Argentine Tangos - Carlos Gardel

 

Argentine Tangos

Argentine Tangos

Sung by Carlos Gardel

King Of The Tangos

Decca Records DL 5463 (10-inch LP)

1953

From the back cover: About CARLOS GARDEL... When Decca issued its first collection of the music of Carlos Gardel it was imme- diately recognized that, in every way, this artist justified his title: King of the Tango. The collection was a kind of posthumous homage to a very great figure in the musical world of Argentina, for it was a memorial to the man who had lived so glorious a career and who died so tragically and prematurely. Gardel's public demanded more examples of his unique magic, and this collection is a further tribute to the great singer of the songs of Buenos Aires.

Although Gardel is recognized as the greatest interpreter of Argentine songs, he was not born in South America. Born December 12, 1890 in Toulouse, France, Gardel was two years old when his family moved to the capital of Argentina. From early childhood Carlos showed an absorbing love of music; when he was a small child he attended with great interest the concerts and stage performances given at the Politeama Theatre in Buenos Aires. So deep was the impression these performances made upon him that when he arrived home he would recite or act to perfection what he had seen during his visits to the theatre.

Always with the ambition of becoming a star, Carlos used to make his neighborhood friends happy by giving them intimate, authentic performances and concerts of Creole music. Gardel's popularity was unlimited. What Rudolph Valentino was to the youth of the United States, so was Gardel in all the continents where the language of Cervantes is spoken.

Although his popularity was achieved through his interpretations of Argentine music, this alone was not what brought Gardel his greatest success; the movies and the radio increased his fame. He made three pictures of Argentine life while in the capital of France; all three of them were great successes. Due to this, he was given a contract by Paramount for whom he made "Cuesta Abajo," "El Tango en Broadway," "Tango Bar" and "El Dia Que Me Quieras."

During his stay in the United States Gardel worked continuously. Days, he was busy making pictures, and weekly he appeared on various radio programs which were transmitted by short wave to all cities in South America. This established him as one of the greatest artists of the new continent. As soon as he finished his last U. S. production, Gardel decided to make a tour through the entire Hispanic continent with the idea of making personal appearances for the multitudes who wanted to know him. Together with his group of artists, he commenced the tour of South America – a tour on which destiny awaited them with terrible tragedy: Gardel died in an airplane crash at the most glorious moment of his artistic career. After his triumphs in Paris and Madrid, and his tour of the countries of Latin America he had intended to return to his starting point, his beloved Argentina, always proud that he had given so much glory to his country which he loved so dearly.

Thanks to these records, for years to come the dramatic, intense, interpretative technique of this singer will bring happiness to a generation which is not lucky enough to have known him, but which nevertheless can appreciate the art of this unsurpassed singer, the King of the Tango.

Muneca Brava (Brave Doll)

Anclao En Paris (Anchored in Paris)

Esclavas Blancas (White Slaves)

Milonguera

Confession

Haragan (Lazy)

Misa de Once (Eleven o'clock Mass)

Noche de Reyes (Night of Kings)