Irma Serrano(1935-2023)
- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Irma Serrano first made a name for herself as a singer, becoming one of
the most popular ranchera performers of the 1960s. She became famous
for her trademark roaring style which earned her the nickname "La
Tigresa de la Canción Ranchera" (The Tigress of Ranchera Music). She
was born in central Chiapas to Santiago Serrano Ruiz, a local
journalist and poet of Mayan ancestry, and María Castro Domínguez, a
wealthy woman of Spanish descent who owned 17 haciendas. Raised in the
lap of luxury, in her youth she decided to become a performer against
her parents' wishes and journeyed to Mexico City, where she made her
film debut in
Santo vs. the Zombies (1962).
Soon after, she signed with CBS Records and began her highly successful
singing career. She rose to national prominence with hit songs such as
"El puente roto", "Tierra mala", and "La Martina", which reached
Billboard's Top Ten list for Mexico. With her fame as Mexico's new
rising folk singer, she appeared in musical guest roles in films such
as Gabino Barrera (1965),
Antonio Aguilar, and
El zurdo (1965), with
Rodolfo de Anda.
