she started teaching Del Rio solmization, the system of using syllables to denote the tones of a musical scale, how to frame a tune and the gestures that went along with the lyrics.
At age 12, Del Rio started money singing at fairs in Morelia, Michoacán. By now Del Rio had gained a reputation as "La Pequeña Gigante (The Little Giant)" and "La Llanerita (The Weeper)." As it turned out, Felipe "El Indio" Jiménez, the artistic director for RCA heard her Musart single and went to look for her in Pachuca.
She was 14 when Jiménez took Del Rio and her mother to Mexico City. After getting her mother to co-sign the recording contract, he picked out twelve tunes for her first album and 'Hija de Nadie,' which got his attention, was selected as the single release. It sold a million copies in six months and true to her word, Del Rio not only bought her mother a bed, but also a house. "I would always tell mom I would be famous and buy her a bed and that's the first thing I did," as she wiped tears off her cheek recalling the first time she slept on a mattress.
"Furthermore, the hit tune was turned into a movie, but in actuality, I first filmed "Los Hombres No Deben Llorar," but "La Hija de Nadie" was released first and that opened the doors to me as an actress. Y
OLANDA DEL RIO PIONEERS A NEW MUSIC GENRE
It was Del Rio who pioneered and created the mold for songs defending the woman with songs such as "Camas Separadas," "Hoy Te Toca Dormir En El Suelo" and "Tus Maletas En La Puerta." Also "La Intrusa," "No Pidas Más Perdón" and "El Día Que Me Acaricies, Lloraré."
Once Del Rio set the standard, Lupita D'Alessio and Paquita La Del Barrio recorded songs in the same vein making a career and gaining a reputation in this new concept. "I am a tremendously sentimental,"
Del Rio admitted. "Besides, I am not only a singer, but an interpreter. But all modesty aside, I am grateful to Jesus Christ for this God given talent that took me out of poverty and all over the world."
As for the future, Del Rio is about to release "Verdades Que Duelen" on her own label. "Cantar Llorando," "Cero A La Izquierda," "No Creo Más En Ti," "Mujeres Maltratas," "Tus Recuerdos" and "La Escalera," plus "Quiero El Divorcio," "Te Devuelvo Tu Cariño," "La Silla Vacia" and "Tú Perdiste."
DEL RIO MAKES SAN ANTONIO HER PERMANENT HOME
"I have been in love with this city since the first time I performed here in 1972," the new Alamo City resident said.
Marriage to Juan Manuel Ayala, the birth of two sons, Juan Manuel Jr. and Adeiel, thirteen full-length feature movies and a move to Modesto, California further delayed the move to her dream city.
However, that goal has now been fulfilled and San Antonio is now her home base. So the next time you do a double take while out eating or shopping, your suspicions are probably correct.
To learn more about this international singer, check out www.yolandadelrio.com.
Yolanda Del Rio: songs that strike a chord
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