Juan Valderrama Blanca (24 May 1916 – 12 April 2004), better known as Juanito Valderrama, was a Spanish

flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...

and

folk singer Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

. Although he was known for singing copla, he always claimed to be a flamenco singer. Born in

Torredelcampo Torredelcampo is a city located in the province of Jaén, Spain. The village is located 11 km northwest of Jaén, bordering the highway A-316, at 640 meters above sea level . According to the 2006 census A census is the procedure of syst ...

, Juanito's recording career began in 1935 and lasted more than 60 years. Among his most famous songs is " El emigrante", written in 1949, a ballad for the millions of displaced Spaniards who fled the country in the years after the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

. In 1960 he appeared in the film of the same name. He was romantically and professionally partnered with singer and actress Dolores Abril from 1954 until his death in 2004. The couple had two children, and Juana Dolores Valderrama, who both became singers.

Filmography

References

External links

''Telegraph'' obituary
1916 births 2004 deaths People from the Province of Jaén (Spain) Singers from Andalusia Flamenco singers 20th-century Spanish singers 20th-century Spanish male singers {{Spain-singer-stub