Juanita Reina
Who is Juanita Reina?
Juana Reina Castrillo (Seville, August 25, 1925 – Seville, March 19, 1999), known professionally as Juanita Reina, was one of the great figures of Andalusian copla, with a career spanning theatre, film and song for nearly six decades. Born in Seville’s Macarena neighbourhood, she learned to dance at Enrique “el Cojo’s” academy and, as a child, sang at neighbourhood baptisms and weddings. Her father, Miguel Reina, became her manager and drove her artistic career.
Career
With a loan from a family member, her father put together Juanita’s first show, “Los Churrumbeles,” which premiered at the Teatro San Fernando in Seville and made her known throughout Spain. A second show soon followed, “Tabaco y Seda,” with lyrics by the well-known writers Quintero, León and Quiroga, premiered at the Teatro Reina Victoria in Madrid. By around 1942 she was already one of copla’s leading figures, alongside Lola Flores. In 1941 she made her film debut with “La Blanca Paloma,” followed by titles such as “La Lola se va a los puertos” (1947) and “Lola la Piconera” (1951), which considerably boosted her popularity.
In 1964 she married dancer Federico Casado Algrenti, known as “Caracolillo,” with whom she had her only child, Federico Casado Reina. She opened a restaurant in Madrid and a dance academy in Seville, gradually withdrawing from the stage to devote herself to her family. In 1992 she capped her career with a performance at the Seville Universal Exposition alongside Rocío Jurado, Nati Mistral, María Vidal and Imperio Argentina.
Discography and honours
Her repertoire left behind songs still linked to her name, such as “Los Churrumbeles” and “Manuela la de Jerez.” Over her lifetime she received, among other honours, the Gold Medal for Fine Arts (1960), the Silver Medal for Merit in Work (1975) and the Gold Medal of Andalusia (1992). In 1994 Seville’s city council named a roundabout in the Parque de María Luisa after her.
Legacy
Juanita Reina died on March 19, 1999, in Seville, of respiratory failure. Thousands of people, including numerous artists and officials, attended her funeral at the San Fernando cemetery, in a massive tribute to one of the essential voices of 20th-century copla.