Aurora Pita Alonso

Distinguished Cuban actress in theater, film, radio and television born in Spain. Legend of the Cuban stage, pride of Cuba and Spain. "Artist of Merit of the ICRT", "National Radio Prize".

Aurora Pita Alonso was born on July 15, 1936 in Perlío, Municipality of Fene, Province of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. Aurorita arrived in Havana in her mother's arms barely three months old. Behind her lay Spain wrapped in a bloody civil war.

In particular, her native land Galicia suffered the most horrific destruction and poverty, which caused the emigration of thousands of Galicians and among them, Aurora's family, who holds the status of Child of War.

She graduated with a degree in Sciences and Letters and upon completing these studies, she also worked as an actress in Cuban radio and television. Many Cuban actors and actresses like Fela Jar, Idalberto Delgado and her cousin Marina Rodríguez, owe their artistic training to the Centro Gallego, just as she did.

From the moment she began to speak she said she wanted to be an actress, perhaps because she was an only child and believed in a world of fantasies as if it were real. She first studied elocution with maestro Joaquín Riera and later received painting classes at the Concepción Arenal school. Around that time, she recited in various places and she recalls with emotion the stage that existed on the third floor of what is now the Gran Teatro Nacional and those of the theaters of the Rosalía de Castro and Artística Gallega societies.

Being an only child and not lacking affection, encouragement and efforts from her large family for her to study, at age 14 she obtained her first contract and very soon was already working in eleven daily radio programs, especially in the genres of soap operas and adventures with roles of poor or helpless girls.

With the character Purita she worked in the humorous space A reírse rápido, the most listened to at that moment. Aurora had to break her contract with Crusellas in order to interpret different characters in theatrical works, adventures, children's programs and soap operas that were broadcast on Cuban television channels: 2; 4 and 6.

She worked in the series Los Vikingos; in the Novela de las Diez, which later changed its name to Grandes Novelas, started with El alma encantada. Among her first soap opera characters are: George Sand and María Eduarda. To interpret the latter, which would only be seen one night during the theater space, she had to shave her eyebrows and the front part of her hair. For her, so young, that constituted an aesthetic challenge.

There was a time when she played the character of Carmelita on channel 4, while on channel 6 a recording of another soap opera was offered in which she played the peasant girl Merced and later at night, she became the spy Mata Hari. In the soap opera Sol de Batey she assumed the character Doña Gertrudis de Sandoval y Santa Cruz and also played the Galician woman Catalina. For this performance the UNEAC awarded her the Premio Caricato in 1995.

Successful actress: I define myself as a woman fulfilled in every sense, as a daughter, mother, grandmother, wife and actress. Galicia saw me born three days after the outbreak of the Civil War, which is why my mother fled with me and we took refuge in Havana, where both she and my father had lived before. In the Cuban capital they met and married; later, in 1932 they returned to Spain and my father found work in Ferrol, meanwhile he stood out in the labor movement, for which he suffered imprisonment and had no choice but to take again the painful path of emigration.

Memories of her childhood: Those wonderful Sundays when the whole family gathered in her home or in any of the Galician societies, as well as in the celebrations at La Tropical with its raffles, dances and songs of Spanish folklore. It was an ideal place for reunion with fellow countrymen, romance and above all, to let loose the homesickness that accompanies every immigrant. For the first time, in the gardens of La Tropical she heard the mournful and sweet sound of bagpipes.

I confess that despite the passage of years, I still remember the bagpipe players in their typical costumes and the gathering humming Adiós mi España querida and Una Noche en la era del trigo and how couples danced equally the pasodoble, cha cha chá, boleros, son, danzón and rumba. Yes, because the musicians pleased Galicians and Cubans alike, with a true ajiaco of popular songs from Spain and Cuba.

Aurorita is a great reader, motivated by both sciences and letters, and has applied human knowledge to acting. Through semiotics she learned signs that allowed her to create subliminal messages and provoke unusual feelings in the audience. Constant learning has allowed her to carefully interpret different characters throughout her life. She believes that the secret of spontaneous acting lies in observation and professional improvement of the actor: "There are no good or bad performances, for her everything depends on the receiver; she likes to suggest and let the audience provide the rest. There are actors who adapt the character to their personality and convince; there are others who have the soul of a chameleon, as is her case, and they unfold, both physically and psychologically.

Distinctions

For National Culture.

Literacy Medal.

Emerita Artist of Radio and Television of Cuba.

Diploma for Artistic Mastery from the Higher Institute of Art.

Nicolás Guillén Diploma, awarded by the UNEAC.

Micrófono de la Radio Cubana Award.

She is a Founder of Cuban Television.  



Other Recognition

Recognition Don Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra presented by the Federation of Spanish Societies, with the following inscription: For a lifetime dedicated to the scenic arts, radio and television in which she has known how to draw the real image of the Spanish immigrant in Cuba.

On four occasions the UNEAC awarded her the prize for best female performance and on eight occasions, the Premio Caricato.