Within the Cuban proverb there is one in particular that has been passed down from generation to generation to refer to someone who lives very well, with luxuries and without worrying about other people’s opinions.
“Live like carmelina” contains a whole philosophy of life that not a few would like to follow, but unlike the woman who inspired the phrase, they cannot due to lack of resources.
So who was Carmelina?
The historical sources consulted state that this character was real and came from one of the richest families in Cuba.
Carmelina Arechabala, granddaughter of the Spanish Don José Arechabala, was born in Cárdenas, Matanzas. Her family had built an empire thanks to her multiple businesses, especially in the rum industry.
That fortune allowed her to have everything she wanted: jewelry, crowded parties, dresses, trips. There were no limits. To this we must add that the young woman married a relative (it was customary in the family to marry each other). This “tradition”, in the style of the European nobility, was not well regarded in a small city, for which reason it earned various criticisms. However, Carmelina did not seem to be affected, as she says in Cuban slang “it slipped”. Hence one of the interpretations of the saying.
How rich were the Arechabala?
Before the revolution triumphed and they took everything away, Arechabala SA had offices in Cárdenas and in the Plaza de la Catedral in Havana. According to collect Guillermo Jimenez in his book “The owners of Cuba”. They owned a large manufacturing complex with jam, yeast and syrup plants; sugar warehouses, maritime terminal, shipyards and other productions derived from sugar.
But the empire does not end there. They also owned the Progreso sugar mill and sugar brokers on the world market. They owned “the fourth refinery in the country and the eleventh distillery and a liquor factory.” Precisely their alcoholic beverages were “the jewel in the crown” They produced aniseed, brandy, cream and gin of the Arechabala brand. Cognac brands Relicario and Tres Arbolitos. On the other hand, he represented Chivas Regal whiskey in Cuba, among other drinks. It must be added that the famous Havana Club rum was a brand of theirs.
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