Tango Profiles

For the first time we're looking at a lyricist (who was also a composer). E.S. Discépolo shaped the tango songbook in a significant way, injecting a healthy dose of porteño philosophy. Theatrical and literary, he was also sarcastic, quick-witted, and able to capture porteño pessimism using slang, highbrow references, and a dose of humor.

Osvaldo Fresedo was an orchestra leader, bandoneonist, and composer of tango classics like Vida mía. His career spanned the early, middle, and golden ages of tango, and he was a protagonist in a couple of unusual tango stories.

We have a great season ahead! It´s going to be a year of pairs.

Carlos Gardel is literally the face of tango, the most famous figure in the history of the music. More than a movie star, he was the composer of many of tango's greatest hits, and he was a folk singer who recorded hundreds of songs with this guitarists.

Year-end update...full episode coming soon...

Update on 2017...full episode coming soon...

Eduardo Arolas is one of the most important composers from the very earliest days of tango. His music, however, sounds years ahead of its time even though he wrote most of it before 1917. In this episode we do some listening and compare old and new recordings from his amazing catalog.

Lucio Demare is one of the great composers and proponents of tango, lush and expressive in style. In addition to penning the classic 'Malena' he got his professional start at a very young age, doing a particular job that was common in the early 20th century.

Tango is Troilo and Troilo is tango. In this episode we give you five dimensions of the great Anibal "Pichuco" Troilo, five ways to think about the iconic artist, the person who embodies tango itself.

Horacio Salgán was one of the tango composers most beloved by musicians. He was an innovator who created a personal style that drew from genres like chamber music and jazz, all the while sounding unmistakably like tango. He lived until just past his 100 birthday, in 2016.

In the 1920's tango had risen from low-class roots and become the music of the aristocracy in Buenos Aires. An elegant, tuxedoed Don Juan appeared on the scene. Juan Carlos Cobián was also a virtuoso pianist and gifted composer. Romance and adventure took him to New York and back, as he penned some of the songbook's greatest titles.

There are improbable stories in music history, unique examples of artists with very personal voices. In 1909 a young stage hand at an opera house discovered the music of Beethoven, sent himself to music school, and eventually became one of tango's biggest names.

La cumparsita is 100 years old. Starting as a simple melody written by a student, it soon became a magnet for lyrics, new music, spoken word, copyright infringement and lawsuits. Listen to this episode for the fascinating details, and some really good music.

Angel Villoldo is considered to be the 'father of tango.' His song 'El choclo' from around 1903 is one of the most famous tangos in history, but the original lyrics and melody are quite different from the ones most of us know. Here's the story of a very peculiar figure and the journey of his biggest hit.

Carlos Di Sarli is one of the most beloved figures in the history of tango, but in the beginning he didn't have it easy. Listen to find out why.

Welcome to Tango Profiles! This is a personal journey through tango history. I put a face to the name of each of the most important tango composers. There are some amazing, entertaining stories here, so start listening!