| Lola Flores | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | María de los Dolores Flores Ruiz |
| Also known as | La Faraona |
| Born | 21 January 1923 Jerez de la Frontera, Spain |
| Died | 16 May 1995 (aged 72) Madrid, Spain |
| Genres | Andalusian folklore |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Instruments | Voice, castanets |
| Years active | 1939–1994 |
María Dolores "Lola" Flores Ruiz (21 January 1923 – 16 May 1995) was a Spanish singer, dancer, and actress.
Flores was born in Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz (Andalusia, Spain). Although thought to be only part gypsy, she strongly identified with the Spanish gypsy culture. She herself said that there was a very small remote possibility of having gypsy heritage from her grandmother, but was not certain.[1] She became a famous dancer and singer of Andalusian folklore at a very young age, performing flamenco, copla or chotis and featuring in films from 1939 to 1987. Her greatest success was in folklore shows with Manolo Caracol, who was her artistic partner until 1951.
In 1958 she married Antonio González el Pescaílla, a guitarist from Cataluña Spain who was gypsy. She had three children: Dolores (singer and actress Lolita Flores); rock musician, singer and actor Antonio Flores; and singer and actress Rosario Flores.
Lola Flores died of breast cancer in 1995, aged 72, and was buried in the Cementerio de la Almudena in Madrid. Shortly after her death, her distraught 34-year-old son, Antonio Flores, committed suicide by overdosing with barbiturate and was buried near her.
In 2007, the biography Lola, la película was made. The movie describes her early life, starting in 1931 until 1958.