Mourning in the cultural world: Malaga artist Adelfa Soto passes away at 88 years old

The world of culture, music, and flamenco is in mourning today due to the death of Adelfa Soto, an adopted artist from Málaga... who passed away this Saturday in Málaga. "Adelfa Soto has left us in Málaga, a great woman, an immense artist, a soul full of light and copla," her close ones have announced.

A resident of the Gamarra neighborhood, Soto was born on January 25, 1937, in Valencia, although she had been living in Málaga from a young age. Daughter of La Niña de la Puebla, her first public performance was in 1947, when she won a prize in a radio contest for novice singers, which she entered without her parents knowing. Soto was the mother of actress Adelfa Calvo, a Goya Award winner from Málaga.

At eleven years old, she sang at the Circo Price in Madrid and, in 1952, she participated in the show 'Manojo de coplas' along with her parents. That same year, she also made her debut at the Teatro Calderón in Madrid with the show 'Alegrías de Juan Vélez', by Juanito Valderrama.

The artist also dabbled in cinema. She participated in the films 'La copla andaluza' (1959), 'El alma de la copla' (1965), and 'El rey de la carretera' (1956).

Adelfa was a woman who lived singing and trained many of the artists in the copla genre that the city has produced. "Her departure leaves a deep void, but also a bright legacy that will continue to inspire those who love music, and especially Spanish song," they summarize.

Since the end of 2023, the gardens located next to Prudencio Jiménez square, in Gamarra, bear the name of the Malaga artist. This is an initiative that started from the Bailén-Miraflores District Municipal Board and was supported unanimously by the District Council.

Throughout her life, Adelfa has received numerous recognitions and tributes from lovers of copla and flamenco. One of the last was given by the Malaga Federation of Peñas, Cultural Centers, and Regional Houses 'La Alcazaba', which in January 2013 awarded her its gold shield, the highest honor granted by the entity.

The body of Adelfa Soto Jiménez rests in room 27 of Parcemasa, where family, friends, and colleagues can offer their last farewell, accompanying her with the affection, respect, and admiration she always inspired. The funeral mass is this afternoon at 3:30 PM.