Concepción Velasco Varona OAXS MML (born 29 November 1939), known professionally as Concha Velasco, or Conchita Velasco in her beginnings, is a Spanish actress, singer and television presenter. She has received numerous accolades throughout her career in film, theater and television spanning over six decades, including two National Theater Awards presented by the Spanish Ministry of Culture in 1972 and 2016, the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Spanish Television Academy in 2009 and the Honorary Goya Award presented by the Spanish Film Academy in 2012.
Some of her credits include leading film performances in Red Cross Girls (1958), Los tramposos (1959), The Fair of the Dove (1963), Television Stories (1965), The Witching Hour (1985) and Beyond the Garden (1996); stage performances in ¡Mamá, quiero ser artista!, in several plays that author Antonio Gala wrote for her and in the Spanish productions of Filumena Marturano and Hello, Dolly!; television performances in Teresa de Jesús and Herederos on Televisión Española, Motivos personales on Telecinco and Gran Hotel on Antena 3, as well as in numerous television shows as a presenter for those three networks.
She has been also the recipient of many honors. The Government of Spain honored her with the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts in 1987, the Gold Medal of Merit in Labour in 2008 and with the Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise in 2016. The Spanish Film Academy honored her with its Gold Medal in 2003.
Career
Velasco was born in Valladolid in 1939. At the age of ten, she moved to Madrid where she studied classical and Spanish dance at the National Conservatory. She made her debut as a dancer in the corps de ballet of the La Coruña opera and later worked as a flamenco dancer with Manolo Caracol and as revue dancer with Celia Gámez.
She began her career in the cinema at the age of fifteen in several titles as a supporting actress. Her first films as a leading actress was Red Cross Girls (1958). During the 1960s and 1970s she combined her work starring in films and in plays for theater and television. In the film Television Stories (1965) she performed the song "Chica ye ye" composed by Augusto Algueró with lyrics by Antonio Guijarro. The song became a hit and she suddenly found success as a yé-yé singer recording eight albums.
During the 1970s and 1980s she performed more serious roles. Her most successful role for television was in Teresa de Jesús (1984) as Teresa of Ávila. Also in the 1980s she launched her career as television presenter hosting the New Year's Eve variety shows to welcome 1985, 1986 and 1987 on Televisión Española.
On 14 March 2018 she announced that, after a career of 64 years, the stage play El funeral would be her last. She retired on 21 September 2021 with her last performance of the play La habitación de María at Theatre of Bretón de los Herreros in Logroño.