Mexico City, Mexico.- It was broadcast in the summer of 1998 at three in the afternoon, and the audience immediately knew that it was not a common soap opera. More than 20 years have passed and several generations of Cubans remember this story of love and revenge that paralyzed the island.
They say that at the time this soap opera was broadcast, the streets were almost empty and several generations sat in front of the small screen in the living rooms of the homes. At that time it was useless to try to carry out a procedure or request a state service in some office. The Cuban men and women were watching “Las aguas mansas”.
This dramatized, which was produced and premiered in Colombia in 1994, would be one of the most successful soap operas to be broadcast in Cuba.
As usual, part of the formula for success of dramatizations of this type is to place actors who fit the stereotype of leading man in the leading roles.
The protagonists that captivated the national audience were: Juan Carlos Gutiérrez as Juan Reyes; Juan Sebastián Aragón as Óscar Reyes; and Luigi Aycardi played Franco Reyes.
While the female roles were in charge of Margarita Ortega playing Sofía Elizondo; Fabiana Medina as Ximena and Patricia Maldonado as Sara.
What story did the soap opera tell?
The novel set at the beginning of the second half of the 20th century tells a revenge story that ended up being a love story. Juan, Franco, Oscar and his younger sister, Libia, flee their town after the death of their parents and losing their property. Upon arriving to live in Bogotá, Libia meets a married man who is twice her age and with whom she falls in love. As a result of this romance, the girl becomes pregnant.
Parallel to this, Bernardo Elizondo, the future father of the child, dies in an accident. Libya, poor and tormented, goes to the family of her lover for help. The Elizondos were very rich, owners of land and various businesses.
Upon meeting the widow, Doña Gabriela, he humiliates and mistreats her. After leaving this meeting, the young woman decides to commit suicide and throws herself into a river. When her brothers discover the body and learn the story, they vow revenge on the Elizondos.
This is how Juan, Franco and Oscar come to the life of Norma, Ximena and Sarita, the daughters of Gabriela and Bernardo. However, the revenge plans change due to feelings of love that arise between both families.
In addition to the leading characters, other characters well remembered by the audience are Rosario Montes, a beautiful young artist who performed in a local bar, and grandfather Martín, nice and very awake. The brothers Melissa and Damién Ferrer also endowed the space with a share of mystery that kept the audience expectant.
Ten years later, in 2004, RTI Television produced a new version of this story. Passion of Hawks
brought the plot of Aguas Mansas to the present day, and introduced small variations. For example, none of the brothers die (neither Sarita nor Franco, but they get married) and they omit other characters. They also increase the soundtrack, performed by Rosario Montes.
In this version, the character of Juan Reyes is embodied by the Cuban Mario Cimarro.
