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Paquita la del Barrio, the prolific Mexican vocalist and songwriter known for her powerful feminist ballads, died on Monday at her home in Veracruz. She was 77.<\/p>\n
Paquita\u2019s social media accounts<\/a> made the announcement on Monday, but did not list a cause of death.<\/p>\n \u201cWith deep pain and sadness we confirm the sensitive passing of our beloved \u2018Paquita la del Barrio,\u2019\u201d the statement said in Spanish. \u201cShe was a unique and unrepeatable artist who will leave an indelible mark in the hearts of all of us who knew her and enjoyed her music.\u201d<\/p>\n Paquita broke through in the Mexican ranchera genre, a field typically dominated by men, demonstrated through intense songs centering on love, revenge and nationalism. Songs like \u201cRata de dos Patas,\u201d \u201cMe Saludas a la Tuya\u201d and \u201cTres Veces Te Engane\u201d denounced male macho culture and became anthems.<\/p>\n A 1999 article<\/a> in The New York Times highlighted Paquita\u2019s place in Mexico City, where she had begun her career as a local performer, describing her as \u201csomething of a patron saint\u201d of a place where her songs resonated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Paquita\u2019s passing caused an outpouring of grief among celebrities and fans on social media.<\/p>\n Alejandro Sanz, a singer and composer, wrote<\/a> in Spanish that her music was \u201ccapable of capturing a feeling and turning it into a song\u201d and that she is a \u201cpart of the eternal culture.\u201d<\/p>\n Thalia, a popular singer and actress, shared a scene of the pair starring on \u201cMaria Mercedes,\u201d a soap opera that aired on the Mexican broadcaster Televisa in 1992. Initially, Thalia expressed nervousness about sharing a stage with Paquita.<\/p>\n \u201cPaquita marked a clear and forceful path when it came to empowering women in music,\u201d Thalia wrote<\/a> in Spanish on Instagram. \u201cShe always spoke clearly and confidently in her songs and helped thousands of women in this industry feel more open and confident when talking about their life experiences without taboos.\u201d<\/p>\n Paquita was born Francisca Viveros Barradas on April 2, 1947, in the Mexican state of Veracruz.<\/p>\n Her life shaped her music. Paquita was a teenager when she married a man nearly 30 years older than her. The marriage produced two children, but ended after seven years when she found out that the man was already married with a family.<\/p>\n She had three children with her second husband, Alfonso Martinez. Martinez died in 2000 after the pair were married for 31 years. Information on survivors was not immediately available.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI got married for a second time and it was the same sacrilege and sacrifice of living with a man you know is being unfaithful,\u201d she told USA Today<\/a> in an interview conducted in Spanish in 2021. \u201cI\u2019ve suffered a lot. It\u2019s difficult because the heart goes where it wants. Those feelings are what guide people to my music.\u201d<\/p>\n Men, in her songs, became \u201ctwo-legged rats\u201d and wastes of time. But eventually, she noticed them at her concerts as well.<\/p>\n \u201cThey go with their girlfriend, their wife and they love it,\u201d Paquita said in a 2016 interview with The Associated Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n She gained her stage name, which translates to \u201cPaquita from the neighborhood,\u201d while performing in Mexico City venues with her sister, Viola Viveros. Her breakthrough came during a televised performance on Televisa, leading to a contract with CBS Records and propelling her onto the national stage.<\/p>\n