Homage | Ada Falcon
From El Portal Del Tango we pay homage to one of the most important feminine artist of tango.
Ada Falcón was born in Buenos Aires, on August 17th, 1905. She was Amanda Falcon’s and the popular singer Adhelma Falcon’s sister.  Mezzo-soprano singer and the owner of a very dramatic accent , in 1916 she begun with music at the age 11 in a children company, in the “Teatro Apolo”; (“Apollo theatre”), she was considered to be a precocious girl, on those times, she didn’t sing tangos, but Spanish ditties, she already had a  pseudonym: "La Joyita Argentina", (“The Argentinean Jewell”). In 1919 she appeared on a film of the silent period called "El Festín de los Caranchos", (“The caranchos´s banquet”) as for his premiere in the album it was in 1925. She recorded for Victor Company accompanied by Osvaldo Fresedo´s orchestra , four songs: "Oro y seda", (“Gold and silk”),  "Pobre chica", (“Poor girl”), "Casquivana" and "Risas de Cabaret"; (“Laugh of cabaret”). Then, she recorded albums for ODEÓN company ,seconded by Enrique Delfino and Héctor Stamponi´s group and by Francisco Canaro´s orchestra. In 1929 the radio was the ambition of all the songwriters so  Ada performed on Radio, starting in this way her promising career, Her popularity was increasing; she was the lead figure of the film "Idolos de Radio", (“Radio idols”) in 1934; she shared bill with Ignacio Corsini, and the rest of the staff was formed : Olinda Bozán, Tita Merello, Tito Lusiardo and José Ramirez. The salary for her work was really good, a fortune, for those time, due to her popularity, personality and professionalism. She lived in Palermo chico in a large house of  3 floors; she was surrounded by  the luxury, the furs and her “fatal woman” style, to all this it was added the mystery that her personality hide, this mystery was always present , One day she decided to abandon all her luxuries; and in this way  all her mystery  became a myth. She begun to move away from the artistic environment with no explanations; she signed contracts and then she ignored them , she locked in her house for a lot of time. And in this way Ada Falcon’s career was declining, she left being successful and she was accepted by the people. One day she decided not to act anymore without giving any details of her departure . It was said that she had spent hours, entire weeks,  locked in her house , then she went out but dressed in black from head to feet , with turban and white gloves. With this attire she arrived to the Church of Pompeya, and she entered on her knees and she left it in the same way. As for her professional life, in April of 1973, in the Magazine ¨Panorama¨, a journalist  specialized in shows wrote : " On February 13th, 1926, it was  commemorated in the”  "Teatro de la ópera”;  (“Theater of the Opera”), the forth “Great Dance” of the Aviators. That night, Ada Falcon covered her shoulders with a  Manila shawl  and she sang for the first time the tango "Besame in the boca" (“Kiss me”) she was sixteen years old, green eyes and nothing else but  praises. In the year 1930  she had became in  one of the most important stars in  Odeón company and her career included almost fifteen monthly recordings... Francisco Canaro's orchestra accompanied her. .. She made her version of "Secretos¨, (“Secrets”) by Enrique Santos Discépolo and "La muchacha del centro"; (“Downtown girl”) by Canaro and Pelay. For the year 1942, the mystery took her completely, she said that she was nun and that she lived in a monastery,  many things were said then, certainly it was said  that she was tertiary sister ,  which meant to avoid the elegance ,  to abstain of dances and dangerous shows, etc ..."She moved to Salsipuedes", Córdoba to a small room, she opted to have a poor life just living with the essential things to survive, her years went by in those conditions. Ada, already away from the " artist environment ", then new feminine voices arose and the time went by . In 1989 she came to Buenos Aires she didn't arrive to any arrangement with the recording companies; it was another time, the mysterious Ada was no longer the same of the one of the ' 35: That shy girl in front of her people, of green eyes, that   for her ambitions, whims and extravagancies  was once compared with the big stars of Hollywood.

 

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