Vedette (cabaret)

Mistinguett at the Moulin Rouge

Valeria Archimaut, Argentine supervedette

Vedette is a Spanish term (derived from French vedette) used in some Latin American countries to describe female singers and entertainers skilled in Latin styles of singing and/or dancing and/or acting. Although the Spanish term is derived from French vedette, "starlet", its meaning is equivalent to French meneuse de revue "showgirl". Equivalent English terms are diva, bombshell, showgirl. Examples include Suzy King, Susana Giménez, The Pussycat Dolls, Iris Chacón, Josephine Baker and Candida Batista.^[1] More generally the term describes female variety performers whose talents typically include dancing, acting and singing in theatres and carnavals. These risqué productions are similar to the French cabarets, burlesque and revue.

Types

Supervedette is a term used to distinguish a vedette that is known for her work and talent mainly in theater for over years. Most supervedettes are over their 50s like Susana Giménez, Moria Casán and Carmen Barbieri. Younger supervedettes are Valeria Archimó(41), Mónica Farro(36), Adabel Guerrero(34), Florencia De La V(37) and María Eugenia Ritó(37).^[2] Nélida Roca was one of the first supervedettes in Argentina. Others include Graciela Alfano (1952-) and Reina Reech (1958-).

First Vedette is a vedette who leads all the other vedettes and dancers after the supervedette. Examples include Jésica Cirio, Andrea Ghidone, Claudia Albertario, Mónica González, and Claudia Fernández.

Vedette Cómico is a vedette who is at the same level as the first vedette but is distinguished by her acting and comedy rather than her dance ability. In Bravísima 2010 Belén Francese was the vedette cómico and Mónica Farro was the first vedette.^[3] Examples include Rocío Marengo, Belén Francese, Silvina Luna. Even though Mónica Farro has been manly credited as a first vedette (now supervedette), she has been credited as a vedette cómico as well and veteran supervedette Carmen Barbieri started her theater career as a vedette cómico, as well as Florencia De La V.^[4]

Argentina

In Argentina and Uruguay in a theater show or musical manly a music hall or a revue the vedette is the lead attraction, there will be a lead supervedette (sometimes 2 like in Barbierísima or Escandalosas), a first vedette (which can sometimes be more than one, example: Excitante with 2 or Barbierísima with 3) and one to three vedettes more. Some theater musicals have a lead supervedette and a guest supervedette like Barbierísima with Carmen Barbieri as the lead and Zulma Faiad as the guest or in Escandalosas where again Barbieri is the lead and Moria Casán is the guest. Barbierísima also had the exception of having three first vedettes: Andrea Ghidone, Claudia Albertario and Andrea Estévez, and more than three extra vedettes: Gabriela Mandato, Adriana "Leona" Barrientos, Silvina Scheffler, Victoria Xipolitakis, Dominique Pestaña and Ivanna Paliotti. In 2011-12 Excitante had the late Estela Raval as the supervedette, Adabel Guerrero as the first vedette and Jésica Cirio as another first vedette, one second vedette: Estefanía Bacca, one third vedette: Chintia Fernández and later on an extra vedette: Virginia Dobrich.^[5][6] In La fiesta esta en el lago in 2007 and 2008 there where no extra vedettes and three first vedettes:Valeria Archimó, Mónica Farro and Adabel Guerrero.^[7]

Mexico

Lupe Vélez, Mexican vedette

Already in the 1920s the image of the vedette in Mexico emerged with the stars of the revue, with figures such as Lupe Velez^[8], Amparo Arozamena^[9], Maria Conesa "La Gatita Blanca"^[10], Prudencia Grifell ^[11], Mimi Derba^[12], Esperanza Iris^[13], Celia Montalvan^[14] and Lupe Rivas Cacho^[15] among others.

The Golden Age of the Vedettes in Mexico was between the 1950's^[16] and 1980's. The cuban Rosita Fornes was considered the most important exponent of the genre.^[17] In the cabarets and night clubs of Mexico City, became popular the named "Exoticas" as Tongolele ^[18] and Su Muy Key "The Chinese Doll"^[19].

The vedettes called "Rumberas", conquered the Silver Screen in the named Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940's-1950's, and created a cinematographic genre know as Rumberas film. The principal exponents were the Cubans Maria Antonieta Pons^[20], Amalia Aguilar^[21],Ninon Sevilla^[22] and Rosa Carmina^[23], and the Mexican Meche Barba^[24].

In the following decade, were very famous Ana Luisa Peluffo^[25], Ana Bertha Lepe^[26] and Zulma Faiad^[27]. At this time the shows were becoming bolder.

In the 1970's and 1980's when, thanks to television, movies and magazines, the Vedettes reached their highest point, being very numerous which achieved success. The names of some of these legendary starlets who lit marquees Mexico City are: Sasha Montenegro^[28], Rossy Mendoza^[29], Yolanda Liévana^[30], Olga Breeskin^[31], Lyn May^[32] Wanda Seux^[33], Thelma Tixou^[34], Angélica Chain^[35], Gloriella^[36], The Princess Lea^[37] and The Princess Yamal^[38] who were also the stars of the called Cine de Ficheras^[39], stars of the night life, particularly when the midnight T.V. Show Variedades de Medianoche (Mindnight Varieties) contributed to the "boom" of vedettes^[40] . In the next decades, the most famous is Niurka Marcos, who started as a dancer in the cabaret Tropicana in Havana, Cuba^[41].

References

External links

• Famous Vedettes (cabaret performers) of Mexico (english - pdf)