 Her family were in dire need of money, so she started to sing regularly as a professional in the Taberna de Ceferino, in Seville, and then spent a period in Madrid and Bilbao.In this town, she was not allowed to sing in public owing to her young age, so she sat as model for painter Ignacio Zuloaga.Back in Andalusia, she took part in the performances of several cafés cantante in Jerez, Seville, Málaga and other towns.