Bob Pop: "Carmen de Mairena forces you to reflect on what success is"

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Bob Pop, during the recording of the podcast dedicated to the life of Carmen de Mairena.

The Storytel platform premieres "Carmen de Mairena: A hectic life, from behind and ahead", an audio series that covers the life of the artist over six chapters scripted by Santi Villas and narrated by Bob Pop.

A

(1933-2020) fame came late.

He was almost 70 years old when his shingles, his lips and his cheeky attitude took over the

of private televisions.

But behind the pop icon (and phrases like "everything I have as a nose I have as a potorro") was a woman who fought for the historical memory and the visibility of the trans community while facing a life marked by adversity.

is the title of this six-part biographical audio series that premieres exclusively on Friday, November 6 on the Storytel platform.

Scripted and directed by the television

, brings together the testimonies of their closest family and friends, as well as prominent figures from the world of culture and television.

The narration is in charge of the writer and radio, press and television collaborator

(Madrid, 1971), for whom the project has meant "a reflection on success at any price".

Did you meet Carmen de Mairena in person? I saw her some night in a Barcelona slum.

But she was old enough and not in her prime. Success came too late for her, right? Yes.

She always tried, until television appeared in her life, first with Alfonso Arús and then in

with Javier Cárdenas.

There he became the character that most people think they know.

Poster of the audio series dedicated to Carmen de Mairena.

He had a hard life: Civil War, Francoism, jail, robberies, beatings ... Yes.

He sought recognition, a place in the world of entertainment ... It includes all the final tradition of the Chinatown, of the most luminous Barcelona, ​​of the crazy nights of Gil de Biedma and Jean Genet.

She was there too, trying it out as a Spanish song singer and later as a drag queen.

In her late arrival to fame, she is like a character who becomes what time has left on her, with everything she has tried.

It is very interesting how, through the voices that speak about her in the audibook, we discover that there are many Cármenes de Mairena: there is the one she pretended to be, the one she wanted to be and the one who was real.

She, above all, is a creation of herself, in every way and constantly.

It forces you to reflect on what success is, on whether she ever thought she was succeeding or just wondered if she could pay all the bills that month. Have you ever reflected on success?

I have the feeling that a lot of people mistakenly thought that success was a place to be reached.

I believe that it is not a destination.

One is constantly trying and getting it right, but ... It is even more noticeable today than in Carmen's time.

With social networks there is a kind of mirage of success that often does not translate into notoriety.

Not even in relevance.

But in her case, I don't think even she was aware.

I think there did come a time when he felt recognition, which was something he was looking for.

But I don't know if she felt recognized for who she was or from the reflection or projection she was showing.

Carmen de Mairena, during an event in 2010. / DOMÈNEC UMBERT

What you call "the reflection of a broken mirror." Exactly.

When I read the story of Santi Villas, with all the voices of the people who knew it, it gave me the feeling of seeing a triptych of Francis Bacon with the three prints of the character: the real one, the invented one and the dreamed one. the hardest moment of the narrative? At the end, in the sixth and last chapter, I allow myself to reflect on what the reading has generated me.

And it is deeply saddened, with the feeling that Carmen is someone with a life where she never finds redemption.

There is always a search for one's own identity, but beyond the sexual identity.

And also the search for one's own talent as a way of life.

Santi Villas is the scriptwriter for the six chapters of the audio series.

How do you approach a project like this?

It has been a pleasure.

When they made the proposal I was very excited because I have known Santi for a long time.

I love and respect it.

After reading the texts and listening to the transcripts and testimonies, it seemed to me that it was a very important document.

It was an honor to be the narrator of this.

Especially me, who always do very personal topics.

I was also very excited to be just the person who told something. How does it feel to act as a voice-

, as if I were the narrator of some classic film? Let's see, I don't have a

booming voice

, but ... I did my best!

In addition, we have that wonderful title: "A hectic life from behind and ahead" that seems like a find to me.

And she is very Carmen de Mairena too.

A rubble of his own.

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