Ricardo Tanturi
Tanturi's is another of those solid, exciting dance orchestras that tango snobs like to denigrate -
perhaps the most important after D'Arienzo and D'Agostino/Vargas.
Even todotango can't seem to understand why this "mediocre" orchestra has become one of the favourites of recent years.
Whilst D'Arienzo is remembered largely despite his vocalists and D'Agostino because of them, Tanturi falls somewhere in the middle. He forged long lasting partnerships with unique vocalists, and it is thanks to them that the orchestra achieved the fame it did.
Odeón signed them in 1937 just to prevent them making records for anyone else (they did the same with Troilo), cutting just four sides. Real success came in 1939 with the incorporation of singer Alberto Castillo, and at the end of 1940 Tanturi signed with RCA-Victor. Castillo was a great showman as well as an excellent singer and he proved a great draw for the public, and it was no real surprise when he went solo in 1943, leaving behind 37 recordings with the orchestra which made him famous. Tanturi choose his replacement well, a young Uruguayian who was the only one not to try to imitate Castillo in the auditions. He took the stage name Enrique Campos. A less dramatic singer than Castillo, it's that very quality that made their recordings more beloved than those with Castillo for dancing.
El Bandoneón were "first to market" with a release of Tanturi, (Cuatro Compases with Alberto Castillo) but it was of low fidelity, and the follow up of Tanturi with Campos was even worse - basically unplayable. Salvation comes from Tango Argentino, who have two albums of Tanturi with Castillo, two with Campos, and a fifth with his later singers Osvaldo Ribó (Tanturi's main singer from 1946 onwards) and Roberto Videla.
What sort of buyer are you?
- I'm on a budget- I only want one album of Tanturi
- I want more
- I'm a DJ or collector - I must have everything
I'm on a budget - I only want I only want one album of Tanturi
It's not so easy to recommend a single album of Tanturi to you.
Apart from the deleted album on RCA Club, there isn't a single album covering his whole career,
and we're forced to choose between Castillo and Campos.
Despite Tanturi/Campos being preferred by milongueros for dancing, we will go with Tanturi/Castillo:
Castillo's drama makes these performances more involving.
Whilst Tango Argentino's first Tanturi/Castillo release contains their greatest hits, we will choose the second for it's variety: valses and especially some great milongas (Mozo Guapo and Mi Morocha) as well as some really upbeat early tangos (La Vida Es Corta, Pocas palabras and Comparsa Criolla, basically a rearrangement of Comme Il Faut under a different name).
I want more
This is easy! Just get all five volumes on Tango Argentino. They're great, and you won't regret it.
I'm a DJ or collector - I must have everything
Well, there isn't much more. Check out the album on Euro Records' Colección 78rpm - there you can pick up the great instrumental Argañaraz.
Where next...
- Back to building a library
- Milonga home page
