Micaela Flores Amaya, artistically known as La Chunga, passed away this Friday at the age of 87, as confirmed by her son, Luis Gonzalvo. The dancer and painter leaves an unforgettable legacy in flamenco art and painting. Luis Gonzalvo explained that his mother had been “in and out of the hospital” for days due to a prolonged illness: “It’s sad and it’s never pleasant news, but there has also been a long progress of an illness and then you assume it a little better,” he said.
Tribute to a life of art and passion
The actress and friend of the dancer, Charo Reina, lamented her loss in a telephone call to the program Y ahora Sonsoles: “She danced barefoot and her hand movements were spectacular. She was a woman of race,” she recalled with admiration. Born in Marseille in 1938, La Chunga grew up in a humble neighborhood of Barcelona. At the age of six she began dancing barefoot in bars, where she was discovered by the painter Paco Rebés during one of his street performances. Her unique style caught the attention of the famous Salvador Dalí, who proposed an exceptional artistic project: to create paintings with her feet. To the rhythm of Ramón Gómez’s guitar, La Chunga danced on canvases impregnated with paint, giving life to a unique artistic technique.
National and international recognition
La Chunga not only triumphed in the flamenco tablaos of Spain, but also left her mark abroad. Her works were exhibited in cities such as Madrid and Paris, and during the 1960s and 1970s she toured the Costa Brava and international stages, becoming one of the most prominent names in flamenco. For more than 20 years, his figure was associated with the most iconic flamenco tablaos of the national and international scene, consolidating an artistic legacy that transcends generations.
