Las Mujeres Mandan

People love her. People hate her. Paquita la del Barrio can be considered a controversial singer in Spanish music for her biting lyrics that lashes out at her past lovers ripping them apart piece by piece until they are completely destroyed. Her music was what I grew up listening as my mother is a die-hard fan. I had an extreme dislike toward my mother’s music, until recently as I started to understand what she is listening to. I’ve developed a new appreciation and in further researching Paquita she speaks with a voice that has been unheard of.

Paquita’s most recent release includes a song called “Las Mujeres Mandan” which is also the title of her CD. I came across the following video for the song:





Paquita stands as a voice for women, encouraging them to take charge against the abuses of men. In several scenes you see women doing this by picketing, kneeing men to the groin and pushing them down after they call ‘cat call’ them. Paquita is seen as a leadership figure in the video rallying the women. She is on the cover of a magazine, holding a press conference, and sitting behind a desk delegating. Within rancheras, she is a leader in her genre of music breaking grounds for women to speak out. I found the video interesting as in a sense it reflects that.