Juan who?

Nate and I came to Buenos Aires with a list of three Argentine artists we were fond of and thought might conceivably serve as topics of conversation. Borges (duh), Lucretia Martel, and Juana Molina. (Okay, and also Jose Gonzalez, if you count Swedes born to Argentine parents, which we're not.) While everyone here of course loves loves loves Borges, we’ve been striking out trying to find an Argentine Juana Molina fan. Juana Molina is an Argentine television actress, with a show called “Juana and Her Sisters,” which her record label inaccurately claims was “a hit in the Spanish-speaking world.” I promise you that this is not true. She has in fact achieved a small level of worldwide fame as a singer-songwriter, but she remains unknown in her own country. I asked Carlos, our host, whether he liked her, and he said (approximately) “Juan Molina? I don’t know him.” Carlos is much keener on Robbie Williams.

A few days after my conversation with Carlos, when my Spanish class read a passage on one Miguel Molina, a German student asked if Juana Molina was, perhaps, the sister of this Miguel. Our mild mannered teacher reacted with surprising force. “NO! He is not her brother. He is not even her cousin. They are not related, and Juana Molina is not popular or well-known here.” I have not yet had the courage to inquire about the popularity of Lucretia Martel. -EMW