Carmen (name)

Carmen is a unisex given name that represents two names taken as one. Its first (and original) root is Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, used as a diminutive nickname for Carmel and Carmelo (respectively), from Hebrew karmel, "God's vineyard." The second (and more recent) origin is from Latin carmen, which means "song," "tune," or "poem" and is also the root of the English word charm. The name of the Roman Goddess Carmenta based on this root comes from the purely Latin origin. While in English the name is unisex, in Italian, in Spanish and in Portuguese it is generally female.

Spanish name

As a Spanish given name, it is usually part of the devotional compound names María del Carmen, Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Our Lady of Carmen) or Virgen del Carmen (in English Our Lady of Mount Carmel), stemming from the tradition of the vision of Mary the mother of Jesus on 16 July 1251 by Simon Stock, head of the Carmelite order.

Its presence in literature:

In Nabokov's Lolita, the name is used in reference to Mr. Clare Quilty, the man who takes Lolita from Humbert. Carmen and Clare being both male and female names, Lolita uses them to deceive Humbert into thinking he is a woman and no threat.

Sergio Bruni

Sergio Bruni (stage name of Guglielmo Chianese, 15 September 1921 – 22 June 2003) was a popular Italian singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was often called "The Voice of Naples".

He was born in the commune of Villaricca, near Naples, Italy. At nine years of age he started attending a school of music. Two years later he was playing clarinet in a local band, which was his first experience as a musician. In 1938 the family moved to Chiaiano, where he started work as a labourer.

In September 1943, while convelescing from the army at home, he heard of the uprising against German troops in Naples. With a number of acquaintances he joined a group of volunteers to oppose the German army in the vicinity. While returning from an action he was seriously injured in a fire-fight with German soldiers, which left him with a permanent limp. After his release from hospital he returned to studying music under Vittorio Parisi and had his singing debut at the Royal Theater in Naples on 14 May 1944.

¡Ay Carmela!

¡Ay Carmela! is a 1990 Spanish comedy-drama film directed by Carlos Saura and based on the eponymous play by José Sanchís Sinisterra. The film stars Carmen Maura, Andrés Pajares, and Gabino Diego as a trio of travelling players performing for the Republic, who inadvertently find themselves on the nationalist side during the closing months of the Spanish Civil War. The film was selected as the Spanish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 63rd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

Plot

Carmela, Paulino, and Gustavete - who is mute as the result of an explosion - are a trio of travelling vaudeville performers. Amidst the chaos of the Spanish Civil War, they are in the town of Montejo, entertaining republican troops with their variety show. They are survivors who are motivated, not exactly by patriotism, but by a desire for self-preservation. Their show consists of four acts. It begins with Carmela singing and dancing a traditional song. The audience is enthusiastic during her performance, but the mood changes completely when the sound of approaching nationalist planes is heard.