31 MAY, 1910 – LUIS ROSALES IS BORN
When he first saw the light of day, 116 years ago, Luis Rosales entered Granada’s elite.
His family was ‘old money’, very conservative, and Luis’ future was assured. He would never need to work for a living.
As a teenager, he developed a love for literature, and decided to dedicate his life to poetry.
He met another teenage granaino, Federico Garcia Lorca, who shared his tastes. The two became fast friends.
There was another young man in Granada at the time, Ramon Ruiz Alonso, who was establishing himself in right-wing political circles.
Luis Rosales would have nothing to do with the fellow, because he was known to be coarse and vulgar.
By the mid 1930s, an ominous political situation was taking shape in Granada.
People of Luis’ social class feared a communist revolution, such has had happened in Russia, less than twenty years before.
Young men were joining armed societies, and drilling with guns. Luis did it, too.
Lorca had gone a different way. He was now a famous poet-playwright, with left of centre sympathies, and he lived in Madrid.
In July and August, he returned to Granada, to pass the dog days at the family’s summer house.
July 1936 was no time for a famous ‘lefty’ to be in Granada.
Twice, armed gangs showed up at the Lorca home and roughed-up the poet.
Then news came through that Franco had launched a rebellion. Violence was suddenly fashionable.
Lorca phoned Luis Rosales for help. The next visit by the Fascists might end in his murder.
Rosales took Lorca into his family’s home, where he lived in hiding. But Ramon Ruiz Alonso heard the rumours.
He could kill two birds with one stone: he revenged himself on Luis for shunning him by bursting into the Rosales house and arresting Lorca.
And by murdering the poet, he improved his standing in the Fascist movement.
31 MAY, 1922 – DENHOLM ELLIOTT IS BORN
Another ‘gentleman’ born on 31 May was the English actor, Denholm Elliott.
Elliott appeared in 62 feature films between 1949 and 1992. He won four BAFTAs and was nominated for an Oscar.
In the 1960s and 70s he was an ever-present on British TV, and had a full and much-applauded career as a stage actor.
He grew up in London. His father, an English diplomat, was murdered in Jerusalem when Denholm was 11 years old.
As a young man he enrolled at RADA to learn about acting, but was expelled for laziness!
It is not widely known that Denholm Elliott, enlisted in the RAF, flew on bombing raids over Germany.
In September 1942 his plane was shot down and he was captured. He spent three years in Germany as a prisoner of war.
Ironically, life as a POW was the making of him. His theatre group, consisting entirely of prisoners, performed Shakespeare all over Germany.
For many years, Elliott maintained a home on Ibiza, and he retired (and died) there.
The tabloids had a field day when it was revealed that his death in 1992 was the result of his having contracted AIDS.
31 MAY, 1989 – PABLO ALBORAN IS BORN
Pablo Alboran (singer-songwriter) from Malaga burst onto the scene in 2011.
He still lives in Malaga, though he is now wealthy enough to install himself anywhere on the planet.
He has released six albums, and they have sold in their millions. His singles always top the charts.
Playing the flamenco guitar exceptionally well since childhood, he was invited as a youngster to join a live group which entertained customers in restaurants around Malaga.
He was known as ‘the white gypsy’.
His real passion, however, was for writing. On his first album, released when he was 21, he included some numbers which he had written when he was 12!
In 2020, Pablo ‘came out’ as gay. He did it to prevent the Spanish tabloids from speculating about his love life.
Of his sexual orientation he says: “It’s not up for discussion. It’s about as relevant to my music as the fact that I sometimes drink coffee.”
Now getting offers from Disney to write movie soundtracks, Pablo is going from strength to strength.
Expect many more Alboran albums to go platinum in the future!
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