From a strange world*, indeed

The countdown to Spain is speeding up - just two more days to go and we'll be there! Ironically, it's warmer here in London today than it is in Malaga...

[Meanwhile, we have not one, but two theatre trips to enjoy - tonight is a tribute evening at Wilton's Music Hall to the late, great operatic contralto Kathleen Ferrier - read more about her over at the Dolores Delargo Museum of Camp - and tomorrow it's the UK premiere of Stephen Sondheim's last musical Here We Are. We'll be knackered by the time we arrive on the Costa..!]

I think something suitably Spanish is in order - and it doesn't get much more camp than house fave María Jiménez!

María Jiménez - De un mundo raro

I dress just like that whenever I go shopping.

[* De un mundo raro = "From a strange world" in English]

[More Señorita Jiménez]

Plumas de pavo real!

Back to the commute...

Despite the "old ennui" that always envelops Monday mornings, I rejoice in the thought that there are only five days of this shit left to deal with before we fly off to our very much-needed week in the sunshine of the Costa del Sol...

...so on this Tacky Music Monday let's flamenco-handclap our way into that very countdown, shall we?, in the company of an old favourite - now digitally restored*:

Maria Jimenez - Con dos cama vacias

Have a good week, dear reader.

[* click on the label for Maria Jimenez at the foot of this post to see previous occasions where I featured this video; it was pixellated to say the least!]

Feather blessings

In our continuing countdown to our forthcoming Spanish holiday, it is time, methinks, for a taste of true Andalusia, birthplace of that most magical of musical styles - Flamenco!

Well, I say "true".

As true as it gets when we're talking about the toothsome and completely loco Señorita María Jiménez, loud and proud exponent of the art of copla, and one of our favourite feathery-outfit-wearers here at Dolores Delargo Towers...

She's Bienaventurados ("Blessed"):

María Jiménez - Bienaventurados

Oh, I feel better already!

We adore María Jiménez.

Nuestra Señora de las plumas

Our holiday in Spain creeps ever closer, and methinks it is about time in this countdown to revisit an old favourite of ours.

Senorita María Jiménez (for it is she) is a magnificently eccentric creature - as I related in a previous blog, her voice was likened to "Bob Dylan singing flamenco", and her outspoken attitudes and eccentric clothing meant she was always in the news in Spain.

Here she is as a young woman, working her tits off in what appears to be a promo for the Spanish tourist board:

María Jiménez - Se Acabo

...and here she is again, a little older but utterly fabulous. It's our fave clip of hers, and I make no apologies for featuring it again...

María Jiménez - Con dos cama vacias

She's apparently not been well lately, and we wish her a speedy recovery, so she can keep on entertaining us with such campness!

María Jiménez on Wikipedia

My previous blogs about her may be found here and here

Have you met our mother?

As the countdown to Spain hurtles along, it is time, methinks, to re-visit another of the little treasures we brought back with us from a previous holiday - the lovely (and completely mad) - Señorita Maria Jimenez!

Mother, we love you!

Maria Jimenez - Mamarracho

Maria Jimenez - Con dos cama vacias

Deviertete!

Bob Dylan singing flamenco?

"Red velvet, crystal chandeliers, whisky. Peacock feathers, smudged mascara, black stockings. A cigarette burning, sequins, lipstick."

Despite not being able to get into our own flat (we are currently kipping down with Baby Steve and Houseboy Alex in their bijou caravan in Essex!) till - hopefully - tonight or tomorrow morning, we are still happily basking in the afterglow of another lovely week in Spain.

They had been suffering weeks of horrible rainy weather over there, but our arrival appeared to signal a change - and although it wasn't consistently sunny we have still managed to come back with a fab tan...

Meanwhile, on this first Tacky Music Monday after our return, what better to post than a little "gift" from our holidays?

Imagine our delight on discovering the marvellous Maria Jimenez, variously described as "an unstoppable force" and "like Bob Dylan singing flamencos"! Enjoy...

Maria Jimenez - Con dos camas vacías

Wow.