Teresa Ala-Vedra y Tama (Guayaquil, April 2, 1889 – Guayaquil, 1987) was an Ecuadorian journalist, poet, writer, painter, pianist, and composer. She co-founded the literary magazine La Ondina del Guayas (1907-1910), which provided a platform for women writers to express themselves through poetry, essays, and articles. Known for her artistic versatility, Teresa also excelled in watercolor painting and music composition, contributing significantly to Ecuador’s early feminist literary movement. Her work spanned various creative forms, including drama, with her children’s play En el jardín de los enanos published in 1956.
Early Life and Education
Teresa Ala-Vedra y Tama was born on April 2, 1889, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Miguel Ángel Alavedra Moreira and Ángela Tama Rendón, both from wealthy land-owning families. Her early education took place at the school run by Julia García Noé, and she later continued her studies under the guidance of Isabel Hidalgo and Victoria Pérez Rivera. She graduated as a teacher, receiving her “First Class” teaching certificate from Dr. Manuel Gómez Abad. Additionally, Teresa received piano lessons from her mother and renowned musician Ana Villamil Icaza, developing a talent for classical music performance.
Literary Career
In 1907, at the age of 18, Teresa, along with Rosaura and Celina Galarza, founded La Ondina del Guayas, one of the first feminist literary magazines in Ecuador. The magazine circulated for four years, providing a platform for women to publish poetry, essays, and articles on social issues, especially focusing on Ecuadorian heroines. The magazine faced significant resistance in a conservative and male-dominated society but persisted until 1910.
Teresa’s contributions to La Ondina del Guayas included music and poetry compositions. One of her notable pieces, the pasodoble El defensor, was published in the magazine in 1910, dedicated to the return of Ecuadorian politician Honorato Vásquez.
Artistic Pursuits
In addition to her literary contributions, Teresa was an accomplished painter, particularly skilled in watercolors, which she mastered through independent study. Her paintings often depicted scenes from the 18th century, and she was admired for the patience and skill reflected in her work.
Personal Life
Though Teresa remained unmarried for most of her life, she had a brief marriage to Spanish businessman Calixto Vallejo Ramírez in 1933. The marriage ended in divorce shortly after, and Teresa had no children. She had a significant romantic relationship with an Irishman in 1918, but he died during combat in his homeland, a loss that deeply affected her, leading her to write romantic poetry in his memory.
Later Years and Legacy
In the 1950s and 1960s, Teresa’s focus shifted towards teaching and writing for children. She authored the play En el jardín de los enanos, a three-act fantasy piece that was published in 1956. The play was known for its elaborate descriptions of nature and whimsical characters but was considered somewhat outdated and eccentric by the time it was published.
Teresa spent her final years in the Hospicio del Corazón de Jesús, where she lived until her death in 1987 at the age of 98. Her contributions to Ecuadorian literature, painting, and feminist thought were significant, even though her works were not widely known outside her immediate circles. Teresa’s legacy as one of the pioneers of Ecuador’s feminist literary movement lives on through her published works and her contributions to La Ondina del Guayas.
Recognitions and Accolades
Teresa Ala-Vedra y Tama received various recognitions throughout her career. In 1928, she was awarded an honorary mention by the Comité de la Raza for her poem Ecuador y España. She was also celebrated by the Sociedad Filantrópica del Guayas for her musical and literary contributions.
Despite societal constraints, Teresa Ala-Vedra y Tama stands as a key figure in the early feminist and intellectual circles of Ecuador, remembered for her literary vision and artistic pursuits.
Poem
Ideal
(Originally published in Ciencias y Letras, No. 10, December 1912, Guayaquil)
Translated by Richard Gabela on Thursday, Oct 17, 2024.
I am not a poet, yet I yearn
for the delirium of this soul of mine,
soft light and melodies
like the echoes of a sonata.
With the dreams of the bards,
I long for a harp in my hands,
whose golden strings, when touched,
would offer gentle laughter and sighs.
I want my verses, like moonbeams,
to shimmer in silver,
speaking sweetly
on clear, serene nights.
I seek the lullaby
of slumbering forests,
where the morning perfumes
its golden hair.
I wish for flowing gauzes
that drift in the great sapphire,
gently caressed by Father Apollo—
veils spun from pure gold.
Scatter, oh muse of mine,
the petals where, in gratitude,
the butterflies rest,
for this fever now consumes me.
Bestow upon them, oh exalted one,
the tears that adorn
the song of songs,
sung by hearts that love.
And give them pearled notes,
of liquid emeralds,
as the waterfall cascades,
foaming, crafted by artists.
Original Spanish Version:
Ideal
No soy poeta, más anhelo
los delirios de esta mi alma
como luz lene y acordes
cual símil de una sonata.
Con los sueños de los vates
quiero en mis manos un arpa
que al tocar sus cuerdas de oro,
suave risa, ayes brindara.
Como rayos de la luna
quiero mis versos de plata
que en noches claras, serenas
con frases muy dulces hablan.
Quiero en ellos el arrullo
de las selvas dormitadas
en do perfuma su blonda
cabellera la mañana.
Quiero gasas ondulantes
que allá en el gran zafiro vagan
y acaricia el padre Apolo;
quiero gasas muy doradas.
Esparcid ¡ah musa mía!
los pétalos en do gratas
descansan las mariposas,
que ya esta fiebre me abrasa.
Obsequiadles ¡vos excelsa!
las lágrimas con que esmaltan
al cantar de los cantares
los corazones que se aman.
Y dadle perladas notas
de líquidas esmeraldas,
que precipita espumosas
por artistas, la cascada.
References
- Jenny Estrada, Guayaquileñas en la Historia. Siglos XVI al XXI. Published in 2019. (Print).
- Rodolfo Pérez Pimentel, “Ala-Vedra y Tama, Teresa.” Retrieved on October 17, 2024. Click to view.
- Wikipedia, “Teresa Alavedra y Tama.” Retrieved on October 17, 2024. Click to view.
- Biblioteca Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, “En el jardín de los enanos: cuento teatralizado, en dos actos y un cuadro.” Retrieved on October 17, 2024. Click to view.
- Issuu, “Antología poesía montubia.” Retrieved on October 17, 2024. Click to view.
- Universidad de Guayaquil Catalog, “Presencia de la mujer ecuatoriana en la poesía.” Retrieved on October 17, 2024. Click to view.
- Revista Máquina Combinatoria, “Ideal: Teresa Alavedra y Tama.” Retrieved on October 17, 2024. Click to view.