Món Gitano 1962 - 1963

The exhibition recovers the photographer’s first professional photographic work, which put her in touch with two of the great passions of her life: cinema and flamenco.

Món Gitano 1962 – 1963 is an unpublished exhibition in Barcelona that brings together 37 analog photographs, and includes three photographs of Carmen Amaya , author’s copies made by Colita herself in the laboratory and that had never been exhibited, framed especially for the occasion.

At only 22 years old, Isabel Steva Hernández, “Colita”, received from her mentor and friend Paco Rebés the commission to photograph the extras of the film Los Tarantos (1963), directed by Francesc Rovira Beleta. To carry out this work, the photographer went into the shantytowns of Somorrostro and the mountain of Montjuïc.

Beyond the precariousness of the environment, Colita captured the joy, dancing, singing and play that filled every corner. Her images stand out for their authentic and unprejudiced connection, especially in the portraits dedicated to children captured in the simplicity of their daily lives and flamenco festivals.

This early assignment marked the beginning of Colita’s professional career and opened the door to two of the great passions of her life: cinema and flamenco. During the filming, she immortalized young talents who would become reference figures such as “La Singla”, Antonio Gades or the singer José Menese.

However, the decisive turning point was the encounter with the legendary dancer Carmen Amaya, who had arrived from Mexico in 1963 to star in Los Tarantos . Moved by her genius and personality, Colita dedicated much of her life to preserving and vindicating the memory of this incomparable artist.