Rodolfo Gaona

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Gaona and the second or maternal family name is Jiménez.
Rodolfo Gaona
Personal information
Birth nameRodolfo Gaona y Jiménez
Nicknames
  • El Indio Grande
  • La Califa de León
Born(1888-01-22)January 22, 1888
León, Guanajuato, Mexico
DiedMay 20, 1975(1975-05-20) (aged 87)
Mexico City, Mexico
Spouse(s)Carmen Ruiz Moragas (1917-1917)
Enriqueta Gómez Abascal (married 1925)
Sport
SportBullfighting
RankMatador
Bullfighting career
Début novillero1 April 1908
Puerta de Hierro, Madrid

Rodolfo Gaona y Jiménez (22 January 1888 – 20 May 1975), was a Mexican bullfighter who performed from 1905 until his retirement in 1925, primarily in Madrid.[1][2][3] Known as El Indio Grande (The Big Indian) and La Califa de León (The Caliph of León), Gaona was part of the Golden Age of bullfighting in Spain[3] alongside Juan Belmonte and Joselito.[4] He invented the gaonera and pase del centenario moves.[2][5]

Biography[edit]

Gaona was born in León, Guanajuato City, Mexico on 22 January 1888[1] to a Navarrese father and an Indigenous Mexican mother.[6][2][7] As a young man, Gaona was a tanner and practiced bullfighting with a group of friends at nearby ranches.[8] He joined Saturnino "Ojitos" Frutos' bullfighting group in 1904.[7][1][9][3] His first professional bullfighting appearance was at the Toreo de la Condesa on 1 October 1905[8] in Mexico City.[7]

In early 1908, he traveled to Spain with Ojitos, who arranged for him to debut at the Puerta de Hierro in Madrid on 1 April, followed by appearances at the main plaza in Tetuán de las Victorias and the Palacio Vistalegre.[3][1][9][7] In 1910, he first performed a move that would later be dubbed the gaonera, which included holding the muleta behind himself and letting the bull pass through it.[8][10][11] At a celebration for the 100th anniversary of Mexico's independence from Spain in 1921, Gaona invented the pase del centenario, or centennial pass, a variation of the gaonera.[5][2]

Gaona's divorce from actress Carmen Ruiz Moragas, the mistress of King Alfonso XIII, attracted public ridicule, including allegations of being a cuckold or homosexual. This had a severe effect on his concentration in the ring, particularly when detractors threw things at him. He returned to Mexico in 1920 when bullfighting was again legalized.[2][12][11][6] Gaona retired on 12 April 1925 after a final performance at the Toreo de la Condesa, the same arena where he had made his maiden performance.[8][2]

Rodolfo Gaona by José Guadalupe Posada.

Personal life[edit]

While in Spain, Gaona briefly dated Paquita Escribano.[2][1] His 1917 marriage and subsequent divorce from Carmen Ruiz Moragas provoked increased discussion about divorce in Spain and inspired the film La malcasada.[12][2] In 1925, he married Enriqueta Gómez Abascal, a Spanish woman with whom he had three children.[13][1] Gaona died on 20 May 1975 in Mexico City.[6]

A street in Granada in the old bullfighters' neighborhood is named in his honor.[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Bentura Remacha, Benjamín (2004). Amores y desamores toreros: La vida sentimental en el mundo taurino [Bullfighting loves and heartbreaks: Sentimental life in the bullfighting world] (PDF) (in Spanish). Los Sabios del Toreo. pp. 119, 121, 125. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Santos Flores, Alberto (August 2012). "Rodolfo Gaona Jiménez" (in Spanish). El Periòdico del Saltillo. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  3. ^ a b c d Juan León (1970-08-11). "La terna ideal de la "Edad de Oro"" [The ideal lineup in the "Golden Age"]. El Ruedo (in Spanish). No. 1364. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  4. ^ "El excelso arte de Rodolfo Gaona" [The excellent art of Rodolfo Gaona] (in Spanish). El Universal. 2005-06-28. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  5. ^ a b Coello Ugalde, José Francisco (2017-10-29). "Rodolfo Gaona y el "pase del centenario"" [Rodolfo Gaona and the "centennial pass."] (in Spanish). Taurologia.com. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  6. ^ a b c d Delgado, Jose Luis (2017-09-18). "La amante de Alfonso XIII se casó en Granada" [Alfonso XIII's lover got married in Granada] (in Spanish). Granada Hoy. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  7. ^ a b c d "El Indio Grande, Rodolfo Gaona. Califa de León" [The Great Indian, Rodolfo Gaona. Caliph of Leon] (in Spanish). Los Labios del Toreo. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  8. ^ a b c d "Un Día Como Hoy Rodolfo Gaona Ejecutó Magistralmente La "Gaonera"" [On A Day Like Today Rodolfo Gaona Masterfully Executed The "Gaonera"] (in Spanish). suertematadortoros.com. 2021-02-15. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  9. ^ a b Coello, Francisco (2017-10-25). "Historias: Saturnino Frutos "Ojitos"" [Stories: Saturnino "Ojitos" Frutos] (in Spanish). altoromexico.com. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  10. ^ The dictionary definition of Gaonera at Wiktionary
  11. ^ a b "Alfonso XIII, mi padre" [Alfonso XIII, my father] (in Spanish). El Mundo. May 2002. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  12. ^ a b González, David (2019-07-07). "Carmen Ruiz Moragas: la bella actriz republicana que enamoró a Alfonso XIII y le dio dos hijos bastardos" [Carmen Ruiz Moragas: the beautiful republican actress who fell in love with Alfonso XIII and gave him two bastard children] (in Spanish). El Cierre Digital. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  13. ^ "Rodolfo Gaona se casa en Mejico" [Rodolfo Gaona marries in Mexico]. Mundo gráfico (in Spanish). 1925-02-25. p. 7.
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