La Perrata

Maria Fernandez Granados was born in Utrera in 1922, but she was not to become a professional singer until rather late in her life, she made her first recording with her sons when she was in her late fifties.

Maria la Perrata, who was the sister of El Perrate and the cousin of La Fernanda de Utrera, married Bernardo Peña, and moved to Lebrija, the town where she spent the rest of her life.

She appeared at many festivals including La Caracola in Lebrija and El Potaje in Utrera, and she recorded a few records although her husband did not like her becoming a professional artiste.

Maria la Parrata was an outstanding interpreter of the Cantes de Lebrija, and her specialties were the Caravanas and the nanas, which do not fall into the jondo section of flamenco, but with her dark gypsy echo they have all the feeling and depth of jondo.

She was one of the pillars of the Pinini clan and she contributed to one of the biggest and most important periods in flamenco history.

She is the mother of singer El Lebrijano and guitarist Pedro Peña and she participated in many of the famous Pinini clan parties, which would be held on one of the families patios or homes in Lebrija.

La Perrata died in 2005, in the town where she had lived since she was nineteen.

Recommended viewing.
Rito y Geograpfía del Cante, vol 9 / 11

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