“Pregonera” by Alfredo De Angelis y su Orquesta Típica, with Carlos Dante and Julio Martel (1945)

Alfredo De Angelis

After the mid-thirties, international music prevailed upon Tango to such an extent that our more traditional tango orchestras included foxtrots, polkas, corridos, pasodoble, congas, and rhumbas in its repertoire.
From Francisco Canaro, Francisco Lomuto, and the Típica Victor until Julio De Caro and Osvaldo Fresedo alternated tangos with the most extravagant music.
But the appearance of the audacious and fast beat of Juan D’Arienzo again placed tango into the preference of the young, who not only recovered the liking for its dance but also eagerly started to recreate it.
Hundreds of orchestras and vocalists sprang up, creating the revival of the two-four, and so came the wonderful forties.
Alfredo De Angelis belongs to the group of orchestras that focused their interest on dancing. However, this does not mean they lacked artistic value; on the contrary, they were precise in execution, with good arrangements, and lined up with great musicians and vocalists.
Our intellectual élite always looked down on popular things, on what was easily accepted by people’s choice, because they disregarded and disregard the sociocultural phenomenon represented by dancing.
I always heard people say that De Angelis was a merry-go-round orchestra, that it was only used for dancing rooms, and lacked creativity. I guess the expression alluded to the funny habit of the dancers of their displacement on the place, turning round following the outline of the dancing floor. From another point of view, the criticism may aim at the easy, elementary, and routine music of the merry-go-rounds (carrousels).
I find these definitions somewhat mistaken.
De Angelis had the beauty of a harmonious and synchronized work, from which a neat simple tango was evidenced, achieved through efficient handling of rhythm, a careful respect for melody, and the showcasing of the singer. Continue reading at www.todotango.com….