We explain who Nellie Campobello was, how was his life and artistic career. In addition, his works and how his death was.
Who was Nellie Campobello?
Nellie Campobello was A Mexican poet, writer and dancerPrecursor of Ballet in Mexico. She was the author of poems and stories, as well as books about folklore and chronicles of her time, especially about the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), of which she witnessed during her childhood.
His birth name was Francisca Moya Lunabut adopted “Nellie Campobello” as artistic pseudonym. According to some sources, he took it from the name of a very dear dog of his childhood, next to the last name of his stepfather, Stephen Campbell.
Nellie Campobello is considered One of the fundamental literary voices about the revolutionary period in Mexico. Towards the end of his life, he was deprived of his freedom and died in 1986. It was not known what had happened until 1998.
See also: Frida Kahlo
Your private life
Nellie Campobello He was born in Villa Ocampoin the Mexican state of Durango, on November 7, 1900. His parents were Felipe de Jesús Moya and Rafaela Luna.
He was baptized with the name of Francisca Moya Luna (María Francisca, according to some sources, and Francisca Ernestina, according to others). Over the years, Campobello herself He said he was born in 1909, 1912 or 1913.
His childhood passed between Villa Ocampo, Hidalgo del Parral and the city of Chihuahua. His father died in the battle of Ojinaga in 1914during the Mexican revolution, so his mother later married the American doctor Stephen Campbell. One of his brothers fought under the orders of the revolutionary leader Pancho Villa.
When the revolution had already concluded, and after the death of his mother in 1921, His family moved to Mexico City in 1923. There, Campobello discovered the ballet and took his first steps as an artist.
He never married, but had numerous lovers. In 1919 he had a son, José Raúl Moya, who died at two years. The father was probably Alfredo Chávez, who later served as governor of Chihuahua. The poet Germán List Arzubide declared that he was in love with her. On the other hand, she was a friend of other great personalities of literature, such as Federico García Lorca and Langston Hughes.
Your link with dance
In Mexico City, Nellie and her younger sister, Gloria Campobello, studied dance. Nellie She was a student of the famous sisters coast (Adela, Amelia and Linda), as well as other personalities of the artistic world such as Lettie Carroll, Carmen Galé, Stanislava Potapovich and Carol Adamchevsky. When José Vasconcelos served as Secretary of Education, under the presidency of Álvaro Obregón, the Campobello sisters participated in cultural missions for Mexican territory.
Nellie’s trajectory in Ballet led her to join the Music and National Dances of the Ministry of Public Education in 1930. In 1931 he founded with other personalities the first public dance schoolFirst Dynamic Plastic School and then Dance School. This institution became the National Dance School in 1938, and Campobello was appointed director, a position she held until 1984. The school is named after Nellie and Gloria Campobello.
In 1931 the Mexican government commissioned him to create a choreography in which the revolutionary deed was represented. Thus, Campobello created the Mass ballet 30-30which was presented for the first time in the national state represented by students of the dynamic plastic school and primary school children (who symbolized the people) and Nellie dressed in red (which embodied the revolution). This work was part of the cultural missions and traveled throughout the country in the following years.
In his long career in dance, produced numerous works, including folk coreographies. He also made ballet pieces with the ballet of Mexico City, which was co -founder along with Martín Luis Guzmán, José Clemente Orozco and Gloria Campobello.
Nellie Campobello’s literary work
Nellie Campobello’s literary work covered various genres. His first book was a volume of poetry entitled Francisca I! (1929)published by the painter and writer Gerardo Murillo (known as Dr. Atl).
In narrative, His most famous work was Cartridge. Stories of the fight in northern Mexico (1931)in which he narrated episodes of the Mexican revolution from the point of view of a girl, from his own experience. In this work, he challenged the prevailing stereotypes about the role of women in the conflict.
Besides, He wrote a lot of reflections on culture, folklore and history. Many of them were published in the newspapers Latest news and The universal graphicor gathered in volumes like Indigenous rhythms of Mexico (1940), co -written with his sister Gloria. Several of his works later compiled them in a volume entitled My books (1960).
His poems They have been considered a rhythmic, dance poetry. They were interpreted by some critics such as the prelude to the formation of a spirit of social criticism, very in tune with their rereading of revolutionary times.
Nellie Campobello and the Mexican Revolution
Nellie Campobello was One of the narrators of the Mexican Revolution. In his book of stories Cartridgefrom 1931, he narrated historical facts from the memories of his childhood in Villa Ocampo and Hidalgo del Parral. There he described the feats and misadventures of Francisco Villa and his followers in northern Mexico, as well as the role of some women in the revolutionary process.
Your novel Mom’s handspublished in 1937, he also narrated the acts of violence and hunger of the revolutionary decade from the memory of the protection that his mother provided in his childhood.
Subsequently, In 1940, he published Notes on Francisco Villa’s military lifea chronicle of the military career of the revolutionary leader. In this case, it was based on both your personal memories and witness stories and file documents.
Disappearance and death
In 1985, Nellie Campobello disappeared from public life, at 84 years of age. Some of his belongings and works of art also disappeared, such as paintings by Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco.
In 1998, a Human Rights Commission of the Federal District investigated its whereabouts and discovered a death certificate that indicated that He had died on July 9, 1986. According to the results of the investigations, he had previously been kidnapped by Claudio Fuentes Figueroa and his wife María Cristina Belmont, an old student from Campobello.
It was discovered that it had been buried in the Cemetery of Progreso de Obregón, in Hidalgo. His remains were recovered and transferred to his native Durango.
Works by Nellie Campobello
- Francisca I! (Poetry, 1929)
- Stories of the fight in northern Mexico (Stories, 1931)
- Mom’s hands (Novel, 1937)
- Notes on Francisco Villa’s military life (Chronicle, 1940)
- Indigenous rhythms of Mexico (Study on traditional dances, co -written with his sister Gloria, 1940)
- Three poems (Poetry, 1957)
- My books (Collection of your works, 1960)
Recognition to Nellie Campobello
The National School of Dance of Mexico today bears his name, along with his sister Gloria. His literary works have been translated into English and are part of the cultural heritage of the Mexican revolutionary era.
In recognition of its literary legacy, the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature of Mexico and the Institute of Culture of the State of Durango grant Since 2018 the beautiful Spanish -American story arts award Nellie Campobello.
Nellie Campobello poems
- “Advice”
Women:
Deliver your life in love.
Do not believe in sadness
Not in disappointments.
When everything happens
You only have the memory
of the sweet caress that
You stole a day to time.
LOVE, DELIVER YOUR LOVE
When you turn your head
You will find that it was better.
Love and be a woman.
What else can I tell you
What did he love much?What else can you want
When you love youWomen
- “I”
They say I’m
abrupt
I don’t know
What I say
Because I came
From there
They say
that of the mountain
Dark
I know I came
of clarity
Abrupt
Because I look
head on
AbruptBecause I am
strong
I am
mountain
How many things
They say
Because I cameFrom there
of a corner
Dark of the
mountain
But I know that
I came from one
Clarity
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References
- Campobello, N. (2007). Gathered work. With prologue by Juan Bautista Aguilar. Economic Culture Fund.
- Cuamatzin Nieves, GS (2016). Nellie Campobello: A female look at the Mexican Revolution in CartridgeIn: Ríos Guardiola, Mg et al. (eds.), Women of letters: pioneers in art, essay and education. Region of Murcia, Ministry of Education and Universities.
- López Mena, S. (SF). Nellie Campobello. Biography. Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library.
- Matthews, I. (1997). Nellie Campobello. The northern cent.. Lime and sand.
