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Tango Club
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Welcome to our Tango Music Club!
Nothing improves your dancing so much as a good feeling for the special qualities of tango music. The idea of the club was to help you build a library of good tango music, tailored to your own tastes.
The club ran for 8 years, from December 2008 to December 2015, but was forced to close because of the reducing supply of tango CDs, itself a consequence of on-line listening (youtube and spotify) and of course copying.
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This month's cds (February 2015):
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Valses Inolvidables
EMI 541715
A super vals compilation, the best (although now also the only one) available. The selections have been chosen very intelligently. The programme takes you through seven artists, six of whom get three waltzes each, and the last only two, to make the magic 20 tracks.
The disc kicks off with Alberto Morán, such a star with Pugliese's orchestra in the late 1940s that the men often found themselves without partners as the women ran to the stage. Here he is as a solo artist with recordings of very high fidelity from the 1950s - dare I say it, more enjoyable to dance to than much of his catalogue with Pugliese, which stretched the tango song until in broke.
Caló, De Angelis and Demare are all known for their lyrical style. Demare establishes a very different feeling to the other two; his valses tend to be the preserve of connosieurs. The valses of Caló and De Angelis, much better known, are simply divine.
Biagi's waltzes are just superb, full of rhythmic drive and fun - this is the only place you can hear Amor y vals, one of the most romantic waltzes ever!
Track list
Alberto Morán
- Yo no sé qué me han hecho tus ojos
- Quemá esas cartas
- Acordándome de vos
Miguel Caló
- Pedacito de cielo
- Bajo un cielo de estrellas
- El mismo dolor
Lucio Demare
- No nos veremos más
- Al pasar
- Se fué
Alfredo De Angelis
- Soñar y nada más
- Ilusión azul
- Flores del alma
Rodolfo Biagi
- Tu melodía
- Amor y vals
- Por un beso de amor
Alberto Castillo
- Luna de arrabal
- La vieja serenata
Francisco Canaro
- Amémonos
- Valsecito amigo
- El vals de los abuelos
Francisco Canaro - 20 Éxitos canta: Carlos Roldan
EMI 473888
I've made no secret of the fact that I'm not the world's biggest fan of Canaro after 1942, but there are plenty of good tracks amongst all the filler - you just have to select carefully.
Carlos Roldán was from Uruguay so you might expect him to specialise in candombe, and indeed he does not disappoint. Candombe is a five star track, but look closely and you get two candombes on this CD. More surprising is Canaro's interpretation of the vals Tu pálida voz. I have to confess, this is actually more danceable than the Di Sarli version, which is just too slow to use at the milonga, and the arrangment has some beautiful piano work.
A curious fact is that the three opening tracks on this CD were all recorded by Troilo with Fiorentino. How do thy stand up?
Well, Una carta is probably the weakest track on this CD; Canaro just can't get anywhere it. Sencillo y compadre on the other hand is much better, whilst with Mi castigo, Canaro's arranger finds a better solution than Troilo about what to do with the rather weak melody. I was surprised.
As ever with Canaro you get some lovely valses. A super CD.
Track list
- Sencillo y compadre
- Una carta vals
- Mi castigo
- Dos corazones vals
- Tango brujo
- Así se baila el tango
- Candombe milonga candombe
- Que me quiten lo bailao
- Va a cantar un ruiseñor
- Mi reflexión
- Tu pálida voz vals
- Los ojos más lindos
- Mariposa nocturna
- Queja indiana
- Alleluya milonga candombe
- Rosa de tango
- Su carta no llego
- Guitarra
- Bésame mi amor
- Destellos
Cantan:
- Carlos Roldán (1-20)
Rafael Rossi - Bailando en la estancia grande
EMI 379178
Following the popularity of the CD of música campera (country music) by Felipe Antonio that we offered a few months ago, here's an album by the man recognised as the greatest in the genre, Rafael Rossi.
Rossi was a member of the huge orchestra assembled by Canaro and Firpo for the carnivals of 1920 and he was a significant composer - the classic Jueves comes from his pen. However he always leaned towards folk themes, perhaps influenced by the decision of Odeón - who had Firpo for their tango recordings - to offer him a contract recording country music.
Here Rossi, backed by guitars, leads the group from his bandoneón. The music is light, charming and unpretentious. As tango dancers, the valses are of the most interest. There are many that you won't know, but you may recognise Con tu mirar (Canaro, Rodríguez) and Visión celeste (D'Arienzo).
Dig a little deeper and other tracks become more familiar too. En un bosque de la China was recorded as a rumba by Rodríguez and also by José García The especially studious may know the polca El viejito del acordeón from the much better known version by Canaro - it was also recorded by Lomuto.
Limited stock
Track list
- Bella morena paso doble
- Ciudad de Córdoba vals
- Debajo del parral ranchera
- Bailando el fox-trot fox-trot
- Con tu mirar vals
- Se baila en la estancia grande ranchera
- Quita penas paso doble
- Isabelfox-trot
- Cadenita de amor ranchera
- El viejito del acordeón ranchera
- Viaje a Arguello vals
- Camino al Don fox-trot
- La chica del 17 paso doble
- Visión celeste vals
- Me enamoré una vezranchera
- En un bosque de la China fox-trot
- En un rincón de Sevilla paso doble
- Hacele un rulo a la novia ranchera
- Coplas y toros paso doble
Quinteto Real - De colección
Sony 80504
The 1960s saw the dissolution of all but a handful of tango orchestras. But three great musicians - three of whom had had their own orchestras - had an idea: how about forming a quintet?
They were the bandoneonista Pedro Láurenz, the painist Horacio Salgán and the violinist Enrique Francini and the quintet they formed was the legendary Quinteto Real.
I can remember exactly with whom and where I was the first time I heard their music, and how we sat in astonishment until the album had finished. It's quite possible to dance to this music, but you'll feel more inclined just to sit and enjoy because there is so much going on in the music.
Every tango household should have one CD of the Quinteto Real, and this is now the only one.
This was the recommended CD in January 2012.
Track list
- La cumparsita
- Canro en París
- A media luz
- Buenos Aires
- El choclo
- Organito de la tarde
- La puñalada milonga
- Adiós muchachos
- Caminito
- Palomita blanca vals
- A fuego lento
- Julián
- Pobre gallo Bataraz
- Adiós pampa mía
- Taquito militar milonga
- El abrojito
- Gran hotel Victoria
- Ya no cantas chingolo
- Ojos negros
- La trampera milonga
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