User:Mrodriguezv957/Chavela Vargas

Death and Legacy
On August 6th 2012, Chavela’s funeral was held in Plaza Garibald i in the center of Mexico city. The film Chavela included footage of her funeral. Hundreds of fans and loved ones gathered in order to honor her legacy where they played her music and drank her favorite drink, tequila. Chavela's ashes were scattered in Chalchi Hills, Morelos, Mexico.

The film Chavela mentions that after her new found popularity in Spain, she no longer rejected the word “lesbian” despite having previously been offended by the term. In the film, Chavela states that there is no longer a need to be scared about defining herself as a lesbian, and embraced being open about who you are. In the film, one of the last statements she makes is that “My song is dedicated to all the women of the world: Mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, friends, and lovers.”

A slogan that she lived by and would often tell her fans was “Human beings love, and that’s all that matters. Don’t ask them who they love or why.” She had categorized the person she was before leaving for Mexico as Isabella, someone that she held dear. Whereas ‘Chavela’ was born in 1942 when she moved to Mexico and was someone who was “Cabrona.” In the persona of Chavela, she found a safety net for herself that allowed her to continue living despite the turmoil she had faced. In one of her last interviews in the film, she states, “When you’re true to yourself, you win in the end.”