From
El Portal del Tango we pay homage to one of the most important female
Tango artists
We know
that she was born in 1904, although the exact date is not known. Her
real name was María Isabel Bergero. Her life was very different from
other Tango artist’s life: she was a dressmaker that wanted to try her
luck in the artistic world. Who supported her the most in her family was
her cousin Olinda Bozán. That is why Sofía adopted her artistic name,
as a way of saying thanks. She did not make any artistic heroic act as
other female singers at the time, who took advantage of the popularity
Tango had and appeared on films and made long tours. She was really
different. She made her first theatrical performance at the age of
fourteen in the Vittone-Pomar company. After that she became a singer.
The first tango she sang was “Canillita” (“Newspaper seller”) in
Muiño-Alippi company. She reached popularity when she performed on the
Alippi’s one-act farce “Saltó la bola”
(“The ball jumped”), where she sang the tango “Un tropezón”
(“A stumbling”). Sofía had a funny and happy personality, and she
always had a smile on her lips. The audience loved her, and they showed
it, turning her into the “owner” of Buenos Aires stages during more
than two decades. She
referred to political, economical and social topics, always with a touch
of humour. She was really intelligent and knew exactly what she wanted.
She was a great singer, and poets like Discépolo used
to create songs especially for her.
Some of the songs she popularised are: “Cambalache”
(“Barter”), “Se acabaron los otarios” (“The innocent guys are
over”), “Haragán” (“Lazy”). Maybe she will be most remembered
because she first sang Discépolo’s
tango “Yira, yira” (“Wander, wander”) at the Sarmiento theatre.
She did only one tour around Spain and France, with Bayón Herrera and
Romero company, in 1931. That same year the whole company appeared on
the film “Luces de Buenos Aires” (“Buenos Aires lights”), on
which Carlos Gardel played the main role. Bozán participated in other
films after this one: “Goal”, “Loco lindo” (“Nice crazy
guy”), “Puerto Nuevo”, “Muchachas que estudian” (“Girls that
study”), “Isabelita” (“Little Isabel”), “Los muchachos se
divierten” (“The boys are having fun”), “Carnaval de antaño”
(“Carnival of old”) and “Elvira Fernández, vendedora de tienda”
(“Elvira Fernández, shop seller”), where she sang “Cuando un
viejo se enamora” (“When an old man falls in love”). In 1950 she
got married with Federico Hess, and left her career to devote herself to
form a family. She could only enjoy family life for eight years. She
died on July 9th, 1958 in Buenos Aires.
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