Guillermina Jiménez Chabolla
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Flor Silvestre debuted at age 13 in 1943 at Teatro del Pueblo. In 1950, she made her film debut in Primero soy mexicano and signed with Columbia Records. Her performance in The Important Man 1961 earned an Academy Award nomination. She recorded over 300 songs and acted in dozens of films.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Flor Silvestre — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Flor Silvestre by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Flor Silvestre — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
On August 16, 1930, Guillermina Jiménez Chabolla was born in Salamanca, Guanajuato, to parents Jesús Jiménez Cervantes and María de Jesús Chabolla Peña, who loved singing mariachi. Her mother’s desire to live in Mexico City moved the family to the capital. At 13, she debuted at Teatro del Pueblo, and her first radio performances were on XEFO. Journalist Arturo Blancas suggested the stage name Flor Silvestre, after a Dolores Del Río film.
In 1950, Flor Silvestre made her film debut in Primero soy mexicano, co-starring Joaquín Pardavé and Luis Aguilar. That year she signed her first recording contract with Columbia Records and had hits including Imposible olvidarte and Guadalajara. Her 1950s films include Raquel’s Shoeshiner 1957 with Cantinflas and The Soldiers of Pancho Villa 1959 with María Félix. She married Antonio Aguilar in 1959. Her performance in Ismael Rodríguez’s The Important Man 1961 received an Academy Award nomination. Through soldadera roles in films like ¡Viva la soldadera! 1960, she became a symbol of the Mexican Revolution on screen. Her last film was Triste recuerdo 1991. She recorded over 300 songs for Columbia, RCA Victor, and Musart.
Flor Silvestre married three times. Her first husband was Andrés Nieto Villafranco, with whom she had a daughter, Dalia Inés. She then married Paco Malgesto, and they had two children: Francisco Rubiales Jiménez and Marcela Rubiales. On October 29, 1959, she married Antonio Aguilar, her frequent co-star, and they had two sons: Antonio Aguilar Jr. and Pepe Aguilar. She remained married to Antonio until his death on June 19, 2007. Her son Pepe Aguilar became a famous singer, and she is the grandmother of Leonardo Aguilar and Ángela Aguilar.
Flor Silvestre recorded over 300 songs and her career spanned 70 years, from 1943 to 2019. She won the Silver Goddess award and the Eduardo Arozamena Medal. Her performance in The Important Man 1961 was a career highlight; film critics speculate she might have won an Ariel Award if the academy had not suspended awards in 1959. She influenced artists like Lila Downs, who has publicly admired her. The Government of Guanajuato honored her in 2014. She is called La Reina de la Canción Mexicana and is considered the most successful female ranchera singer in Mexican film.
The complete filmography of Flor Silvestre — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Flor Silvestre — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Flor Silvestre — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Have Been Singing Ever Since I Was Eight Years Old. My Father Would Make Me Sing Because He Would Hear My Songs, and I Would Learn Old Songs Completely.
I Worked with All the Comedians.
I’m Happy. My Children, All of My Children That God Gave Me – I Say That the Only Thing Left for Me Right Now Is to Ask God for the Health of All of Them.
Little-known facts about Flor Silvestre — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
She was the mother of two sons, Antonio Aguilar hijo and Pepe Aguilar, with Antonio Aguilar.
Her elder sister is singer and actress Enriqueta Queta Jiménez, known as La Prieta Linda.
She starred and received third billing in The Important Man 1961, the second Mexican film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
She was the mother of two children, Marcela Rubiales and Francisco Rubiales, with Paco Malgesto.
She had a daughter, Dalia Inés, with Andrés Nieto.
She was a frequent co-star and leading lady to actors Antonio Aguilar, Luis Aguilar, Dagoberto Rodríguez, Miguel Aceves Mejía, Demetrio González, Fernando Casanova, and Manuel Capetillo.
Mexican folk singers Maria de Lourdes, Alicia Juárez, and Lila Downs have stated they admire Flor as a singer.
She took singing lessons with Isabel Sandoval de Grissi, who also taught the international Mexican tenor Nicolás Urcelay.
She worked with prestigious director Ismael Rodríguez in two films: The Soldiers of Pancho Villa 1959 and The Important Man 1961.
She co-starred with fellow ranchera singer and actress Rosa de Castilla in five films.
In her two films with Eulalio González El Piporro, Flor was never paired as a couple, though he kissed her in De tal palo tal astilla 1960.
She starred opposite famous comedians including Joaquín Pardavé, Cantinflas, Germán Valdés Tin Tan, Adalberto Martínez Resortes, Marco Antonio Campos Viruta, Gaspar Henaine Capulina, Manuel Loco Valdés, and Eulalio González Piporro.
She visited Hollywood in 1955 and competed for the role of Indian Girl in The Last Hunt 1956, but Debra Paget got the part.
She was Manuel Capetillo’s leading lady in two films: Vivo o muerto 1960 and El as de oros 1968.
She was Fernando Casanova’s leading lady in two films: El hombre del alazán 1959 and Luciano Romero 1960.
She recorded more than 300 songs for three major record labels: Columbia, RCA Victor, and Musart.
She was the aunt of Guadalupe Pineda, daughter of her favorite sister-in-law Josefina Aguilar Barraza.
She had six siblings: Francisco, Raquel, Enriqueta, José Luis, María de la Luz, and Arturo.
She was the former stepmother of Cristina Rubiales.
She was Demetrio González’s leading lady in two films: Tan bueno el giro como el colorado 1959 and Las tres coquetonas 1960.
She was Miguel Aceves Mejía’s leading lady in two films: El ciclón 1959 and Los fanfarrones 1960.
Her elder sister Mary Jiménez was nicknamed La Folklórica Sexy and recorded for CBS and GAS.
She won Musart Records’ Golden Clover Award in 1966.
In 1972, she received a nomination for the Miami Golden Sun Award for Best Female Folk Singer.
She won Musart Records’ Golden Clover Award in 1970.
She won the Record World Award for Best Female Actor-Singer in 1972.
She was paternal grandmother of Latin Grammy nominees Leonardo Aguilar and Ángela Aguilar.
She became a big star in 1950 when she signed her first recording contract, hosted her first radio program, and starred in her first movie.
She was paternal grandmother of singer Majo Aguilar, who paid tribute in her EP Tributo 2017.
At the height of her fame 1957-1978, she sold many singles and albums in Mexico, Latin America, and the Hispanic communities of California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and New York.
Considering her film variety and collaborators, she is the most successful female ranchera singer in the Mexican film industry.
She was possibly the only Mexican folk singer whose singing career endured for more than 70 years, from 1943 to 2019.
She recorded her last album, Soledad 2010, as a tribute to her late husband.
She starred in many film series, including sequels and trilogies.
She received third star billing in Kermesse 1959, the Mexican remake of Picnic 1955.
Film critics have stated she might have won an Ariel Award for her performance in The Important Man if the Mexican film academy had not suspended awards in 1959.
She played villainous women in several films including La huella del chacal 1956 and The Important Man 1961.
She played twins in Escuela para solteras 1965.
Although known for ranchera, she also recorded two bolero albums.
She was one of the most popular performers of the romantic bolero ranchero genre in the 1960s.
In 2014, she was honored by the Government of the State of Guanajuato.
Her daughter-in-law Aneliz Álvarez Aguilar planned the 30-minute documentary Flor Silvestre: su destino fue querer 2015.
At the peak of her acting career, she made up to 7 or 10 films per year.
After El tragabalas 1966, she only acted in films with her husband Antonio Aguilar.
Her favorite film genres were musical and drama.
Early in her career, she was the opening act for Argentine singer Hugo del Carril in Torreón, Coahuila.
She was paternal grandmother of Susana Aguilar.
She was Dagoberto Rodríguez’s leading lady in four films: El lobo solitario 1952, La justicia del lobo 1952, Vuelve el lobo 1952, and ¡Quietos todos! 1959.
She is mentioned in the novels De noche vienes 1985 by Elena Poniatowska and Ritos de cabaret 1991 by Marcio Veloz Maggiolo.
In his book Isagoge sobre lo mexicano 1952, César Garizurieta wrote about those female minstrels full of graceful harmony including Flor Silvestre.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Flor Silvestre.
Celebrities similar to Flor Silvestre — same craft, ranked by reach.
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