CARLOTA JARAMILLO, THE REBELLIOUS LARK
It could be said that Carlota Jaramillo's pasillos and yaravíes move us with their poetry and emotional intensity, and that her way of interpreting reminds us of Andean sunsets full of nostalgia. However, no one would have thought that such an esteemed artist would have caused so much scandal and become the centre of popular murmuring.
Certainly, this great woman dared to defy the system and the rigid norms of the society of her time. Like other heroines of our country, she paved the way for the women of her time to gain the right to live according to their own values.
Put in context, Carlota Jaramillo was born in Calacalí, a small town near Quito on July 9, 1904, in the midst of a society that had been carrying centuries of conservative domination under the iron power of the Catholic Church. But the Liberal Revolution led by Eloy Alfaro in 1895 brought immense changes. The new regime established freedom of worship and equality of citizens before the law. It also promoted the rights of women to education and public life. To achieve this, it established secular education by creating schools and colleges throughout the country. Thus, in 1901 the Juan Montalvo and Manuel Cañizares Teacher Training Colleges were founded to prepare teachers for the new generations.
In order to continue her education, Carlota settled in Quito and enrolled in the Normal Manuela Cañizares. And while she was studying, there were many opportunities where she demonstrated her talent and her love for singing. In 1922 she won an amateur contest and later got private lessons from maestro Sixto María Duran, which helped her to develop her artistic and vocal abilities.
Undoubtedly, the new airs of emancipation and the exercise of citizen rights brought by the new liberal era motivated in this extroverted young woman the decision to become an artist and achieve her most cherished dreams.
At the graduation event, Maestro Rafael Ramos Albuja, musician and orchestra director of the "Compañía de Comedias y Variedades", (Comedy and variety company) was amazed with the musical interpretation of the beautiful and young Carlota and proposed her to join his theatrical group. She accepted the proposal, but she did not count on the opposition of her parents, who were against the idea of a "decent girl" appearing before the public and performing in comedies. Even so, against all odds, Carlota became the first actress of the Ramos Albuja Company.
In 1926, the "Compañía de Comedias y Variedades" was formed with Jorge Araujo and the Jaramillo sisters Carlota and Inés, as main figures. In their performances, they interpreted themes of the national pentagram, causing the criticism of the "well-to-do families" of Quito, since the other companies represented European plays and sang international songs. However, little by little she won the approval of the public and Carlota was awarded in 1927 as the best singer. In this way our "Queen of the song" began the trend towards the recognition of the musical expressions of the native feeling.
Jorge Araujo and Carlota Jaramillo
But there was a fact that filled the puritan society of Quito and it was her romance with Jorge Araujo Chiriboga. This green-eyed gallant, who was nicknamed "el gato" (the cat), was an actor who had played in several theatre companies and was a favourite among the public. That was the time of greatest boom when Quito's society frequented the city's stages and several theatre companies were formed.
