One of the CDs I was most pleased to last year was the Euro Records CD of Juan Maglio. This a great CD, but the release did more than this: it rehabilitated the reputation of an artist who, if he was remembered outside Argentina, it was largely for the pioneering work he did back in 1912~1913 when he was the most popular and successful artist in Buenos Aires. Important as this work was, it’s not of much interest for dancing today.
Some people have asked me for more. The good news, there is more, on El Bandoneón (for the moment at least – the label is not reprinting anything when stock runs out). Of their three CDs though only one is from the period we are interested in as dancers, the years 1926-1934. This is Sábado Inglés (1927-1930). It’s stuffed to the gunnels with five star tracks with ourstanding fidelity and virtually no overlap with the Euro album. We’ve tracked down the vocalists for you in the tracklist below (this is information you won’t find on the CD), principal among them Carlos Viván who sang extensively with Roberto Firpo’s orchestra in the 1930s. Maglio’s virtuoso bandoneón is on good display in tracks such as Qué vachaché. Enjoy!
People tell me Edgardo Donato‘s Triqui-tra (1940) is hard to find – but that’s not quite true. This is the only tango that Lita Morales sang without being joined by the orchestra’s other (male) singers, and hence it found its way onto this El Bandoneón CD, Las damas del tango, back in 1998. This is an excellent compilation although, quite naturally given the subject matter, mostly not for dancing. It focusses on the years 1926-1940 but with a couple of tracks going back to 1909 – the very first year that tango was recorded.
El Bandoneón seem not to be reprinting anything but this CD is still available – contact us if you want one.
Thanks to some enterprising teaching many people in the UK have been discovering zamba and I’ve received a number of requests asking me, what CD should one get?
This took a lot of research, and the answer is, buy the CD in the Argentine series of folk music with the delightful name Argentinisima. It’s called Los 40 anos de Argentinisima vol.9 – Zambas inolvidables. We have ordered some of these deleted albums – contact us.
The album includes the classic Zamba del pañuelo, a zamba often used by teachers. The version on this album is a recent one by Los fronterizos – here it is on youtube. If you are looking for a different version, contact me.
AT LAST! For several years, people have been asking me for a CD of Fresedo’s early sextet. Finally, courtesy of RGS’s Tango Collection, here it is.
This is a completely different Fresedo to the one you think you know. Strong beats and a base that almost growls at times make this just irresistible for dancing. The interpretation of La cachila is astounding, Lorenzo is delightful – you can find something good to say about every track on this CD.
Vidal’s sides with Pugliese are just scorching. We offered this CD some years ago in the club and couldn’t satisfy demand – happily it’s finally been reprinted. Click on the picture for track listing (and purchase information).
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, why haven’t I told you about this new Enrique Rodríguez album on Magenta, which has 26 tracks and a budget price? You want me to tell you? Okay I’ll tell you.
This is not a new album of Enrique Rodríguez, that’s why! These may be recordings made by his two most famous singers, Armando Moreno and Roberto Flores – but not with him. These recordings belong to the singers’ solo careers, after leaving Rodríguez, and they are not really worth listening to.
Magenta has some cheap CDs – when they are in print – but the label is a minefield: the two Tanturi CDs spring to mind as other examples of albums which are not what they appear to be. Take care – and if in doubt, ask us, we’ll be happy to advise.
This ambituously titled CD (Complete Discography vol.1!) is Magenta’s attempt at one of those 2 in 1 CDs we used to get, being the coupling of their album’s El Rey Del Compás and La Morocha. Both of these, remember, were CD issues of 16 track LPs on. The only trouble was, even stretching to the 80 minute format, they ran out of room! So we get a 30 track CD with 76’34″ of music – outstanding!
This CD features only the early years of D’Arienzo’s orchestra (1935-1939) with everything except Hotel Victoria featuring Biagi on piano, and plenty of tracks from Alberto Echagüe on vocals – many of the ones from the La morocha album being simply unavailable elsewhere. The first half is also the only place you can currently buy the 1938 recording of Florida on CD.
For a limited time we are selling this CD for just £10. Magenta CDs go out-of-print for long periods, and many are never reprinted, so if you fancy this – snap one up whilst you can.
Considering that Roberto Firpo recorded over 2,800 sides – that’s more than Di Sarli, D’Arienzo and Pugliese put together – it’s been scandalous that so little of his work with his orchestra has been reprinted on commerical CDs. So far there’s been just one CD on Reliquias.
RGS however have come to the rescue with this new album. This album covers the years 1935-1941. Unfortunately for us, half the CD overlaps with the Reliquias CD but at this price this is still essential. Expect an outbreak of killer tracks such as Loco lindo and the milonga La trifulca any time now!
Club members: you don’t need to get this: it’s your CD of the month in March!
For years people have been asking me where they can get some early recordings of Francisco Lomuto, who had already more than 500 sides by the time he signed for Odeón in 1931. Today, instead of “nowhere”, I can tell you: on RGS. Club members: you don’t need to get this: it’s your CD of the month in February.
Yes you read that right. The classic Canaro album Poema is deleted. Gone. Cut out, as they say in Spanish. A great CD from a tiny label that really opened our ears. We told the label, but they just don’t want to produce it any more.
Don’t worry, though; today’s alternatives, such as the Tango Collection CD, are even better.
One of the CDs I was most pleased to last year was the Euro Records CD of Juan Maglio. This a great CD, but the release did more than this: it rehabilitated the reputation of an artist who, if he was remembered outside Argentina, it was largely for the pioneering work he did back in 1912~1913 when he was the most popular and successful artist in Buenos Aires. Important as this work was, it’s not of much interest for dancing today.
Some people have asked me for more. The good news, there is more, on El Bandoneón (for the moment at least – the label is not reprinting anything when stock runs out). Of their three CDs though only one is from the period we are interested in as dancers, the years 1926-1934. This is Sábado Inglés (1927-1930). It’s stuffed to the gunnels with five star tracks with ourstanding fidelity and virtually no overlap with the Euro album. We’ve tracked down the vocalists for you in the tracklist below (this is information you won’t find on the CD), principal among them Carlos Viván who sang extensively with Roberto Firpo’s orchestra in the 1930s. Maglio’s virtuoso bandoneón is on good display in tracks such as Qué vachaché. Enjoy!
People tell me 
Thanks to some enterprising teaching many people in the UK have been discovering zamba and I’ve received a number of requests asking me, what CD should one get?
AT LAST! For several years, people have been asking me for a CD of Fresedo’s early sextet. Finally, courtesy of RGS’s 
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, why haven’t I told you about this new Enrique Rodríguez album on 
Yes I know it’s a terrible cover, but read on.
