Netflix has released a new Spanish documentary film, I’m Still a Superstar, that is meant to be watched along with the comedy-drama series titled Superstar. While the series is a fictional adaptation of the bizarre life of the Spanish pop singer and businesswoman, Yurena, the documentary film interviews the woman and some of her costars who played important roles in her career, for better or for worse. Overall, I’m Still a Superstar is a decent watch (despite being a bit haphazardly edited) as a docufilm independently, giving us a glimpse into how media can sometimes have a tremendously negative impact on individuals, but it is more enjoyable as a supplement to the new Netflix series.
Who is Yurena?
Born as Maria del Mar Cuena Seisdedos in the Spanish city of Baracaldo, Yurena does not have many fond memories of her childhood, because of the incessant bullying and name-calling that she faced in school and in her neighborhood as a young girl. The world had very little idea about sensitivity in the 1960s and 70s, and young Yurena was constantly fat-shamed by the children, and seemingly even some adults, around her. The fact that she was very close to her mother, Margarita, was also ridiculed by the kids, as they found it unusual for a girl to have such a good bond with her mother. When Margarita would often visit her daughter at school during recess, and the two would meet and talk through the fence, Yurena would be made the brunt of cruel jokes for days.
Already having trouble fitting in, Yurena’s woes increased when the natural changes to her appearance made her a subject to even more relentless bullying. She openly states in the interview that her idea of beauty standards took a very twisted shape from a very young age because of these experiences in her childhood, making her susceptible to the idea of ‘perfecting’ her appearance as early as possible. Therefore, Yurena went through her first breast enlargement surgery at the mere age of 16, in the hopes of being able to blend in with society more easily. She was put on a very strict diet by her parents in order for her to lose weight, and it did eventually get her to a body shape that she liked.
But Yurena spent most of her teenage years shying away from public events and gatherings, holing herself up inside her room in the family home, and listening to music from all over the world. She admits that music really helped her get through the tough times, and so when the time came for her to make a decision about what to do in life, she chose to become a singer. As a young woman, Yurena had a unique and distinctive voice, and despite not being the most skilled singer and having very little formal training, she started performing in local pubs and theaters and then recorded an album as well.
In 1998, she moved to Madrid, along with Margarita, who accompanied her daughter literally everywhere, in the hopes of getting more chances in the entertainment industry and making it big. By the time the year 2000 rolled around, the world, including Spain, was going through a number of changes, with pop culture starting to take an even bigger and more global shape. It was now that Yurena suddenly burst into the scene, although under the name ‘Tamara,’ which she used at the time. She started to become a recognized figure after appearing on the late-night talk show “Cronicas marcianas,” where she sang and also opened up about her life. A few months later, Yurena was not only a regular member of the talk show, but she also released a single track, “No cambie,” which took the country by storm. Thus, Yurena finally reached the level of stardom she had been desiring throughout her career, as she not only wanted to be a singer but also an entertainer who would be known for her presence in front of the camera. But the popularity came at a cost as well, as the media took advantage of her desperation and used it to boost their own ratings, with no care for the impact it would have on her.
Was Yurena really pregnant with Paco Porras’ child?
Although “Cronicas marcianas” was a popular show that had a great number of viewers in Spain and also other Spanish-speaking countries, the reason for its popularity was its unusual content matter and its inclination towards covering controversial topics. Most serious media personnel and channels referred to the program by the lowbrow term of ‘telebasura,’ translated to ‘trash TV,’ as people generally watched it for crass and obscene humor and entertainment. Yurena seemed like a perfect fit on the show, as it usually brought people into the cast who were more driven by the desperation to become famous and popular than by the pursuit of their passion. The faces that repeatedly appeared on it were almost like some of the viral TikTokers of our day and age, who become famous for mostly wrong reasons and then ultimately fade away and are replaced by new faces every time.
When Yurena appeared on the program, she managed to cause a significant boost in viewership when she claimed to be pregnant with the child of Paco Porras, a seer who appeared in equally trashy TV programs at the time. I’m Still a Superstar has an interview with Paco as well, with the segment mostly highlighting the eccentric nature of the man, more than anything else. Paco, who has worked as a puppeteer, magician, and clairvoyant, very openly states that his skills as a seer have been passed on to him from his parents, just like his skills pulling the strings of a puppet. He claims that the ability to be open to the supernatural realm, like being able to hear whispers of spirits or establish direct communication with them, is often mistaken for a sign of paranoid schizophrenia. Because of this mistake, people with such abilities are persecuted or made to take medication (both are equally bad to him), which results in them losing their powers.
It is no wonder that Paco Porras made a name for himself because of his bizarre, and sometimes absolutely unhinged, claims and actions on television programs. He is, in fact, mostly remembered for supposedly telling the future by noticing patterns in fruits and vegetables that were placed in front of him. Paco and Yurena seemingly met each other at some event, with both of them being ‘fringe celebrities,’ meaning celebs who are famous only for scandals and controversy and not for their actual talents. This relationship obviously did not last long, and it resulted in Yurena announcing her supposed pregnancy on Crónicas marcianas. The claim was so outlandish that it was very apparent to the viewers that this was not true, but they kept watching only for the sheer drama of the situation, almost seeking perverse joy from watching the lives of two people fall apart.
During that time, Paco told the media on numerous occasions that he did not have much feeling for Yurena and had only gotten romantically involved with her because of her pursuits. In the documentary, though, Yurena reveals, or claims, that it was actually Paco who suddenly emerged in her life and started to tell media personnel that she was his girlfriend. There was apparently no relationship between the two at all, and their romance was just a publicity stunt pulled by Paco, as he wanted to take advantage of her rising popularity. Therefore, there was hardly any chance of the pregnancy being real. Although Yurena does not clarify the matter further, Paco Porras quite crudely states that he never got intimate with the woman, and so her being pregnant with his child was never a possibility.
Did Yurena really plagiarize a song by Loly Alvarez?
The next controversy that came Yurena’s way was when a woman named Loly Alvarez claimed that she was plagiarizing her songs and her voice, saying that “No cambie” was actually her creation. Born in a small village in Granada, Loly Alvarez was the youngest of her siblings and the one with the strongest desire to rebel against established norms and traditions. She wanted to be a performer right from her childhood, and therefore she moved to Madrid at the earliest, knowing well that the capital city was where she could get the break she was looking for. As she started performing at gigs, Loly met a man named Leonardo Dantes, an actor and singer who was also looking for a big break in his career. Loly and Leonardo soon started performing as a duo, calling themselves Luna Azul, and they even released a few albums together.
Leonardo Dantes had written the song “No cambie,” and he took it to Loly, who sang it for one of their albums back in 1997. According to Loly, she absolutely loved the song and treasured it like her own child, and therefore she was absolutely livid when she heard Yurena’s version of it in 2000. Yurena confirms in the Netflix documentary that she had been given the song by Leonardo Dantes himself, and since he is the official writer, there cannot be any complaints brought against her. She had indeed become close friends with Leonardo during her time on Crónicas marcianas, as the actor and singer also made regular appearances on the show.
The reality seems to be that Yurena had sung “No cambie” without knowing that it had already been recorded by Loly Alvarez, and she probably did not expect her version to blow up either. Once she started getting recognition and credit for the song, Yurena refused to give it all up for the sake of Loly, and if anyone, it was Leonardo who should have been held responsible. I’m Still a Superstar indirectly does touch upon how men misused their positions and simply walked away, claiming to have tried to bring fame and popularity to everyone in whatever way possible. Nothing happened of the act of plagiarism, seemingly because Loly was not rich enough to sue Yurena, and she probably did not even have any official records to prove her claim.
Why did Yurena stop using the name ‘Tamara’?
But Yurena, who was known as Tamara at the time, was not so lucky in the next allegation against her, simply because she was no match for her opposition this time. While she had been making public appearances, records, and album releases all under the name Tamara, there was a different singer by the same name who already worked in the Spanish music industry. Tamara Macarena Valcarcel Serrano is a classically trained singer who practices bolero music, and she has been using her first name for her performances since the beginning of her career, in 1995. Listeners always made a distinction between the two singers whenever they heard the name Tamara, with the bolero singer considered ‘good’ and Yurena being called the ‘trashy’ one.
Nonetheless, the real Tamara did not like Yurena using her name as her stage name, and she seemingly felt that she was trying to skate off her identity to become popular, disrespecting and causing controversy to her image in turn. Thus, she sued Yurena regarding the matter, and the latter had no chance to defend herself at this level. Not only did Tamara hail from a wealthy family, but she also had significant influence in the industry, owing to the fact that her grandfather was Rafael Farina, a famous flamenco singer in Spain. Ultimately, Yurena lost the lawsuit, and she was barred from using the name ‘Tamara’ ever again, which is why she decided to use her own first name instead from then on.
What happened to Yurena, and where is she now?
Undoubtedly, the worst scandal that Yurena faced was when Crónicas marcianas aired a completely nude video of her on the program, and the whole thing was taken as a big joke, despite the fact that it was a massive breach of privacy and respect. Turns out, she had been taken to a supposed audition for a film by Paco Porras and his manager, Arlekin, with the latter recording a scene in which she was asked to strip her clothes. Arlekin then handed over the video to the media as an extended joke against Yurena, which led to her having an emotional breakdown. In the following years, Yurena attempted to take her own life twice and had to be rushed to the hospital to get her stomach washed to save her.
Ultimately, the woman bravely decided to move on from the humiliation caused by the video leak and the disappointment of not being able to use her stage name anymore. After taking a long hiatus, Yurena made a comeback in 2012, starting to release single tracks and albums once again. Her songs became very popular in China, where she went on tour as well. While she already had a steady following, Yurena became even more popular, especially in the LGBTQIA+ community, as she was adopted as an icon of true mettle and endurance. Yurena has also been a staunch supporter of the community for a very long time, and she has now attained a commemorated status in the underground culture scene in Spain. I’m Still a Superstar ends with snippets from the shoot of the Netflix series Superstar, as Yurena meets with Rocio Ibanez, the woman playing the role of her beloved mother, Margarita, who had passed away a few years ago. At present, Yurena continues to live in Spain and perform, finally very content at what her life has turned out to be.
