Juan D'Arienzo
In my point of view, tango is, above all, rhythm, nerve, strength and character. I tried to rescue for tango its masculine strength, and today tango has been re-established, our tango, with the vitality of its best times. My major pride is to have contributed to that renaissance of our popular music.
The revolutionary Juan D'Arienzo, "El Rey del Compás" - The king of the beat, single handedly swept tango from middle class drawing rooms back to its real home, the dance hall, propelling an entire generation to its feet with his irresistible and joyful beat. No collection of tango music is worthy of the name without at least some recordings of his legendary and seminal band.
D'Arienzo has been well represented in the re-issues of the past decade and you should have no trouble picking up some really cracking discs.
Be careful though - as we move towards the end of his long career, the D'Arienzo style veers towards the camp,
most notably in the vocal numbers.
D'Arienzo's fortunes exploded with the incorporation of pianist Rodolfo Biagi in 1935 and he maintained his band right through to his death in 1976. The band carried on without him under the name "Las Solistas de D'Arienzo" - watch out.
One way to track the evolution of the band is to look at the recordings of La Cumparsita.
1928/9
: D'Arienzo recorded two versions of La Cumparsita in the pre-Biagi era. These guardia vieja versions lack the charm of early Canaro or Fresedo and the whole thing just fails to ignite.1937
: Now this is much better, Biagi on piano, and the band is on fire.1943
: Fascinating - D'Arienzo has added the piano variation, taking the piece out to 4'00", that will make the 1951 version such a sensation. An interesting transitional version - very hard to obtain.1951
: This is it: the seminal recording. The arrangement is the same as the 1943 version, but the band lets rip with utter assurance and the faster pace brings it home some fifteen seconds quicker. Tremendously exciting.1963
: This stereo version recorded for the album D'Arienzo for Export is a model of restraint. The pace is slow (back at 4 minutes) and the performance lacks the electricity of the 1951 version, but is still satisfying.1971
: D'Arienzo's swan song? It's back to the pace of the 1951 version, but there's an innovation: before the classic one string violin solo, there's an additional violin section whose restraint and lightness of touch has me thinking of, well, anyone but D'Arienzo. Despite the slightly thin opening, a great version.
What sort of buyer are you?
- I'm on a budget- I only want one album of D'Arienzo
- I want a little more
- I'm a DJ or collector - I want lots more
- I want everything
I'm on a budget - I only want I only want one album of D'Arienzo
Juan D'Arienzo: Solo Tango
BMG 71372
You have to really be on a budget to want only one D'Arienzo CD - this is a tough assignment. We recommended the reprint of the old FM Tango disc on Solo Tango. This was deleted in 2009, despite selling really well, but reappeared in spring 2011. It contains a mix of excellent tracks from D'Arienzo's best periods, the 30s and 50s, including the 1951 La cumparista, and there's not a single duff track on the disc. Some of the 50s tracks are still not available on any other CD.
Buy now with PayPal
Normal UK selling price: n/a
our price: £10
Track list
Because D'Arienzo recorded his hits on so many occasions we include the recording dates on this album so that you know which version you are getting.
- La puñalada milonga (1951)
- Don Juan (1950)
- Canaro en Paris (1950)
- El flete (1936)
- Yapeyú (1951)
- Rawson (1936)
- Joaquina (1953)
- Independencia (1953)
- Felicia (1939)
- Pampa (1939)
- El irresistible (1954)
- La payanca (1954)
- El enterriano (1954)
- El internado (1954)
- Jueves (1955)
- La catrera (1955)
- Loca (1955)
- Don Goyo (1957)
- Más grande que nunca (1958)
- La cumparsita (1951)
De pura cepa (1935-1936)
BMG 669330
This brilliant album is the first volume in BMG's 15 disc Homenage en RCA Victor series released by BMG in 2005. It contains a lot of great valses (9) and a couple of milongas as well as tangos which mean it's not the best choice for absolute beginners, but essential for anyone building a collection. The waltzes include the hard to find Pabellón de las rosas.
Superb sleeve notes inform you, for instance, that Lidio Fasoli is the pianist for the first five tracks, with Rodolfo Biagi joining for the recording date of 31st December 1935 that produced 9 de julio and Orillas del plata. Listen yourself for the change in style.
Buy now with PayPal
normal UK selling price: £13.07
our price: £10 + p&p
Track list
- Hotel Victoria
- Francia vals
- De pura cepa milonga
- Joaquina
- Pabellón de las rosas vals
- Nueve de julio
- Orillas de plata vals
- Silueta porteña milonga
- El flete
- Tu olvido vals
- Lorenzo
- La payanca
- Rawson
- Amor y celos vals
- Lágrimas y sonrisas vals
- Una lágrima vals
- Ataniche
- Corazón de artista vals
- La viruta
- Visión celeste vals
Sus primeros éxitos vol.1
BMG 63341
You will also need this CD, which is the best choice for abolsute beginners as it focusses on D'Arienzo's tangos from the late 1930s This is the D'Arienzo CD we recommend for absolute beginners. Later on you can get volume 2.
Normal UK selling price: n/a
our price: £9
Buy now with PayPal
Track list
- La cumparsita (1937)
- Don Juan
- Gallo ciego
- Pasión vals
- Sábado Inglés
- El caburé
- Jueves
- Milonga vieja milonga milonga
- Re fa si
- 9 de julio
- La viruta
- Lágrimas y sonrisas vals
- El pollito
- Derecho viejo
- Qué noche!
- La puñalada milonga
- El cachafaz
- Rodríguez Peña
- Joaquina
- Felicia
I want more
The new choice for those looking to collect D'Arienzo is the splendid 15 disc series released by BMG in 2005. Start with the first disc with it's plethora of waltzes. The first five or so discs are a must. DJs will stop after seven discs, and of course collectors will get all 15!
Alberto Echagüe, D'Arienzo's best singer, had three stints with the orchestra of which the best was undoubtedly the first (1938-1939). Bizarrely, and perhaps betraying a certain prejudice, most of these early sides have never been reprinted by EMI. Here we have to rely on this wonderful release from the small Argentine label Magenta to bring us a cd. It's stuffed to the gunnels with great hits, including the iconic Pénsalo bien and some fantastic milongas.
Only £8.
Buy now with PayPal
Track list
- La morocha
- Cabeza de novia vals
- Ansiedad
- No mientas
- Que Dios te ayude
- Retintín
- Don Esteban
- El baqueano
- Pénsalo bien
- El irresistible
- El vino triste
- Melodía porteña
- Unión Cívica
- Estampa de varon milonga
- Milonga querida milonga
- De antaño milonga
Canta:
Alberto Echagüe (2-5,9,11,14-16)

To get his best stereo versions from the 60s and 70s: get the cd "El Rey del Compás" on BMG (ECD1100) which includes
the tango milonga