Rosa Carmina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rosa Carmina
Rosa Carmina, c. 1950s
Born	Rosa Carmina Riverón Jiménez (1929-11-19) November 19, 1929 (age 95) La Habana, Cuba
Nationality	Cuban Mexican
Occupation	Actress, dancer and singer
Years active	1946–1992
Spouse(s)	Francisco Morales Llanes Juan Orol (1949-1954) Ramón de Florez

Rosa Carmina Riverón Jiménez (born November 19, 1929) is a famous Cuban-Mexican actress and dancer. She became very popular in Mexico for her acting, dancing, and singing. She was known for being taller than many actresses of her time.

Rosa Carmina was discovered in Cuba by the Spanish filmmaker Juan Orol. She started her film career in Mexico in 1946. For many years, she starred in Orol's exciting gangster films. One of her most famous movies with him is Gangsters Versus Cowboys (1948). This film is still loved by many movie fans today. Rosa Carmina was also a big star in the Rumberas films during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and 1950s. Some of her popular Rumberas films include Tania, the Beautiful Wild Girl (1947) and Sandra, the Woman of Fire (1954). She also worked in theater and television. In the 1980s and 1990s, she appeared in Mexican TV shows called telenovelas. Because of her work with Juan Orol, she was called The Queen of the Gangsters. She was also known as Her Majesty The Rumba for her amazing dance skills.

Early Life and Discovery

Rosa Carmina Riverón Jimenez was born in Havana, Cuba on November 19, 1929. She was the youngest of four children. From a young age, she loved to dance and studied at a dance school in Cuba.

In 1946, the famous Spanish director and actor Juan Orol was looking for a new star for his movies. He held a competition in Havana, but he couldn't find the right actress. However, Orol's agent in Cuba heard Rosa Carmina sing at a family party. The agent told Orol about her. When Orol met Rosa, he was very impressed. He felt she was perfect for his next movie, A Woman from the East.

Orol offered Rosa a contract to star in three films in Mexico. At first, she said no, but Orol convinced her. Rosa decided to go to Mexico with her family. Juan Orol taught her many dance moves. She also took acting classes to improve her skills.

A Star's Career

Rosa Carmina's career was full of exciting roles in movies, on stage, and on television.

Movies with Juan Orol

Rosa Carmina started her movie career in Mexico with A Woman from East (1946). This film was directed by Juan Orol. She then made two more films with him: Tania, the Beautiful Wild Girl (1947) and Gangster's Kingdom (1947). The sequel, Gangsters Versus Cowboys (1948), became a very popular movie. These films are still important in movie history.

Rosa Carmina was so talented that she could play herself in some of Orol's films. She also starred in Wild Love (1949) and Cabaret Shangai (1950). Rosa Carmina became a complete performer, known as a vedette. This meant she was great at dancing, singing, and acting.

In 1951, Rosa Carmina made three films based on a popular comic book series called Percal. These movies were The Poor's Hell, Women Perdition, and Men without Soul. The films were even more successful than the comic books!

Even though she mostly worked with Juan Orol's company, she also got to make movies with other producers. She rejoined Orol for The Goddess of Tahiti (1953). In 1954, Orol directed Sandra, the Woman of Fire in Cuba. This movie was one of Rosa Carmina's biggest hits with Orol. She made three more films with him: Crime Syndicate (1954), Under the Fear Influence (1955), and Dangerous Secretary (1955). In total, Juan Orol directed her in sixteen films between 1946 and 1955. These movies helped make Rosa Carmina famous as Queen of the Gangsters in Mexican cinema.

Rosa Carmina, Juan Orol (right) and Gilberto Gonzalez, circa 1950s

Movies with Other Directors

In 1950, Rosa Carmina worked with another film company called Producciones Rosas Priego. Here, she made different kinds of movies. She filmed Treacherous (1950) and In the Flesh (1951). She also starred in Voyager (1952) and The Second Woman (1954).

By the mid-1950s, Rumberas films became less popular. Rosa Carmina made fewer movies in this style. In 1956, she starred in Love Me with Music, a film made with Spain. This movie was very popular in Spain, making her one of the few Mexican stars to succeed there.

Rosa Carmina was very versatile and could act in many different types of films. She appeared in Luchador films like The Last Fight (1959). She also acted in fantasy and horror films such as The Cobra Mystery (1959) and Infernal Face (1963). In 1974, she worked with Juan Orol one last time in the film México by Night.

In 1976, Rosa Carmina was in the film Captain Pantoja and the Special Services. The author of the book, Mario Vargas Llosa, even said she inspired a character. She played a special character called La Cubana in the movie. Her last film was Teatro Follies in 1983, a musical film for television.

Stage Performances

Rosa Carmina also performed live in theaters, stadiums, and nightclubs across Central and South America. She was very successful at a time when television was not yet common. She started performing on stage in Mexico soon after her first movie success. Juan Orol organized a tour for her so people could see her perform live. She also joined a musical show at the Tivoli Theatre in Mexico City. There, she shared the stage with other famous artists.

In her live shows, Rosa Carmina danced to many types of music, not just Caribbean styles. She even tried rock and roll. She worked with a talented choreographer named Julio Solano to create new dance routines.

In 1976, she had a very successful show at the Blanquita Theater in Mexico City. She performed with comedian Adalberto Martínez and Cuban dancer Amalia Aguilar.

In the early 1990s, Rosa Carmina starred in a show called Rumba, poetry and song. This show combined songs from her movies with Cuban poetry and dance. It was performed many times and celebrated her 45 years in entertainment.

Television Appearances

Rosa Carmina did not appear on television very often, but when she did, it was special. She was one of the first stars to have a musical show on Mexican television.

She started acting in Mexican telenovelas in 1984 with La pasión de Isabela. Some of her most remembered TV roles were in Juana Iris (1985) and Muchachita (1986). In these shows, special characters were created just for her. In 1992, she was in Maria Mercedes. This was a very popular TV show starring the singer Thalía. This was her last acting job.

Personal Life

Rosa Carmina has been married several times. Her first husband was Francisco Morales Llanes. Later, she married Juan Orol. She also married Ramón de Florez. She lives in Spain today.

Her dance numbers in movies were so popular that audiences would cheer and clap for them to be shown again in theaters.

The famous Mexican artist José Luis Cuevas has said that he named the Zona Rosa, Mexico City (a famous neighborhood) in her honor.

In the movie El fantástico mundo de Juan Orol (2012), which tells the story of Juan Orol, Rosa Carmina is played by the Mexican actress Ximena Gonzalez Rubio.

Filmography

TV Shows

• La pasión de Isabela (1984)
• Juana Iris (1985)
• Muchachita (1986)
• Morir para vivir (1986)
• Simplemente Maria (1988)
• La Hora Marcada (1990)
• Mi pequeña Soledad (1990)
• María Mercedes (1992)

See also

In Spanish: Rosa Carmina para niños