TWO 2 TANGO
by
Armando Susmano, M.D.
In Honor of Robert W. Carton M.D.
Delivered to
The Chicago Literary Club
February 14, 2000
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. INTRODUCTION
B. FROM ORIGINS TO WWI
C. EFFECT OF IMMIGRATION
1. ITALIANS
2. SPANISH
3. JEWISH
4. FRENCH
D. FROM WWI TO WWII
1. CABARET
2. CABARET CHARACTERS
3. TANGO LYRICS
4. LUNFARDO LANGUAGE
E. From WWII to 1955
F. SINGERS
1. MALES: CARLOS GARDEL
2. FEMALES: LIBERTAD LAMARQUE
G. ORCHESTRAS
1910-1920 OLD GUARD
FIRPO-MAGLIO
FILIBERTO-AROLAS
CANARO
1920-1930 DE CARO-FRESEDO
1935-1940 D'ARIENZO-TROILO
DI SARLI-PUGLIESE
1940 ON MULTIPLE ORCHESTRAS
1. TROILO
2. PUGLIESE
3. SALGAN
4. MORES
5. PIAZOLLA
H. CONCLUSION
A. INTRODUCTION
From the multiple and colorful bordellos of Buenos Aires at
the end
of the 19th century to the magnificent walls of the distinguished
Carnegie
Hall, or the new and elegant building of Symphony Hall (in
Chicago) more
than 100 years had to elapse for tango music to achieve the
acceptance and
respectability that it now enjoys.
Popular music...it was, but respectable music...it was not for many years. How
strange and ironic that tango music has been intimately related to the socioeconomic
and political upheavals of Argentina over the past century. When Bizet's Carmen
or Stravinsky: The Rites of Spring" were premiered, the composer's encountered
nothing but boos and violent shouting of disapproval from the audience.
This was a people's response to an individual or perhaps
an unknown
composer presenting a new style of music for which the public was
not
prepared or did not have the appetite to accept musical
innovations.
In the case of tango music, the rejection was related first, to
its social
identification, second, to the segment of society that embraced
this music
and third, to the origins and location of its performances.
In the United States, it all started a few years ago when Al
Paccino
portrayed a blind man in the movie "Scent of a Woman." With the
background
music of guitar players and the most exquisite voice of Carlos
Gardel, the
Argentine Elvis, singing three marvelous tangos, Al Paccino
(accompanied by
a beautiful lady)
danced a most sophisticated, elegant, sensual, voluptuous and
artistic tango
equal or better to anyone born in Argentina and accustomed to
dance this type
of music. Since then, tango fever has swept the U.S. and tango
melodies
can be heard on radio or TV commercials, movies, theaters and now
even in
Chicago's Symphony Hall.
Tango was known in the U.S. back in the 1920s but it
never made any
significant inroads in this society as compared to jazz or
Broadway style
of music.
What is tango and how did it come to be synonymous with
Argentina?
We should probably start out by dividing the history of tango in
four periods.
1)From the 1860s to the WWI,
2)From WWI to WWII,
3)From WWII to the fall of dictator Juan D. Peron in 1955,
and;
4)The last 40 years.
Tango is a real phenomenon created by the convergence of several
musical styles brought to Argentina by several European
immigratory waves,
including the tunes and rhythm of black slaves previously present
in the
country. Tango is sadness, melancholy, an introverted dance that
encompasses all the attributes of the society: frustration,
unhappiness,
rancor, nostalgia, resentment and the inability to adjust, all
aspects of a
dysfunctional society. As Janny Scott said Tango "is elegant and
formal,
passionate and intimate. It is about power and vulnerability.
It is both
a dance and a metaphor, and to its captives it can become a
magnificent
obsession". (1)
As Ibarguren (2) said, "it is not an original Argentine
music, but
the mixing and influence of many people and the product of the
resentment
of the natives and
the sadness of the immigrants." An important element is sex,
particularly
female since it was originally a lascivious, erotic dance that
could only
be danced in a bordello and only prostitutes were involved.
The prostitutes served a dual economic function: one for
their
sexual and dancing skills, and second for enticing and
stimulating their
customers to consume alcoholic beverages, although the bottles of
champagne
did not cost $12 each in Argentina, as charged around the turn of
the
century, at the famous and luxurious brothel the Everleigh Club
at 2131 S.
Dearborn St. in Chicago. (3)
It was in these places and in the coffee houses that opened
toward the turn
of the century (where tango was also danced) that there was a
substantial
consumption of cocaine by a well selected group of patrons (12).
However
cocaine and other drugs were not available to the general
population as it
is the problem nowadays all over the world.
Tango was offered as a way of entertaining patrons before
or after
a sexual encounter. There was that intimate contact of two
bodies almost
plastered together that gave tango an erotic quality as well as a
form of
power and domination over the woman which was characteristic of
the
machismo that prevailed in Argentina at the turn of the century.
Tango
music evolves nowadays around the bandoneon a characteristic
instrument
(different from the accordion) brought to Argentina by German
immigrants,
that has a dramatic and mysterious sound.
Finally, the LYRICS are an important element for it
provides the
means of expression for the various emotions, hopes,
disappointments,
dreams, memories, anxieties, love and philosophy of life.
B.ORIGINS
The origins of tango are very obscure. It probably
started in the
second half of the 19th century and by the early 1870s, a mixture
of
Hispanic habaneras (Cuba), Candombes or tangos from Andalucia
(Spain)
Milongas and black people tunes were danced. Black people
achieved freedom
in Argentina in 1812 and some might have arrived later on through
commercial ships making round trips between the Caribbean Islands
and
Buenos Aires.
There was also the encounter of two cultures: The one brought by
the
Gauchos (from rural areas) colliding with the large significant
immigrant
influence present in Buenos Aires. The Gaucho brought the
PAYADA. The
Payada was an spontaneous poetry, an improvised octosilabic verse
sang with
guitar and in many occasions, accompanied by ambulant musicians
playing the
flute, harp, violin or accordion. This mixture of poetry and
music when
confronted with immigrant influence produced the Milonga, a
popular dance
in the 1880s.
The women would dance inside the house. A dance of African
Caribbean
origin the CAN-CAN was common then. There was no direct physical
contact
at the beginning of tango, and as stated by Salas (5), by 1880
only dances
without physical contact were accepted by society. However, this
dancing
gradually evolved into an embracing of the couple as tango is
danced today.
It was said that tango was the Africanization of Mazurka and
Milonga.
Eventually these dances moved from the houses to the streets,
where very
commonly two men could be seen dancing together, and from there
it found
its way into the bordellos of Buenos Aires. The musicians used
to move
from one bordello to another playing in groups of 2 or usually 3
ambulant
musicians who in the early days improvised their music since
there was no
printed tango music until the end of the century. The trios were
a
combination of harp, violin and flute and
rarely accordion. This one was rapidly replaced by the bandoneon
in the
1880s. The tango dance was slowly modified from a continuous
movement to a
suspense in motion. With the introduction of this halt in
movement the man
would stand still while the woman would dance aside him in a
rotating style
and making special leg figures (the eight). This leg movement
that would
never be repeated twice required later on more space and longer
areas for
displacement. This eventually led to the embracing of the
bodies, the
faces would touch each other, with the man leading the movements
and
rotation by the woman to follow.
By the end of 1890s the tango had achieved its own technique and
choreography and by the beginning of the 20th century and around
1905 tango
was the preferred dance during carnival time (the equivalent of
Mardi Gras
in New Orleans).
ORIGIN OF TANGO WORD
There is no exact knowledge of where the word originates,
but there
is by now substantial evidence that it is a derivative of TANGANO
(5-6)
(according to the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy,
Edition of 1803)
and of the word TANGIR (or play an instrument) which was
associated with
black African Dance.
In the XVIII century there was a dance in Mexico called
tango. It
could be a word of African origin as Matamoro suggest (6).
Rodriguez Molas
(8) feels strongly about the African origin of this word. In
some tribes
in Congo and Sudan, tango means an enclosed area or a circle and
the word
denotes areas of concentration of slaves. Molas also claims that
in 1802 a
House of Tango was
functioning in Buenos Aires and by 1821 blacks were collecting
money to
support an organization called "Tango de Bayle" and that in
Montevideo
(Uruguay) public dancing of tangos by blacks was forbidden as
prejudicial
to society. A dance called the TANGO was designated in South
Spain and
then imported to America, and in Cuba black dance movements were
incorporated in the Habanera and from there found its way to
Andalucia
(Spain) and then imported by Spaniards into Buenos Aires.
It is quite possible that tango can be an onomatopoyetic
variation
of TAMBO from TAMBOR of Candombe and African dances. In
Argentina the word
"CHUENGA" a chewing candy sold in soccer stadiums is originated
from the
rapid pronunciation of "chewing gum." The rapid pronunciation of
"TOCA
TAMBO" (toca el tambor) might have been changed the sound of the
word TAMBO
by the interaction of blacks and white people of those days.
C. EFFECT OF IMMIGRATION
(1) ITALIANS - Argentina was a stable society until 1852
when the
first dictator ROSAS was removed from office. This opened the
influence of
liberal minds to populate the country. The city of Buenos Aires
had in
1869 a total of 181,838 inhabitants that grew almost four fold by
1895 to
663,854 of which half of them were immigrants (345,493) and over
the next
20 years Argentina went from a population of 1.3 million to
almost 8
million by the beginning of WWI. The poorest people of Spain and
Italy and
then starting in 1890, the poor Jews escaping the pogroms in
Russia and
Eastern Europe (thanks to the generosity of BARON HIRSCH) found
freedom and
a new life in Argentina. While the Jews were settled in distant
farms to
become farmers in lands bought for them by BARON HIRSCH, the
other
immigrants (of which many were real farmers) could
not develop their skills due to the feudal structure of the
society and were
unable to buy any land. Between 1857 and 1947 over three million
Italians
arrived to Argentina and the majority remained. More than 50%
were forced
to stay around the large city of Buenos Aires. The decade of 1880
revealed
an extraordinary transformation in all aspects of Argentine
society. From
1880 on, a Paris Fever developed and the architecture of Buenos
Aires
reflected in new public and private construction, governmental
buildings
and public parks revealed a strong desire to imitate whatever
French Paris
had to offer and eventually Buenos Aires became to be known as
the Paris of
South America. But also the language (due to immigrant influx)
underwent a
significant change, Lunfardo (slang style of language) was
introduced, the
Criollo food was gradually replaced by French and Italian
cuisine; new
roads were built; a dress code developed; musical shows (popular
as well
as classical music) and opera were being offered; the
transportation and
railroad system constructed new lines; the first telephone was
installed in
1881 and electricity appeared in 1887. A wonderful economic,
social and
industrial transformation swept the country and therefore a large
number of
unskilled laborers and skilled trade workers entered and were
received with
open arms into this rapidly developing country.
All
these waves of
immigrants brought with them the new ideas of social and
political reform,
became anarchists, socialists or communists, created the first
unions and
provoked the first strikes. Many could not adapt and returned to
Europe
but the rest mixed with the Gauchos and the poor natives of
Argentina. As
they remained, they helped to build the country and made great
contributions to music, in particular the Italians who brought
their love
for music and singing, and were skillful with musical
instruments. With
the growth in population the Bordellos increased in number and
they offered
Tango as a form of entertainment as well.
This was the beginning of incorporating the nostalgia and
sadness
of the immigrants in tangos. The Gaucho on the other hand,
introduced the
resentment created against the immigrants, who in large and
larger numbers
were taking more space and influence in Argentine society, a
phenomenon not
dissimilar to what is happening in the U.S. or in European
countries at the
present time, mostly due to a scarcity of jobs. These immigrants
and their
children became rapidly educated and out numbered the
professionals
produced by the natives.
Needless to say that they greatly contributed and influenced the
development and execution of tango, but also significantly
affected and
changed the Spanish language by incorporating many of their words
in tango
lyrics.
(2) SPANISH - The Spanish immigration also brought songs and
dances. Among
them the "tanguillo" which is a form of habanera that went from
Cadiz to
Madrid and then to Buenos Aires. Also Flamenco was imported that
mixed
with sevillanas, malaguenas and rondelas. Some elements of this
different
musical forms found a way to mix or influence tango, and by the
end of the
19th century the confusion between Spanish tango and criollo
tango
vanished. While this was
the Spanish contribution to the eventual development of tango as
we know it
today, the Italians on the other hand provided players and
instrumentalists
as well as the melancholic and nostalgic aspects of this music.
(3) JEWISH - of the poor Jewish immigrants that arrived after
1890, very
few if any were musicians. It was therefore the first generation
born in
Argentina that made contributions starting in 1910 and
thereafter, but
tango by then had already achieved its rhythm and choreography.
Therefore,
the contribution of the Jews was relegated to the execution of
this music,
for which over the years they provided a long list of great or
virtuoso
instrumentalists. Particularly in violin, piano and bandoneon
but
also great lyricists who wrote words for
the most beautiful and famous tangos known even today, as well as
first
rate orchestra conductors, musical arrangers, composers and
singers. Many
of these players performing in duos, trios, quartets, quintets or
full
orchestras not only played tango, but also Klezmer type music to
satisfy
the needs of several Jewish communities scattered in different
cities. It
should be noted that a few became musical publishers who played a
key role
in publishing music composed by Jewish musicians.
Paradoxically to other aspects of Argentine Society, these
musicians were
not subjected to any personal discrimination or antisemitic
incidents (10).
Of interest is the fact that in many prominent families there
were several
members, at times three or four brothers or sisters who would
participate
in tango playing. There were also professionals, such as
physicians who
would perform tangos in theaters or music houses. My own father
was one of
them who was very active with his own orchestra during the decade
of 1920
before he became a physician.
(4) FRENCH - France has always had a magnetic influence on
Argentina.
Going to Paris meant to study in good universities, or spending
time
vacationing or socializing, since Paris was the cultural and
scientific
center of the world toward the end of the 19th century. The
Russian
aristocracy spoke French and spent long periods of time in Paris.
Many
Argentine writers and poets like Miguel Cane, Lucio V. Mansilla
and
Victoria Ocampo were raised by French nannies or influenced by
French
writers (Zola, Dumas, Hugo, France, etc.). At the turn of the
century and
thereafter, many musicians went to Paris and while playing there
(CANARO,
GOBBI) they introduced their own compositions. They were invited
to record
the music for Victor Records and they also taught the dancing of
tango in
newly opened dancing studios and schools.
Gradually this exotic dance caught the attention and the
interest
of all layers of French society. By 1911, tango had surpassed
the waltz as
the preferred dance. It was recognized in all major capitals of
the world,
"while the Argentinean Ambassadors were wasting their time
informing the
public of the ill repute origin and practice of tango in the
bordellos and
dancing bars of Buenos Aires and was not liked by the elegant and
distinguished upper class of Argentina, because it considered
tango an
unnatural type of entertainment." There were tango tea parties
in London
and even the Vatican was involved in rendering an opinion whether
tango was
a dangerous dance, by having couples dance in front of the Pope
(as related
by Salas) (4-5).
We have covered up to now the origins and development of tango
from the
late 19th century to the beginning of WWI.
D. From WWI TO WWII
Right after WWI tango was on its way for a better
acceptance. On
the other hand, the Argentine conservative government (who had a
strange
brand of inherited Spanish morality), in conjunction with members
of the
upper class, Nationalists elements and even some Leftists,
denounced and
rejected tango as synonymous of Argentinean music since they
considered it
a mixture of Habanera and Milonga that made the women prone to
work in
bordellos (where they were dehumanized and exploited) rather than
working
in factories where they could earn and enjoy a more decent way of
life.
Despite all this criticism, the stronger the opposition to the
tango would
become, the larger would be the number of new adepts that tango
music would
attract and identify with it. Tango followed the social
transformation of
the country.
The children of immigrants became professionals and
successful
business people. Lovers and concubines began to proliferate and
light
industry began to develop, city life attracted the masses coming
from poor
areas of the country or the poor suburbs surrounding Buenos
Aires. The
first universal elections were held and representatives of
different
ideologies rose to power, cabarets (like in Paris) were opened
and
flourished, and gradually tango advanced from the obscurity of
the
bordellos to the multicolor lights of city night life. A
remarkable
transformation that would last for approximately 15 years.
(1) CABARET - The tango image began to change with the opening of
cabarets.
The music titles became more decent without sexual connotations
and the
composers began to dedicate their music to members of the upper
class, to
high ranking members of the military, or to powerful politicians
in an
attempt to make this type of music more acceptable.
The ascent of H. Irigoyen, in 1916 (9) a most popular
president
gave power to popular candidates and representatives of the
middle class
and some lower socioeconomic groups and this contributed to
enhance the
popularity of tango.
By offering good quality orchestras and singers the cabarets
replaced the
bordellos and by having pianos, added a key instrument that was
introduced
to perform this music at a more sophisticated level. Tango now
had a
better image, a new taste, more decent lyrics, better
instrumental players,
who dressed now in tuxedos and had an exemplary behavior making
this more
acceptable to respectable social circles.
The cabarets became big business and they rapidly
multiplied:
Armenonville, Chanteclair, Royal Pigalle, Moulin Rouge, Maxim
(all had
French names). It was a place to sit at night, have drinks,
listen to
music, dance, socialize or even conduct personal business or
political
deals.
During the presidency of ALVEAR (1922-1928) tango flourished
because
members of his cabinet and government went to cabarets as their
place of
entertainment and social activities. Furthermore, a new
generation of
musicians who studied music and were great instrumentalists and
who had
never played in bordellos, added a new air of respectability.
Among the great musicians of those days were Roberto
Firpo (a
member of the old guard) pianist who started with a trio, then
formed a
sextet and finally an 11 musician orchestra (the basic number for
a typical
tango orchestra). He not only wrote beautiful and memorable
tangos, but
also introduced in 1918 the one that would become almost the
second
National Anthem entitled, "LA Cumparsita" (written by an
Uruguayan
composer).
JULIO DECARO and OSVALO FRESEDO are good examples of the
New Guard
which developed while the UCR (the equivalent of the Democratic
party in
the U.S.) was in power. They represented the new wave, a change
in style
and a new musical line that will continue with TROILO, PUGLIESE
and SALGAN.
DeCaro incorporated new techniques of harmony and counterpoint
interacting
with each instrument or producing variations for solo parts of
great
melodic lines and sound, playing, in synchrony or alternating
voices with
the other instruments. He created a real polyphonic sound. The
period of
musical sophistication in tango had just begun.
FRESEDO began playing in cabarets in 1916. By 1918 he had his
own
orchestra and in 1919 travels to the U.S. where he was influenced
by the
development of jazz in this country. He introduced staccatos,
pianissimos,
and crescendos in the
musical lines and added new instruments like harp, vibraphone and
percussion
instruments as part of his jazz influence. He represented the
avant garde
of his days and was favored by the ruling class in the 20s and
30s. His
success continued into the 40s and even in his older days had
open arms for
the revolutionary music of PIAZOLLA (already rejected by his
other peers).
He played until 1981 and died in 1984 at age 97.
(2) CABARET CHARACTERS - Cabaret life influence composers and
lyric writers to
describe this kind of life through different characters.
a)The young prostitute, described in MILONGUITA based on a real
person, a young girl of
poor upbringing attracted by economicrewards and city life.
b)MILONGUERA the woman hired to dance in public places.
c)The FRENCH WOMAN who came from France attracted by promises of
marriage and found herself sold as a prostitute in Buenos Aires.
d)The MEN who patronized these cabarets.
The good economy of Argentina in the1920s produced a generation
of selfish nouveau rich
that spent time and money at cabarets with their concubines or
local prostitutes. This status
changed in the 1930s during the world-wide depression that
produced severe political and
economic dislocations and as a consequence the cabarets lost
their appeal and due to the
economic crash they would gradually disappeared in the early
1940s. Furthermore, a
significant political local event contributed to the decadence of
tango during the 1930s. On
September 6, 1930, a military revolution led by Gral J. URIBURU
installed a fraudulent
conservative and right wing government that catered to the
interests of International oil
companies and became subservient to the influence of the British
Empire. Even some
politicians wanted Argentina to be part of the commonwealth.
Tango, as an
expression of popular music was looked down by the ruling class
who had profound disdain
for this music.
At this point tango reached a plateau. There were no new
musicians, no new singers of the
stature of its predecessors or to replace the great C. Gardel who
died in a plane crash in 1935.
The masses were no longer dancing. The middle class felt
marginalized. Tango became
almost obsolete. Although some orchestras sprang up in the late
30s it would take almost ten
years until the assumption to power of Gral Peron for the tango
to make a comeback. When
Peron came to power in 1946 cabarets would no longer be in
existence and tango now would
be embraced by the Peronist ideology with the strong support of
the working class and a large
segment of the middle class. A new period had started in the
history of tango.
E. FROM 1946 TO 1955.
(3) TANGO LYRICS - An important part of tango is the lyrics
component as well as the
language used at the turn of the century, a dialect called
LUNFARDO (4) (equivalent to
slang). The contribution to the lyrics was done by a group of
poets and writers who over the
years were able to capture the mood, the feelings and emotions of
the people and to color in
their poetry little dramas and the changes in social, economic
and political structure of the
society. Tango was not just "the cry of the cuckhold" as has
been derisively referred to in the
past.
Earlier famous writers include Pascual CONTURSI. He changed the
way lyrics were written
by telling a short story and expressing the emotions associated
with the story. By expressing
the changing emotions of daily life, he gave to tango a sensible,
philosophic and humanistic
approach. Most famous lyrics MI NOCHE TRISTE (1917) and BANDONEON
ARRABALERO were written in Paris.
Celedonio FLORES wrote about the social aspects of cabaret women
and described:
1)Characters (MARGOT, female French impersonator)
2)Places (EL BULIN DE LA CALLE AYACUCHO and CORRIENTES Y
ESMERALDA) or,
3)Social Events (MANO A MANO).
He was a descriptive lyricist of the life of the upper class, and
the ethics and morals of the
poor people living in slums. CADICAMO described changes in
social status and cabaret life
from a sentimental point of view with melancholic, nostalgic or
romantic lyrics.
Homero MANZI presented a brush painting of the many suburbs of
Buenos Aires, love
relations and the nostalgia expressed by immigrant groups. He
also wrote screenplays for
many movies.
Samuel LINNIG described accurately the life and social aspects of
young prostitutes. All of
these writers and poets were famous prior to 1935.
It belongs to E.S. Discepolo to become the interpreter, analyst,
chronicler and moral critic of
the decade of 1930s and thereafter. Through his music and lyrics
Discepolo went on a
crusade to describe the social changes, the lack of scruples and
the loss of moral values. His
tangos YIRA-YIRA and CAMBALACHE are a summary of total loss of
values of a society
that changed after the revolution of 1930. Because of these
reasons he embraced the Peronist
ideology as a hope for a betterment of the society, supporting
the working class and the under
privileged. For his
political views he was severely criticized and felt ostracized,
became severely depressed and
died of starvation in 1951.
UNO and CAFETIN DE BSAS are counted among his best tangos.
(4) LUNFARDO- was the slang and first dialect of tango (4). In
its early days tango lyrics
used the language of the people who were connected, played or
danced this type of music. It
was the language of members of lower socioeconomic strata. Salas
(5) suggested that
Lunfardo probably began in the jails of Buenos Aires where the
inmates would communicate
among them in a cryptic way so neither the guards nor the police
could understand. This
language of incarcerated people gradually found its way to the
relatives and friends of
inmates for its daily use and became a
dialect that eventually was incorporated in tango lyrics. The
common denominator was life in
the bordello and many tango titles had sexual or obscene
connotations. For instance, there
were 18 slang words in reference to a woman and 16 in reference
to money. Many words
were spoken in reverse sequence and the huge Italian immigration
had a great influence to
incorporate many partially or totally modified words into the
Spanish language.
The use of Lunfardo dialect was so pervasive that
immediately after the extreme
right military coup established a Junta, on June 4, 1943, the
government under the influence
of a notorious antisemitic writer Hugo Wast (A.K.A. Gustavo
Gonzales Zuviria) appointed
Minister of Interior and Education Affairs, issued an edict
forbidding the use of these words
in the tango lyrics in order to preserve the purity of the
Spanish language (5).
The Jews and Lunfardo in tango lyrics became his common enemy.
Not only did he dismiss
Jewish teachers and professors from their positions but he also
implemented the obligatory
teachings of Religion and Moral in all public schools, meaning
that non Catholics (Jews) had
to be segregated to other classrooms. The censorship in tango
lyrics lasted until 1949.
It was an indirect attempt by the upper class to discredit tango
music and its lyrics but after
almost 50 years of its use, it was already too late. Lunfardo
language was already part of
Argentine culture.
F. SINGERS
A fundamental role in tango was played by the MALE singers.
Salas mentions that of the
four Argentinean myths:
1)Hipolito YRIGOYEN
2)Juan D. Peron
3)Eva Peron, and
4)Carlos Gardel,
Only Gardel has been accepted and adored by all segments of
society and his
image and voice have remained unaltered, like suspended in space
for
eternity, with his smile, attractive face, peculiar hairdo, and
his tuxedo.
Even today, 60 years after his airplane crash--accidental death,
people
would say "that he sings better every passing day". This
Argentinean
combination of Elvis Presley and Pavarotti receives flowers, and
candles
are lit daily at his resting place. Even his birthplace is
clouded in
mystery. He had an Argentine passport stating he was born in
TACUAREMBO
(Uruguay) on December 11, 1887, but a will or testament found
after his
death marks his native city as TOULOUSE (in France) on December
11, 1890.
No wonder since he was a child his nickname was El Francesito
(the French
boy). He had a great PR appeal. He dressed and behaved well,
had charm,
was caring and loyal to his friends and was always surrounded by
many
beautiful women. But he never married and because of that and
other facts,
there were recent conflicting stories about his sexual
orientation (12).
Gardel rapidly achieved fame and wealth. From 1912 to 1925 he
was singing in
duets with Jose RAZZANO and many records made then for Columbia
and Victor
Records had been mastered and reissued. In 1928, he went to
France as a
solo singer for tangos. He achieved fame in Paris, sang with
Josephine
Baker, and became accepted by the upper class for his singing,
distinctive
personal qualities and elegant presence and as stated by
JUDKOVSKI(11) in
his book about Tango History, Gardel participated in 1929 in the
"BAL DES
PETITES LITES BLANCS" at the Opera Theater in the presence of the
President
of France and its entire cabinet. He apparently obtained help
from SADIE
BARON-WAKEFIELD, the heir to the fortune of a tobacco tycoon Mr.
BERNARD
BARON. In 1931, Gardel was invited to sing at a party Sadie gave
in Nice
(France) in honor of Charlie Chaplin for his success in his new
movie CITY
LIGHTS. She was instrumental in financing one of Mr. Gardel's
first films
- Buenos Aires City Lights - with a title very similar to
Chaplin's movie.
Gardel achieved what he wanted to be, an International
singer, and
he used his talent as an actor to participate in movies to
complete this
goal. He was a born musician who had composed several tangos,
but now at
this stage of his career he needed a good lyric writer which he
found in
ALFREDO LE PERA, a former medical student and journalist. While
in Paris
he connected Gardel to the Paramount Studios through his American
friends.
In order to bring tango to International level, Le Pera
eliminated the use
of slang words and wrote in a Spanish that could be understood in
all of
South America and other Spanish speaking countries. Gardel's
accidental
death in 1935 cut short his stellar career. His funeral in
Buenos Aires is
reminiscent of the emotional popular outpouring shown at Eva
Peron's
funeral, Elvis Presley's and JFK's in the U.S. and Princess Diana
in
England.
Other great singers include AGUSTIN MAGALDI, IGNACIO
CORSINI and
CHARLO. Corsini was remembered not only for his unique voice,
but for the
political and Nationalistic themes, for the absence of slang
words in
lyrics and for the intense melodic lines of the songs.
There was subsequently a long list of great singers:
FIORENTINO,
MARINO, F. RUIZ, DANTE, MARTEL, HUGO DEL CARRIL, A. VARGAS, E.
RIVERO,
JULIO SOSA, GOYENECHE. None of them were as picturesque as
ALBERTO
CASTILLO, who started singing during his days in medical school.
He later
became a gynecologist. He sided with the working class, dressed
in exotic
attire of wide lapel suits, large hanging handkerchief in his
front upper
pocket, wide pants, wide ties with large knots. It was a new
fashion of
bad taste that went along with the political influence of
Peronism. He
scorned the upper class and his lyrics had a Nationalistic color.
Although
once he was compared to Al Jolson for his eccentricities and
attire, his
body motion were precursors of what Elvis, Michael Jackson and
Mick Jagger
would be famous for, a few years later. He had an aggressive
attitude of
resentment toward the rich. His popularity died with the fall of
the
Peronist regime and with the return of the displaced upper class
back to
power.
The other two singers who made a mark in the history of
tango were
J. Sosa and E. Rivero in the 40s to the early 60s. Their
distinctive low,
grave baritone voices added an unusual tone to the singing of
lyrics, since
up the 1940s the register of the singers were tenor or alto
tenor, a timbre
that identified itself with tango singing. They presented a new
dimension
at the other end of the vocal register giving more relevance to
the
interpretation of tango with a more mature music, lyrics and
voice to
achieve a new level of dignity and pride.
In the 60s and thereafter, R. GOYENECHE had been the voice that
bridged the
old and the new as an expression of the political and economic
transformation that
was developing in Argentina. He was a master in understanding
and giving
weight to each word, to the rhythmic music of the new language,
knew how to
modulate the intensity and the tempo of his voice to sing tangos,
many
written over 50 years before and was able to give them actual
life as if
written today.
(2) FEMALE SINGERS - The role of women in tango was related to
the
bordellos where prostitutes had a dual role as dancers too. The
lyrics
reflected that type of life and was demeaning to women. Women
started to
sing tango without shameful feelings in the 1920s when the lyrics
were
written without sexual connotations such as LA MOROCHA (the
brunette).
They displayed their singing talents first dressed and smoking
like the
men. It was in essence an early manifestation of what later on
would be
part of the sexual revolution and female liberation movement in
the 60s.
These singers even ventured to travel to Spain and France to sing
tangos
dressed as man or in gaucho attire. Gradually this changed to
regular
female attire. Their participation in radio programs made the
activities
legitimate and respectable.
In the past 70 years---from the 1920s, the shining stars
were
AZUCENA MAIZANI, ROSITA QUIROGA, MERCEDES SIMONE (from the 1920s
to
1930s),
ADA FALCON, TITA MERELLO (from 1930s to 1940s). AMANDA LEDESMA,
SABINA
OLMOS, AIDA LUZ, SOFIA BOZAN, NELLY OMAR and TANIA (there were
more
actresses in movies than singers during the 30s to 50s). AMELITA
BALTAR
and SUSANA RINALDI were the stars from the 40s to the 70s. Of
them all,
only three would stand out. One not mentioned is LIBERTAD
LAMARQUE; the
two others, are Tita Merello and Susana Rinaldi.
Libertad Lamarque was a class in itself. Daughter of a second
wave of
immigrants, she was unrelated to the ill-reputed origins of
tango.
Starting in
1930, she tried to imitate the upper class with her refined
behavior and
demeanor, her elegant female attire, the absence of smoking
during
performances and an exquisite soprano voice that made her the
darling of
the middle and upper class women. In her lyrics she did not want
to sing
about the sins of the illiterate and the demeaning life of single
women of
the 1910s and 1920s. She chose to sing the grief, frustrations,
aggravations and humiliations suffered by married women, the
homemaker, the
mother of many children, the victim of infidelity, male abuse and
economic
insecurity. She also sang about the women's ability to change
their status
by becoming self-supporting in the working place, something that
was
unthinkable and anathema for Argentinean males to accept in the
30s to the
50s. Unfortunately, her quarrels with Eva Peron obligated her to
emigrate
and take residence in Mexico City where she continued to sing and
perform
in movies and became an idol there too. She is still alive
today, but
retired from musical activities.
TITA MERELLO came from a very poor upbringing in an
Italian slum.
She had great sex appeal and played even dramatic roles in radio
programs
and movies, but it was the humor used in her lyrics that was her
vehicle to
make a point or express social criticism. She gained popularity
during the
Peronist regime and fell into oblivion after the dictator's fall.
She had
a short-lived success in theaters thereafter that rapidly faded
away.
SUSANA RINALDI has become the preferred singer of the 60s
and 70s.
Extremely beautiful with great modulated voice and ability to
time the
words with the same precision of Frank Sinatra. She made movies
and is
currently the host of a well-known TV talk show program in Buenos
Aries.
(F) ORCHESTRAS -- The orchestras have played a fundamental role
in the
development and final acceptance of tango. During the decade of
the 40s,
several sophisticated orchestras appeared on the scene. Each had
musicians
with scholar musical education and many were virtuoso solo
players and they
all
together played in the style of great concerts (like Henry
Mancini in the
U.S.). During the 10s to the 20s, the good orchestras of Roberto
Firpo
(piano), and Francisco Canaro (violin) and Arolas dominated the
field.
Jose De Caro and Osvaldo Fresedo based their activities mainly in
cabarets.
Starting in 1936, Juan D'Arienzo (violin), Anibal Troilo
(bandoneon) in 1937, Carlos Di Sarli (piano) in 1938 and Osvaldo
Pugliese
(piano) in 1939 set the tone for what was going to be one of the
greatest
periods in tango. They were followed by many other orchestras
conducted by
Osmar Maderna, Miguel Calo, Raul Kaplun, Alfredo Gobbi, Jr.,
Ricardo
Tanturi, Jose Basso, Francisco Rotundo, Alfredo D'Angelis, Carlos
DiSarli,
Francini-Pontier and Osvaldo Frededo, all of which participated
in the
further evolution of tango. Troilo and Pugliese dominated the
40s and
onward. Salgan was a shining star in the 50s and 60s and finally
Piazzola
the great innovator was the preeminent musician from 1960 until
today. Of
them all, five merit special attention.
1)Anibal Troilo born in 1914, began playing bandoneon at age 13
in a
trio with another great musician and pianist, Miguel Nijensohn.
Found
his first orchestra in 1937 (at the Marabu dancing) but it was
from
1956 until his death in 1975 that he became one of the greatest
interpreters, conductors and composers of his generation. (He
recorded 40 of his own compositions). He was instrumental to
surround
himself with the best group of musical arrangers that gave his
presentations a "concert quality" and the best group of singers
who
were able to emphasize the music played by all.
2)Osvaldo Pugliese--if playing at Carnegie Hall is the sign of
ultimate achievement in classical music, to play at the "Colon
Theater" (the Carnegie Hall equivalent) is an event of equal
significance, especially
since we talk about a tango orchestra conducted by Pugliese in
1985, when
he was 80 years old, an event similar to Benny Goodman playing at
Carnegie Hall. He started playing piano at age 15 in a trio and
then
with small groups until he founded his orchestra in 1939. He
gave
to the music a particular rhythm, tone and accent, a sound that
was
the basis for his own composition entitled, "LA YUMBA".
Pugliese's base
of support was the working class since he was a supporter of
Communist
causes and spent many days and months in jail because of his
political views. During the Peron's regime his music was
paradoxically
in demand because of his identification with the working class
but
not necessarily with the Peronist Doctrine.
3)Horacio Salgan--found his orchestra in 1944 and played until
1957
when he switched to quintet. He was one of the first to
incorporate in
tango the influence of jazz musicians like Duke Ellington, Art
Tatum
or Fats Walker. His characteristic piano sound was sharp,
brilliant
and surprising in his execution with some jazz color included.
4)Marianito Mores--a very short note should be made of M. Mores
who
was an extraordinary pianist and excellent composer, who had his
own
orchestra in the 50s and 60s, and whose music tried to bridge
tango
with the best period of piano romanticism of the 19th century.
His
compositions melodically and structurally appeared to have been
written
by Chopin or Liszt for the flavor and color of the music, not
quite
proper for an Argentinean tango composer.
5)Finally, the name who achieved International recognition and is
now
the baby pet of orchestras and soloists (like Yo-Yo-Ma,
Barenboim,
Gideon Kremer, Emanuel AX, to name a few) is Astor Piazzola. He
represents the
change, a new and different style that opened the door to tango
musical
experimentation and challenges. Born in 1921, lived in NewYork
since age four where later studied with the best musicians, Bela
Wilda (student of Rachmaninoff), in Buenos Aires with Ginastera,
and
in 1954 with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. It was she who influenced
him
to continue writing his new style which by 1960 was called "Jazz
tango". In 1968, composed the opera Maria de Buenos Aires
recently
premiered at Symphony Hall in 1998, and wrote cello music
dedicated to
Rostropovich. His "Adios Nonino" and "Balada Para Un Loco" are
now
classic tangos. He moved from the 2/4 rhythm to the 4/4 rhythm
and added
syncopated rhythms that became the basis of his well-known music
for which
he paid a heavy price initially since nobody in Argentina was
willing or ready to accept his style in 1960s. His music was a
reflection of influences received in the U.S. during his
childhood and
adolescent years. In 1974, made recordings with Gerry Mulligan
(saxophonist). He died in 1992 and it was actually after his
death and
just recently that he achieved National and International
recognition.
His music is now acclaimed in all music halls. The guitar player
Oscar Lopez Ruiz said, "that Piazzola gave a universal dimension
to the
tango music and elevated it to eternity".
As a result, he has created a legion of a new generation of
musicians who
played his style of music and Gustavo Fedel and Rodolfo Mederos
(who played
with Barenboim) are the best representatives of the new wave.
G. CONCLUSION -- lately there has been an explosion in the
demand for
tango music in Argentina where radio stations in AM/FM broadcast
tangos 24
hours a day. There is a new tango orchestra of Buenos Aires.
There are
several new places for night shows catered to tourists and there
is a
National Academy of tango dedicated to the scholarly studies of
this music,
writers and interpreters.
The new wave of composers and lyricist respond to the new
realities of life
in Argentina, its people, their new habits and problems as they
occurred on
a daily basis.
There has also been an explosion of tango in the U.S.
since that
famous movie of Al Paccino. Tango shows like Forever Tango have
multiplied
and even radio and TV commercials are using tango for background
music.
For tango lovers in Chicago we are fascinated with
Maestro
Barenboim, who was born and lived in Buenos Aires until age 10,
and has
brought tango music to the most distinguished music halls in the
U.S. The
tango music he introduced is in the form of a trio with a
bandoneon and
double bass, not the same instruments but in a trio style, just
as it was
started, and played in the ill-reputed houses of Buenos Aires
over 100
years ago.
It has taken a long wait before it achieved the National and
International
acceptance, recognition, and respectability of today, but it has
been worth
it, because it takes "Two 2 Tango": The music and the people who
enjoys
it.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(1)Janny Scott New York Times June 11, 1999
(2)Carlos Ibarguren In: El Tango - Horacio Salas (1996) Page
11.
(3)Irv Kupcinet Chicago Sun-Times Sept. 22, 1999, Page 14
(4)Ernesto Sabato Tango, Discusion y Clave Editorial Losada -
Buenos Aires 1997, Page 52 -
Page 97
(5)Horacio Salas El Tango - 1996 - Editorial Planeta
Argentina
(6)Blas Matamoro Musical Origins of Tango In History of Tango
Manuel Pampin, Editor, 1976
(Book 1)
(7)Jose Gobello Origin of Tango Word In History of Tango Manuel
Pampkin, Editory, (Book
1)
(8)Rodriguez Molas In: El Tango - Horacio Salas - Page
37
(9)Felix LunaBreve Historia De Los Argentinos(short history of
the Argentines)Editorial
Planeta - Buenos Aires March, 1994
(10)Manuel Nudler Tango Judio Editorial Sudamericana Buenos
Aires, 1998
(11)Jose Judkowski El Tango, Una Historia Con Judios(History of
Tango and the
Jews)
(12)Andres M. Carretero Tango, Testigo Social. Ediciones
Continente April 1999, Page
113
(13) Virgilio Exposito Clarin - May 13, 1993 - Pages 52 and
53.Report of an Interview
by Journalists of Clarin Newspaper.
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