Paquita la del Barrio, la reina ranchera who blessed us with “Rata De Dos Patas” and is never afraid to speak her mind – even when doing so may be ill-advised – had a health scare this week following the first tail of her tour in the United States.
In her over 50-year musical career, Paquita (born Francisca Viveros Barradas), has never cancelled a live performance. A scheduled show for this Saturday in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, will unfortunately be her first.
Francisco Torres, her manager known as Paquito, assures that she’s stable now and on her way to recovery. In conversation with De Primera Mano, he said alarming ongoing chest pains were what led Paquita to land at Hospital Angeles Lindavista after being cared for at home. “Siempre te imaginas lo peor,” he said. But, an extensive range of tests showed the pain was due to pneumonia and a pulmonary embolism rather than a heart attack.
The 72-year-old artist remained in intensive care under 24-hour watch for a while following the prognosis, but is now on a regular floor and even singing again, Torres shared.
On Friday September 27, Viveros made a tour stop in Tacoma, where the weather is currently below 50 degrees. The cold weather, her manager suspects, is partially responsible for her falling ill.
Throughout her artistic trajectory, Paquita has been vocal about her opinion on everything from wicked men (“Un bicho rastrero… se queda muy chiquito”) to gay adoption (“I’d rather see a kid die”). The latter a sentiment she apologized for, claiming poor education was to blame.
Though she is expected to remain in the hospital for at least two more days, the Mexican actress and singer is reportedly eating well and having what Torres equates to a “spa” experience.
“Hay Paquita para rato,” he said.