er story starts in 1929, when most young people in Buenos Aires knew the lyrics of fashionable tangos and, secretly or among friends, sang them hoping to make a hit. Josefina was a humble employee at a downtown shop when someone suggested that she would apply for a contest to be held at the new Gaumont cinema.

Notwithstanding the result of this contest, her appearance was outstanding and, a few days later she made her debut on the renowned Radio Prieto. People said that on her opening she was accompanied by José Ricardo on guitar and that she performed “Alma en pena” as first number.

Later she went on appearing on other radio stations and performing in theater plays —those one-act farces that audiences were so much fond of— and, finally, her debut in the movies.

By that time, the tango pioneers were unsurpassable: Rosita Quiroga, Libertad Lamarque, Azucena Maizani, etc.; what made it very difficult for a new one to become known. They had been in the people's choice from long since with remarkable record hits.

Amanda sang well and had a dramatic expression that was close to Libertad Lamarque's style. She had a good-looking figure, an agile pleasant body and, even though she was not pretty, she conveyed a suggestive seduction.

Through motion pictures she reached a wide acclaim; our filmmakers knew how to take advantage of her attraction, of her shamelessness,mixed with a subtle innocence proper of that time. She was like "tailor-made" for the "foolish" comedies of the Argentine movies, but she furthermore sang and did it with taste and correctly. She used to be starred as the good fiancée for the leading actor of the moment; the one that finally was winner when she had to compete with the well-to-do coquette of the film.

She made her debut soon after the release of the mythical film Tango, under the direction of the same helmsman: Luis Moglia Barth. Later she appeared in the movie Dancing, which unfortunately failed, in which the jazz orchestra led by René Cóspito and the tango orchestra led by Roberto Firpo were starred.

In 1936 she was starred in the film Canillita, in which the renowned singer Príncipe Azul and the reciter Lopecito made brief appearances. In 1937 she appeared in Melodías porteñas, alongside the great Enrique Santos Discépolo.

Precisely, she chose this great poet for her first two recordings, the tango piece “Condena” and the waltz “Primavera [b]”, for the Odeon label in 1937.

In 1938, she was starred in El último encuentro, in which there was a brief role for Choly Mur (Tania's daughter). She can also be seen to great advantage in Senderos de fe alongside the actor and crooner Juan Carlos Thorry, De México llegó el amor, with the Mexican singer Tito Guizar, in which she is the leading actress. Later came El astro del tango, with Hugo Del Carril, and with this same actor: La novela de un joven pobre. She also appeared in Peluquero de señoras, with the great comic actor Luis Sandrini.

She quit the movies and decided to devote herself entirely to tango. She toured the American continent accompanied by the pianist Héctor Stamponi in 1943. They first played in Bolivia, on their way north they performed in all the countries and finally arrived in Cuba. Her success was bigger each day but it was in Mexico where she reached her definitive recognition.

Her dark brown hair became blond, she cared for her white skin with the deepest attention and the contract signed with the producing company said expressly that she was not allowed to sunbathe. This change made her "the blond goddess of tango". As such, she never appeared in a provocative manner, she dressed in white like a chaste girl that, only with a stroke of luck, you could stole her a kiss at the end of the film.

In Mexico, she consolidated her qualities as comedienne and singer in the movies. She was frequently seen at night venues or on the radio in the role of comedienne because she embellished her songs with mundane stories. She made the attendants take part in her show and she narrated stories about her artistic life.

She stayed in Mexico for ten years. In this respect, she was a forerunner and example for other tango artists that later would do the same: Libertad Lamarque, Agustín Irusta, Mercedes Simone, Alberto Gómez, Hugo Del Carril and many more.

She was 40 when she decided to come back. She appeared on Radio Splendid, on the recently opened TV channel 7 and in some other theater play. In 1956 she retired from show business.

Of course, there are much more things about her to be said but she always was reluctant with the press and there are few interviews left where we can make a research.

Among her recordings, besides the above mentioned, we can highlight, those made for the Victor label in 1940: “Cariño”, the waltz “Quién será”, “Imposible [b]”, all by Luis Rubistein and the waltz “Quién más quién menos”, by Rodolfo Sciammarella. Between 1944 and 1945 she recorded four numbers in Mexico: the zamba “Vieja huella”, the ranchera “Qué buscan en la mujer”, the tango “Cruz”, all by Héctor Stamponi and Ernesto Cortázar and “Coplas de retache” in duo with Jorge Negrete (by Manuel Esperón and Ernesto Cortázar).