Actor, singer, dancer, and presenter—these are many faces one performer wore repeatedly. Known as ‘Chica ye ye,’ she rose to become a towering figure on the Spanish stage. The same people who once celebrated her artistry now face challenges of loss and change. Concha Velasco. He passed away at 84, moving into a nursing home in February 2022, a few months after announcing retirement from the stage. The decision had roots in September 2021 amid personal losses and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. His health and the surrounding rumors have persisted in public discourse.
Concepción Velasco Varona was born on 29 November 1939 in Valladolid. She stepped onto the big screen at only 15, making her debut in The Moorish Queen. She studied Classical and Spanish Dance at the National Conservatory of Madrid until she was 20 and later joined the La Coruña Opera for its premiere season.
Velasco’s breakthrough came when she co-starred in Daughters of the Red Cross in 1958 at age 19. Seven years later, she earned the nickname ‘Eat you girl’ after performing the title song in the film Television Stories. The performance captivated audiences, launching a successful singing career that produced eight studio albums. In 1990 she revisited the popular song to mark its 25th anniversary.
Her career evolved in the 1960s as she shifted toward dramatic acting, taking on ‘wife’ roles alongside notable directors and actors such as Mariano Ozores, Alfredo Landa, and José Luis López Vázquez. Musically, she collaborated with Manolo Escobar during these years.
With Spain’s Transition, Velasco embraced more serious parts, moving away from pure comedy. She led productions such as I Couldn’t Find a Rose for My Mother, Mario Camus’ La Colmena, and Equilache, earning a Goya Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1989. A decade later, she was again nominated for the same prize for Paris-Timbuktu, directed by Luis García Berlanga. Her later screen roles included Enloquecidos (2008), Rabia (2009), and Malasaña 32 (2020). In 2012 she received the Goya Honor Award for a lifetime of work in cinema.
passion for theater
Velasco’s greatest prestige came from the theater. While performing Don Juan Tenorio, she met the man who would become her husband and the father of one of her children, actor and theater producer Paco Marsó. He supported her in some of the era’s most important stage productions, such as Las arrecogías del beghínage de Santa María Egipciaca, alongside Pilar Bardem and María Luisa Ponte.
In 1986 her career drew further attention through the musical show Mom, I Want to Be an Artist. The 1990s saw a shift toward portraying middle‑aged women seeking freedom, with author and poet Antonio Gala writing The Apples of Friday for Velasco and lending her the lead in the Broadway-inspired Hello, Dolly! The stage became her enduring home, even as cinema and television continued to intersect with her career.
Velasco’s recognition continued with honors. In 2014 she was named an honorary member of the Spanish Academy of Performing Arts and in 2016 she received the National Theater Award. Her later theater appearances included El Funeral in 2018, written by her son Manuel Martínez Velasco, and María’s Room in 2020, also penned by her son, marking a deep integration of family and profession.
‘Personal reasons’ and ‘Colleagues’
Throughout her career, Velasco balanced cinema, theater, and television. On television she starred in popular series such as Compañeros, Personal Reasons, Herederos, The Golden Girls, and Under Suspicion. She turned down the long‑running hit Farmacia de Guardia to honor other professional commitments. She also appeared in streaming series like Velvet and Las Chicas del Cable, reflecting a adaptability across media platforms.
During her years as a presenter and host, she contributed to TVE’s New Year specials from 1984 to 1986. In 1999 she succeeded Isabel Gemio as the host of Sorpresa Sorpresa on Antena 3. Her final appearance as a television presenter came with Neighborhood Cinema on TVE, a program she led from 2011 until a health-focused pause in 2014, ultimately stepping back to devote time to theater and family. Velasco left a substantial cultural legacy and a lasting impact on the arts in Spain, celebrated for decades of versatility and influence across screen and stage. [Fuente: archivo periodístico]
Her career stands as a testament to a life devoted to performance, with a lasting imprint on Spanish culture and the arts. Velasco’s work continues to inspire actors, directors, and audiences who remember her contributions to theater and screen alike. [Fuente: archivo periodístico]