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Tangos de mi ciudad

Tanturi - Castillo

BMG 63357

The binomial of Tanturi-Castillo was one of the greatest of the 40s. On this album, the second with Alberto Castillo on Tango Argentino (which includes five Tanturi albums in its catalogue) we can hear their pulsating early hits such as La vida es corta, Pocas palabras and the instrumental Comparsa criolla, which sounds suspiciously like a re-arrangement of Comme Il Faut.

We also get the milongas Mozo Guapo and Mi Morocha, and a sprinkling of valses. First rate transfers throughout: essential stuff.

normal UK selling price: n/a (Argentine import)
our price: £8

Track list

1. Barajando recuerdos
2. Decíle que vuelva
3. Mi romance vals
4. Así es la milonga milonga
5. Noches de Colón
6. Ese sos vos
7. A mi madre (con los amigos) vals
8. La huella
9. Me llaman el zorro
10. Comparsa criolla
11. Mi piba
12. Pocas palabras
13. La serenata (mi amor) vals
14. Mozo guapo milonga
15. La vida es corta
16. El moro
17. Un crimén
18. Marisabel vals
19. Voz de tango (tango)
20. Recuerdo vals

Canta

Alberto Castillo except 10 and 13.

D'Agostino / Vargas - Tango de los Angeles vol.1

BMG 41291

The tango of Los Dos Angeles, Angel D'Agostino and singer Angel Vargas, whilst little played in Europe, is enduringly popular in Argentina. Here is a tango that manages to be both simple and elegant at the same time: musically rich and passionate but also subtle; never ostentatious or pompous. The lyrical voice of Angel Vargas, nicknamed El Ruiseñor (the nightingale) found his perfect foil in the understated arrangements of D'Agostino: theirs was one of the greatest binomials of the 1940s. Theirs is a subtle music of which one never tires. Their recordings of Muchacho, Tres esquinas and Ahora no me conoces - well all their tracks actually - are classics.

For years we recommended this disc on RCA Victor 100 Años but it's gone out of print. The Solo Tango cd, which is after all a reprint of the classic FM Tango cd, is also a very good one, but we've decided to recommend volume 1 on Tango Argentino, which is very similar and has more tracks, because it makes a better basis for expanding your collection later - even if it doesn't have the charming caricature of Sabat on the cover

normal UK selling price: n/a (Argentine import)
our price: £8

Track list

1. Muchacho
2. Un copetín
3. Tres esquinas
4. Ahora no me conoces
5. Adiós arrabal
6. Una pena
7. Agua florida
8. Una pena
9. El choclo
10. El yacaré
11. Adiós para siempre
12. Viejo coche
13. Esquinas porteñas vals
14. Trasnochando
15. Pero yo sé
16. Noviecita mía
17. Llora vida mía
18. Ninguna
19. Barrio de tango
20. El porteñito tango-milonga
21. Compadreando milonga

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Colección 78rpm

Pedro Láurenz

EU 17015

Pedro Láurenz belongs firmly to the evolutionary school of Julio De Caro, where he played alongside Pedro Maffia and Osvaldo Pugliese. Although commercially not as successful as some he belongs firmly to the first rank and in terms of musical richness and creativity his music is unsurpassed. Many consider that his first recorded tango, Arrabal inaugurated the true golden age of tango. Listening to it now it's astonishing to realise that this was recorded way back in 1937 - it is a fount of musical invention with an incredible syncopated central section that still leaves me breathless.

Láurenz is also very stong in the vocal numbers. Juan Carlos Casas is not one of the most famous names but nevertheless Abandono and No Me Extraña are outstanding whilst Jorge Linares's Naranjo En Flor (Orange Blossom) is just devastating.

This album displaces the excallent Láurenz cd on El Bandoneón album which was the Láurenz cd of choice for many years. That was an excellent cd - but this one is even better.

normal UK selling price: n/a (Argentine import)
our price: £11

Track list

1. Arrabal
2. Milonga de mis amores milonga
3. Enamorado ranchera
4. Abandono
5. Vieja amiga
6. Milonga compadre milonga
7. De puro guapo
8. No me extraña
9. Mascarita vals
10. Desconsuelo
11. Amurado
12. La vida es una milonga milonga
13. Orgullo criollo
14. Al verla pasar
15. Es mejor perdonar
16. Chatero de aquel entonces milonga
17. Firuletear de bandoneón
18. María Remedios
19. Nunca tuvo novio
20. Veinticuatro de agosto

Cantan:

Héctor Farrel (2)
Juan Carlos Casas (4-11,14-16,19)
Martín Podesta (12)
Alberto Fuentes (17)
Alberto Podestá (19-20)

Al compás del corazón

Miguel Caló

EMI 837413

In the early part of the 1940s the orchestra of Miguel Caló was one of the most popular in Buenos Aires. Its success was due not simply to Caló's exquisitely tasteful style but also to the quality of its musicianship.

This cd of Caló with young vocalist Raúl Berón presents some of the most tender tango music ever recorded.

Caló heard straight away that Berón's romantic voice would be perfect for his orchestra. Berón had never sung tango music before(!) and Caló took a huge risk with the first side they cut together, Al compás del corazón. The most daring element was not the new vocalist, but the lyric. Rejecting the traditional elements of loss and nostalgia, Homero Expósito wrote a lyric which looked forward to a happy ending.

It seemed that Caló had erred, because the officials at the radio station where Caló was performing didn't like Berón's style and told Caló to get rid of him. But it turned out that Caló had read the signs of the times correctly, because in the meantime the disc came out and was a huge hit. The binomial Caló/Berón became one of the great combinations of the 1940s.

This cd is of a uniformly high quality. As well as the title track, Corazon, no le hagas caso is another that gets more than 10 out of 10. One waltz and a couple of milongas, including the terrific Azabache (here sounding rather refined, but still tremendous fun) complete the package.

normal UK selling price: £10.49
our price: £8

Track list

1. Al compás del corazón
2. Trasnochando
3. Que te importe que llore
4. Tarareando
5. Azabache milonga candombe
6. Lejos de Buenos Aires
7. Tristezas de la calle Corrientes
8. El vals soñador vals
9. Jamas retornaras
10. En tus ojos de cielo
11. Margarita Gauthier
12. Milonga antigua milonga
13. Corazon, no le hagas caso
14. Cuatro compases
15. Un crimen
16. Domingo a la noche

From Argentina to the World

Alfredo de Angelis

EMI 371954

The orchestra of Alfredo de Angelis is one of those that tango snobs like to denigrate for the simplicity of its style. His music is however perfect for dancing and, in his early waltzes, completely irresistible. It is a very happy music.

For a long time we stocked the El Bandoneón De Angelis CD which heavily featured the wonderful dúos of Carlos Dante and Julio Martel but gave you nothing of his other repertoire. In particular, people were always asking us for the unique instrumental Pavadita.

The answer was under my nose all the time in the shape of this disc on the Argentine label From Argentina to the World The album covers De Angelis's entire oeuvre, giving us the best from every period. We still get classic 40s tracks such as Soñar y nada más - perhaps the best version of this waltz ever recorded (far excelling that of its composer Canaro and more enjoyable than that of Troilo). But we also get early hits with Floreál Ruíz and later works as well.

This series was expanded in 2006 and now has a rather nicer cover than the old midnight blue and silver one you can see on the right.

normal UK selling price: n/a (Argentine import)
our price: £8.50

Track List

1. El pial
2. La brisa
3. Jiron porteño (Oro muerto)
4. Soñar y nada más vals
5. Como se muere de amor
6. La cumparsita
7. Para que te quiero tanto
8. Misa de once
9. Marioneta
10. Pastora
11. Pavadita
12. Ya estamos iguales
13. Altar sin luz
14. Pobre Flor vals
15. Mi novia de ayer vals
16. Guardia vieja
17. Carnaval
18. Bajo Belgrano
19. Bajo el cono azúl
20. Pregonera

Edgardo Donato 1933/1941

EU 17019

We didn't recommend a cd of Edgardo Donato in our starter collection until this fabulous release came along in 2004. Donato's cheeky rhythm paved the way for D'Arienzo and is full of feel-good fun.

Like all the discs on this label it has been transferred carefully from 78s in good condition and the fidelity is excellent. There are too many good Donato tracks to get them all on one cd, but this disc has a fair crack: El acomodo, A media luz, and the wonderful milonga Ella es así are all here.

normal UK selling price: n/a (Argentine import)
our price: £11

Track list

1. El acomodo
2. La novena
3. Que haces, que haces
4. Tierrita
5. La tapera vals
6. La tablada
7. Se va la vida
8. La milonga que faltaba milonga
9. Alas rotas
10. Ella es así milonga
11. Carnaval de mi barrio
12. Mi serenata
13. Sinfonia de arrabal
14. Campo afuera milonga
15. Yo te amo
16. Estrellita mía vals
17. Amando en silencio
18. Un libro
19. Quién sera vals
20. A media luz