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Cuesta Arriba 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):

Valses Inolvidables
Francisco Canaro - 20 Éxitos canta:  Carlos Roldan Rafael Rossi - Bailando en la estancia grande Quinteto Real - De Colección

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Valses Inolvidables

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
Miguel Caló
Lucio Demare
Alfredo De Angelis
Rodolfo Biagi
Alberto Castillo
Francisco Canaro

Francisco Canaro - 20 Éxitos canta:  Carlos Roldan

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

  1. Sencillo y compadre
  2. Una carta vals
  3. Mi castigo
  4. Dos corazones vals
  5. Tango brujo
  6. Así se baila el tango
  7. Candombe milonga candombe
  8. Que me quiten lo bailao
  9. Va a cantar un ruiseñor
  10. Mi reflexión
  11. Tu pálida voz vals
  12. Los ojos más lindos
  13. Mariposa nocturna
  14. Queja indiana
  15. Alleluya milonga candombe
  16. Rosa de tango
  17. Su carta no llego
  18. Guitarra
  19. Bésame mi amor
  20. Destellos

Cantan:


Rafael Rossi - Bailando en la estancia grande

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

  1. Bella morena paso doble
  2. Ciudad de Córdoba vals
  3. Debajo del parral ranchera
  4. Bailando el fox-trot fox-trot
  5. Con tu mirar vals
  6. Se baila en la estancia grande ranchera
  7. Quita penas paso doble
  8. Isabelfox-trot
  9. Cadenita de amor ranchera
  10. El viejito del acordeón ranchera
  11. Viaje a Arguello vals
  12. Camino al Don fox-trot
  13. La chica del 17 paso doble
  14. Visión celeste vals
  15. Me enamoré una vezranchera
  16. En un bosque de la China fox-trot
  17. En un rincón de Sevilla paso doble
  18. Hacele un rulo a la novia ranchera
  19. Coplas y toros paso doble

Quinteto Real - De colección

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

  1. La cumparsita
  2. Canro en París
  3. A media luz
  4. Buenos Aires
  5. El choclo
  6. Organito de la tarde
  7. La puñalada milonga
  8. Adiós muchachos
  9. Caminito
  10. Palomita blanca vals
  11. A fuego lento
  12. Julián
  13. Pobre gallo Bataraz
  14. Adiós pampa mía
  15. Taquito militar milonga
  16. El abrojito
  17. Gran hotel Victoria
  18. Ya no cantas chingolo
  19. Ojos negros
  20. La trampera milonga

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