The name of Zona Rosa, one of the most representative places in Mexico City, would come one of the most beloved actresses, singers and dancers of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, a Cuban star and rumbera.
Within Colonia Juárez, where the Paseo de la Reforma Tourist Corridor is located, there is an area where commerce does not sleep and some people enjoy their free time, among its bars, restaurants and cafes.
Although this place has been called Zona Rosa for many years, it is not known exactly the origin of its name, although there are several myths that speak of it, the one that has the most strength and which is even one of the versions that the Cuauhtémoc mayor's office defends, is that it goes back to the success that Rosa Carmina had in Mexico.
Rosa Carmina, born in Havana, Cuba, arrived in Mexico after starting her career in her native country. Hand in hand with Juan Orol, who is credited with having been the creator of rumberas and gangster films, he made his film debut with the starring role in the film Una mujer de Oriente (1946).
From then on, his fame in Aztec lands began to rise, mainly because he had managed to sign a contract for three films with Juan Orol and because everyone around him insisted that he learned the best dance steps.
Carmina, however, decided to let all her teachers shine on her own, polish her dance alone and not let other people tell her how to do it. Her steps became so unique that her audience regarded her as “exotic” and “unique”.
Some of his most important films are Gangsters Against Charros, Men Without a Soul, Sandra, the Woman of Fire, The Kingdom of Gangsters, among others. It was thanks to these projects that she was given the title of The Queen of the Gangsters.
Her fame and the number of people who loved her increased so much that several artists took her as inspiration, including the painter José Luis Cuevas, who always expressed his admiration for the Cuban woman.
According to the Cuauhtémoc mayor's office on its official website, it is believed that José Luis Cuevas was the one who named this part of the city “Zona Rosa” because during the day it is white, while at night it is red.
In addition to this, in several interviews he would have argued that, originally, he would have been inspired by this name by Rosa Carmina, whom he admired and wanted to pay tribute to him. Not only would he have renamed this area, but even his ephemeral mural would have been born from the inspiration that the rumbera gave him.
Although Rosa enjoyed great popularity since the beginning of her career, she decided to retire from the medium since 1992, when she was 63. Since then it is unknown what he does or where he lives, but there is the version that he lives in some mansion, enjoying the profits he collected.
Carmina, before and after her retirement, received multiple job proposals in Mexico, Cuba, France and Italy, but she was always so coveted that she could afford to refuse them.
There are also other theories about the origin of the name Zona Rosa, because at some point most of its buildings were painted pink. This detail was written by Carlos Fuentes in his work The most transparent region.
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