Raquel Meller (9 March 1888 – 26 July 1962), born as Francisca Romana Marqués López, was a Spanish diseuse, cuplé, and tonadilla singer.She was an international star in the 1920s and 1930s, appearing in several films and touring Europe and the Americas. A vaudeville performer, she sang the original versions of well known songs such as La Violetera and El relicario, both written by José Padilla Sánchez.
Raquel Meller was mainly a "cuple singer" and music hall entertainer. Her songs became famous the world over and she made countless recordings. One of her greatest hits, "La Violetera" was used by Charles Chaplin in his "City Lights". By all accounts he was a big Meller fan. So was Sarah Bernhardt, who was quoted as saying: "Raquel Meller is a genius." In the late 1950's, Spanish singer-actress Sara Montiel became a sensation singing Raquel's songs in two films: El último cuplé (1957) and La violetera (1958). Meller hated it and threatened legal action but she really couldn't do anything. When she died in 1962 a book was published in France in which the author claimed that Raquel was instrumental in turning over Mata Hari to the French authorities since the famous spy-dancer was fooling around with one of her lovers. The whole Meller-Mata Hari publicity was exploited in the film _Reina del chantecler, La (1962)_ starring, yes, Sara Montiel.
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From the memoirs of Jacques Feyder who directed her in "Carmen": "This talented spanish artist was perfect as Carmen but.......because of her moral principles she wanted to play only parts of pure and kind-hearted women. I was worried because I saw the passionate and capricious gypsy becoming more and more like a dull and virtuous young girl whose love for don José was strictly platonic. One morning, while turning in the Plaza de Toros of Ronda, miss Meller and I began an argument about a scene where she did not want to be kissed. It was a very hot day, six hundred extras were waiting and sweating under the burning sun, so I lost my patience and cried her that it was impossible to change the story written by Mérimée. She raised her arms in a tinkling of all her bracelets and screamed: I don't care of this mr. Mérimée! Wher does this Mérimée live? I'll call him by phone!"
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