The Opera flamenca opened large spaces for the flamenco, with performances in many theatres and bullrings. It was a period of great bailaoras and bailaores, like Antonia Mercé La Argentina, Vicente Escudero, Imperio Argentina, Encarnación López, La Argentinita, and their younger releaves like Antonio, Rosario, Carmen Amaya, Pilar López etc.

 This modality of presenting flamenco shows continues in the postwar, almost until the middle of the 50s. In the last years it was changing and going back to the “aflamencada (flamenco inspired)” variety. Juan Valderrama expresses it clearly: “There was a moment I had to sing songs, which are not flamenco, out of needs of money that we, flamencos, needed to live. I did it like the bull fighter who sticks “banderillas” but I am a flamenco singer from head to toe and I know all the cantes which exist in the flamenco and I sing them all.“ 1

 1, Burgos, Antonio: Juanito Valderrama Mi España querida. La Esfera de los Libros. Madrid. 2004