music monday - chavela vargas

one of the greatest (and my favorite) mexican singers died last sunday at the age of 93. throughout her career, she refused to live by mexico's roman catholic preconceptions of what it meant to be a female or singer: singing lusty "ranchera" songs while wearing men's clothes, carrying a pistol, drinking and smoking cigars.  she recorded 80 albums, and was a close friend of frida kahlo, diego rivera and spanish writer federico garcia lorca, whose work she paid homage to on an album released several months ago .
at a mexico city tribute concert last summer, she thanked the audience and said "i was never afraid of anything because i never hurt anyone." gracias por todo chavela vargas!