I was born in Rosario, the second largest city in Argentina.
You may think that not being born in Buenos Aires may be a disadvantage for someone who his whole life will eventually become Tango itself; but let me tell you that my childhood was much more similar to what the tango lyrics describe than those of any Porteño of my generation.
“La puñalada” by Juan D’Arienzo y su Orquesta Típica, 1937.
Pintín Castellanos
Pianist, composer, lyricist and leader (June 10, 1905 – July 2, 1983)
In 1933 an event that would change his life happened in a night club of Carrasco where he played the piano.
One night he offered the audience a new number of his, a tango that he had entitled “La puñalada” with a certain milonga air.
In that number all his fame would be based.
In the early summer of’36, Juan D’Arienzo —as usual— was ready to begin one more season in Montevideo.
And it was probably his intuition or that of his pianist Rodolfo Biagi —for many, the one responsible for devising the rhythm that made the leader famous— that transformed Castellanos’s tango into a milonga.
Biagi and the violinist Alfredo Mancuso were who transcribed the piece.
We are happy to have a collaboration with the people from tangotunes.com from whom some of you may have heard, they do high-quality transfers from original tango shellacs.
It is the number 1 source for professional Tango DJs all over the world.
Now they started a new project that addresses the dancers and the website is https://en.mytango.online You will find two compilations at the beginning, one tango and one vals compilation in amazing quality. The price is 50€ each (for 32 songs each compilation) and now the good news!
If you enter the promo code 8343 when you register at this site you will get a 20% discount!
Thanks for supporting this project, you will find other useful information on the site, a great initiative.
“Nyanzas y malevos (Barrio de guapos)” by Enrique Rodriguez y su Orquesta Típica with Armando Moreno in vocals, 1941.
Pintín Castellanos
Pianist, composer, lyricist and leader (10 June 1905 – 2 July 1983)
A strange title was the only one that the orchestra leader Enrique Rodríguez included in his repertoire, sung by Armando Moreno, on March 20, 1941: “Nyanzas y Malevos”.
In his book Entre cortes y quebradas, published in Montevideo in 1948, in the chapter VII Día de Reyes, he comments about the party of candombes and other jubilees held by the negroes that were divided in groups called “nations”, each one in charge of a chief.
These differentiated groups were distinguished for their names, they were The Cabindas, The Congo, The Benguelas and among others, also The Nyanzas and The Malevos, hence the title.
“Misa de once” by Alfredo De Angelis y su Orquesta Típica with Julio Martel in vocals, 1949.
Armando Tagini
Lyricist, composer and singer (9 June 1906 – 12 July 1962)
He had the need and the habit of composing.
He himself says: “I take the themes of my songs from life itself, from what I see passing before my eyes, from every impression I pick up when passing by, adding to it my own emotion, when committing it to paper.
Every place is suitable to take notes, that later become verses… I prefer the sentimental genre and especially in tango, that is per se nostalgic, it is more attuned with the temper of our people.
I would dare to say that we, the Argentines are a little romantic…”
We are happy to have a collaboration with the people from tangotunes.com from whom some of you may have heard, they do high-quality transfers from original tango shellacs.
It is the number 1 source for professional Tango DJs all over the world.
Now they started a new project that addresses the dancers and the website is https://en.mytango.online You will find two compilations at the beginning, one tango and one vals compilation in amazing quality. The price is 50€ each (for 32 songs each compilation) and now the good news!
If you enter the promo code 8343 when you register at this site you will get a 20% discount!
Thanks for supporting this project, you will find other useful information on the site, a great initiative.
