Carmen Barros

Carmen Aída Barros Alfonso (born 7 January 1925) is a prominent Chilean actress and singer of jazz, popular music, and opera.[1] In addition, she is a professor of acting perception, diction, and vocal projection, and a theater and opera director. She is known for being the first to portray the character Carmela in the Isidora Aguirre play La pérgola de las flores in 1960.[2]

Carmen Barros
Born
Carmen Aída Barros Alfonso

(1925-01-07) 7 January 1925
Santiago, Chile
Other namesMarianela
OccupationActress, singer, professor, theater director
Spouse(s)Jaime Amunátegui Silva
Children
  • Jaime Amunátegui Barros
  • Loreto Amunátegui Barros
Parent(s)
  • Cristián Barros Ortiz (father)
Awards

Biography

Carmen Barros is the elder of two siblings. Because of her father's military profession, which caused him to be sent on missions in Germany, as well as to different garrisons in the country, Carmen never stayed more than seven months at one school. She lived between Santiago, other cities of the country, Peru, and Europe, and learned to speak German before Spanish.

However, she attended the French Nuns, a women's college where she was the "wild card" of the course for any artistic competition involving dancing or acting.

When she was 14 her father was assigned as Chilean ambassador to Germany, and that change marked her life.[3] It was 1940 and World War II was in full development. A lot of people Barros' age that she met on this trip she never saw again; they joined Hitler's army to colonize Europe and fell out of contact. As a counterpoint, the cultural opportunities of Berlin influenced her future career: concerts, opera, theater; despite the horror of the war, that never changed. She tried to resume her basic education, in a German school, but could not stand being in a co-educational one, so she chose to retire and take private classes at home. However she never finished her studies.

At age 19 Barros returned to Chile, but everything had changed. Santiago del Campo offered to let her sing on the radio and gave her the pseudonym Marianela.[4] She had begun her career as a singer. She worked at Radio Agricultura, Corporación, and Minería.[5] In 1946, when a company of New York's Metropolitan Opera House came to Chile with the Beethoven opera Fidelio, Barros was invited to participate. It was one of the great successes of the Municipal Theater. She was even invited to go to New York, but did not dare; she had been outside the country for too long.

Her brother was the one who spurred her interest in theater. He was an actor and creator of the Pocket Theater, and invited her to participate in the play Carlos y Ana, which she starred in. She also worked with Luis Alberto Heiremans, combining her talents for singing and the theater. This continued until her father was named ambassador to Italy, and the dream vanished. She went to Italy with her husband and three children to see what happened there. She continued with her "operatic" work, went to live in Vienna, and was invited to take a leading role in the Opera of Brussels, Belgium. However her father was named chancellor and had to return home. She could never reconcile her dreams with distance. Although she endured another year without seeing her children, finally, and although her prospects were favorable, she returned to Chile in 1957.

Barros had the opportunity to become an international opera star. She entered the Trial Theater of the Catholic University and was invited to participate in Esta Señorita Trini, which was the prelude to La pérgola de las flores.[6] She shared the stage with Silvia Piñeiro, Ana González, and many other luminaries, and starred as the first Carmela.[2] Also in 1965 she had a musical group, Los Gatos, which was very successful.[6] After the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, she went to Kenya and worked as a UN official for nine years.[7] Then she returned to Chile and began appearing on television. Her first series was Los títeres (1984), which together with her role on El amor está de moda (1995) was her greatest pride.

In 2010, she received the APES Award for her artistic career.[8]

In 2015, she starred alongside Gloria Münchmeyer, Ana Reeves, and Consuelo Holzapfel in the television series Los años dorados, directed by Ricardo Vicuña.[9] This role earned her a nomination at the Caleuche Awards for Best Leading Actress in a TV Series in 2016.[10]

In 2017, she received the Caleuche Award for her career from the Minister of Culture, Ernesto Ottone, and Chileactores.[11] In March of the same year, she was honored as a Distinguished Public Person by the Municipality of Providencia.[12]

Personal life

Her son Jaime Amunátegui Barros married Jacqueline Pinochet Hiriart on 24 January 1984 in Cerro Castillo, and the couple had two children: Sofía and Jaime Augusto Amunátegui Pinochet.[13] In 2016, Barros told CNN Chile that Pinochet Hiriart "believed that I was a communist for being an artist."[14]

Barros' daughter, Loreto Amunátegui Barros, was governor of Chacabuco Province from 2000 to 2006.[15]

Carmen Barros defines herself as a Bacheletista – a supporter of President Michelle Bachelet.

Filmography

Film
  • Bajo un cielo de gloria (1944)
  • Música en tu corazón (1946)
  • La casa en que vivimos (1970)
  • La Fiebre del Loco (2001)
  • La chupilca del diablo (2012)
  • The Guest (La Visita) (2014) Chile-Argentina
  • El huésped (2014)
  • Perla (2015)
  • Viejos amores (2016)

Television
Year Title Role Channel
1969La SeñoraMarianelaCanal 13
1984Los títeresTuca Chica LeytonCanal 13
1985Matrimonio de papelMarcela DellanyCanal 13
1986Secreto de familiaSeñora OvalleCanal 13
1989La intrusaMercedes "Memé"Canal 13
1990Acércate másDelfina RosadoCanal 13
1995El amor está de modaAurora ZañartuCanal 13
2001Piel canelaTitania ConejoCanal 13
2004HippieLeonor ErrázurizCanal 13
2007Papi RickyJulita MerinoCanal 13
2010Volver a míConchitaCanal 13
2013Soltera otra vez 2Mireya VásquezCanal 13
2015Los años doradosCarmen OrtizUCV
2016Lo que callamos las mujeresMirtaChilevisión
2016PreciosasAdelaida UndurragaCanal 13
2017Vidas en RiesgoDoloresChilevisión

Theater

Awards and nominations

APES Awards
YearCategoryWorkResult
2010Artistic CareerWinner[8]

Caleuche Awards
YearCategoryWorkResult
2016Best Leading Actress – Series or MiniseriesLos años doradosNominated[10]
2017Artistic CareerWinner[11]

References
  1. "Oral history interview with Carmen Barros". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 9 September 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  2. Cerda G., Enrique (1989). El Teatro de Titeres en la Educacion (in Spanish). Andrés Bello. p. 52. ISBN 9789561312142. Retrieved 20 February 2018 – via Google Books.
  3. "La chilena que Hitler amó" [The Chilean That Hitler Loved]. La Nación (in Spanish). 5 April 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  4. "Joven a los 90: el disco definitivo de Carmen Barros" [Young at 90: The Final Album by Carmen Barros]. El Mercurio (in Spanish). 13 July 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  5. "A los 90 años, Carmen Barros presenta nuevo disco junto a Valentín Trujillo" [At Age 90, Carmen Barros Presents New Disc Together With Valentín Trujillo]. Diario UChile (in Spanish). 12 August 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  6. Garate A., Sebastian (27 July 2016). "Carmen Barros, radiante a sus 91 años" [Carmen Barrios, Radiant at 91]. Harper's Bazaar Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  7. "CNN Intimo: este sábado Carmen Barros" (in Spanish). CNN Chile. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  8. "Apes premia desde Américo a Felipe Camiroaga en postergada ceremonia" [APES Awards Américo and Felipe Camiroaga in Postponed Ceremony]. El Mercurio (in Spanish). Santiago. 22 December 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  9. "Adaptación chilena de 'Los Años Dorados' ya tiene fecha de estreno en UCV" [Chilean Adaptation of 'Los Años Dorados' Already Has a Release Date at UCV]. El Mercurio (in Spanish). Santiago. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  10. "Conoce los nominados a los Premios Caleuche" [Meet the Nominees for the Caleuche Awards] (in Spanish). Chileactores. 22 December 2016. Archived from the original on 9 May 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  11. "Estos son los ganadores de los Premios Caleuche: Gente que se Transforma 2017" [These are the Winners of the Caleuche Awards: People That Transform 2017] (in Spanish). Chileactores. Archived from the original on 7 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  12. "Providencia distingue a 8 destacadas actrices nacionales" [Providencia Recognizes 8 Distinguished National Actresses] (in Spanish). Cultura Providencia. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  13. Pérez Villamil, Ximena (10 February 2012). "Jacqueline, la hija rebelde, autoritaria y predilecta de Pinochet" [Jacqueline, Pinochet's Rebellious, Authoritarian, and Favorite Daughter]. El Mostrador (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  14. "CNN Chile on Twitter: Carmen Barros y su ex nuera Jacqueline Pinochet: 'ella creía que yo era comunista (por ser artista)'" [CNN Chile on Twitter: Carmen Barros and Her Ex-Daughter-in-Law Jacqueline Pinochet: 'She Thought I Was a Communist (For Being an Artist)']. Twitter (in Spanish). 2 April 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  15. "Involucrada a concho en las causas sociales" [Involved in Social Causes]. El Mercurio (in Spanish). 20 September 2006. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  16. "Vuelve el monólogo de Carmen Barros inspirado en Marilyn Monroe" [The Monologue of Carmen Barros Inspired By Marily Monroe]. El Mostrador (in Spanish). 6 January 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  17. "Carmen Barros y la obra 'El marinero' junto a Bélgica Castro y Gloria Münchmeyer" [Carmen Barros and the Play 'El marinero' Together With Bélgica Castro and Gloria Münchmeyer] (in Spanish). Radio Cooperativa. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
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