This week features the second of a two-part special on the legacy from Argentine tango orquestas of music that is not tango. Tango evolved in the relative isolation of the 19th century, but by the 20th century steamers, recordings, and radio shattered that isolation and brought new sounds, new dances, and new instrumentation to Argentina. Astute band leaders such as Canaro, Rodriguez, and Lomuto regularly incorporated jazz instrumentation into their tango music, and they recorded many dances imported from the UK and the rest of the Americas. This is a selection of 20th century dance rhythms as interpreted by Rodriguez, including paso doble and foxtrot. That’s Tango Capital this Sunday evening from 7:00pm to 8:00pm:
- broadcasting on 2xxfm 98.3 in Canberra
- streaming live to the web at http://www.2xxfm.org.au
- on demand from http://www.2xxfm.org.au
Image credit: a 1927 foxtrot pressing from Carabelli: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_vGpPegEeU
PLAYLIST:
- La Calesita Se Destrozo, meaning ‘The Carousel Was Destroyed’; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 10 November 1937; a foxtrot with music and lyrics composed by Cliff Friend and Dave Franklin, and sung by Roberto Flores.
- Esa Muchacha, meaning ‘This Girl’; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 7 December 1955; a foxtrot with music and lyrics composed by Oscar Kinleiner, and sung by Omar Quiroz.
- Hay Que Aprender A Bailar, meaning ‘You Have To Learn To Dance’; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 19 March 1957; a foxtrot with music composed by Francisco Lomuto, lyrics by Andrés Lorenzo Seitún, and sung by Omar Quiroz.
- Frente A Frente, meaning ‘Face To Face’; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 11 May 1956; a foxtrot with music composed by Juan Quintero, lyrics by Quiroga, and sung by Omar Quiroz. It’s a foxtrot arrangement of Donato’s earlier classic tango.
- La Leyenda Del Beso, meaning ‘The Legend Of The Kiss’; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 27 April 1956; a foxtrot with music composed by Juan Vert Carbonell and Reveriano Soutullo Otero. It’s a foxtrot arrangement of music from the 1924 Spanish operetta of the same name
- Devuelveme Mi Corazón, meaning ‘Return My Heart’; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 31 July 1946; a foxtrot with music composed by José Mazzitelli, lyrics by Fernando Torres, and sung by Ricardo Herrera.
- Pero Hay Una Melena, meaning ‘But There Is A Mane’; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 13 July 1953; a foxtrot with music and lyrics composed by José Bohr , and sung by Omar Quiroz. The song dates from 1924 and deplores the fashion trend of women bobbing their hair short, extolling instead a traditionally long “mane” of hair as a properly womanly appearance.
- La Colegiala, meaning ‘The Schoolgirl’; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 23 March 1938; a foxtrot with music composed by Antonio Matas Mir, and sung by Roberto Flores.
- Encantador de Serpientes, meaning ‘Snake Charmer’; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 5 June 1939; a foxtrot with music composed by Teddy Powell, lyrics by Leonard Whitcup, and sung by Roberto Flores.
- Isabel; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 25 April 1946; a foxtrot with music composed by Adrián Russo, lyrics by Mario Battistella, and sung by Ricardo Herrera. The title is a reference to a woman of that name.
- Titina; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 11 March 1955; a foxtrot with music composed by Leo Daniderff, and sung by Omar Quiroz. The title is a reference to a woman of that name.
- Adiós Pilar; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 26 September 1946; a pasodoble with music composed by Manual Jovés, and sung by Fernando Reyes.
- Castañuelas, meaning ‘Castanets’; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 11 July 1947; a pasodoble with music composed by Alfredo Marengo, lyrics by José A Zatzkin, and sung by Ricardo Herrera.
- Chacarero, meaning ‘Farm Worker’; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 16 January 1948; a pasodoble with music composed by Filinto Rebehi and Aguariguay Alfas, lyrics by Carlos Bahr, and sung by Ricardo Herrera.
- La Buenaventura, meaning ‘Good Fortune’; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 27 January 1949; a pasodoble with music composed by Ramón Montes, and sung by Ricardo Herrera.
- El Vito; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 11 May 1956; a pasodoble with music composed by Sandiago Lope Gonzalo.
- Puñal Sevillano, meaning ‘Dagger Of Seville’; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 19 March 1957; a pasodoble with music composed by Martin Torrellas and lyrics by A Piangarelli.
- Oh París; recorded by Enrique Rodríguez on 21 June 1948; a foxtrot with music composed by Jose Bohr, lyrics by Juan Andres Caruso, and sung by Ricardo Herrera. The title is a reference to the city of Paris, the city that so many wealthy Argentinians visited and admired.
Tango Capital 