As part of the anniversary of the death of legendary Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, who lost his life on August 28, 2016, the toy brand Mattel launched a Barbie doll inspired by the singer of “Querida.”
Through its Mattel Creation website, the company decided to pay tribute to the author, 8 years after his death, through a doll dressed in one of the most characteristic outfits in the career of Alberto Aguilera, the singer’s real name, and which he wore during his iconic performance at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, in 1990.
This outfit is distinguished by stylizing the classic charro suit, as well as modifying the typical colors of this suit with black and gold tones, as well as adding details on the edges of the pants and jacket.
Juanga forever 💛 @Barbie honors the legendary Juan Gabriel, whose prolific career changed music and Latin American pop culture forever. Dazzling in a look inspired by the icon’s charismatic and colorful mariachi outfits, the doll pays tribute to Juan Gabriel’s inimitable sense… pic.twitter.com/bagPVeymat
— Juan Gabriel (@soyjuangabriel) August 28, 2024
Barbie inspired by Juan Gabriel sparks debate on social media
On the toy company’s website, the image of the doll was accompanied by the text: “Barbie pays tribute to one of the most important singer-songwriters in Latin America, Juan Gabriel: a prolific composer recognized as one of the most influential Latin artists.”
The text also mentions that the singer of “Amor Eterno” “broke cultural barriers and created a musical legacy.”
The above, logically, generated an intense debate on social networks due to the “confusion” that the doll created in some users. And while several people praised Mattel’s action of honoring the Latin singer, others mentioned that these special editions of Barbie “should” honor women in music.
“I thought this specific line of music dolls was to honor women in music, with dolls that reflect their image. Not like the Barbie tribute dolls like the singer, like David Bowie and Elton John.”
Among the various comments, other people pointed out their lack of knowledge of the Michoacán-born character’s career, as well as pointing out that the doll should have been launched regionally: “Personally, I have never heard of him, I would think that for this line they would choose someone internationally recognized. This seems more like a regional launch, like for Latin America.”
So far, the line of Barbie dolls that pay tribute to women in the music industry includes special editions of Stevie Nicks, Gloria Estefan, Tina Turner, among others.
According to the official website, the special edition of Juan Gabriel’s Barbie costs $64.99.
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