Homage | Francisco Fiorentino
 
HIS CHILDHOOD
Year 1905 - This remarkable vocalist owner of a colour of voice and an incomparable style, was born in  San Telmo, Buenos Aires on  September 23rd. As an Italian immigrants' son he had a big interest for the singing, and he intoned the old songs that he listened from his father Miguel.
It was the seventh son of nine siblings, and to help his parent, he worked being a very young boy as tailor's assistant. His elder brother called Vicente when noticing that “Chito” (he was called like this in his family),  had “ear” for the music he gave him as a present a bandoneón and he gave him  sol-fa lessons. Vicente was bandoneon player. When he noticed his brother's progresses with the instrument he recommended him a good professor for him to perform and he put him under the tutelage of Minotto Di Caccio. He  had been the first Canaro´s bandoneon. Minotto turned him into a good pupil and outstanding student.
 
HIS YOUTH
Year 1920 - When he was 15 years old he formed a trio, with his brother Vicente and a pianist friend. In fact his first opportunity of being part of tango was given by his old teacher Minotto, who told Canaro about Chito´s virtues with the instrument so Francisco Canaro integrated him to his lines of bandoneones in his orchestra. The boy Fiorentino believed to had touched the sky with his hands, to play with Francisco Canaro having as first bandoneón to his teacher was not a little.
Year 1924 - he made his debut as a bandoneon player at the “Teatro Casino”, (“Casino theatre”).
We remember that for that time the orchestras didn't have “estribillistas”, (“connected with Chorus”),  because them were used exclusively to encourage dancing.
Year 1925 - he moved away from Canaro´s Orchestra , and he revived with their brother Vicente in the trio they formed years ago, he as the bandoneón player, his brother as the  violin player, and José Martínez as the pianist.
It is necessary to delimit that Martínez was the author of the tango Pablo, “El pensamiento” (“The Thought”), and “Y de vuelta al bulín”,  (“ Turn to the bulín”).
 
HIS PROFESSIONAL BEGINNINGS AS A SINGER
Year 1927 He returned with Francisco Canaro, as bandoneon player and “chassonier” that is to say estribillista simultaneously recording six tangos. (“Micifuz”-“Íntimas-“Tu secreto”-“Mueble viejo”-“Ché italiano” and “Malandrín”).
Year 1928– Juan Carlos Cobián interested him Cobián to enter to his group as a bandoneón player and “estribillista”, (he recorded 11 albums) and it accepted  being incorporated to an Orchestra of first level for the quality of its members, Cobián as the pianist, the “bandoneones” line Petrucelli, Ciriaco Ortiz Primiani, and the splendid incorporation: Fiorentino, the violins were Vardaro, Francia, and Fausto Frontera, with Humberto Constanzo as the doubled bass player.
It was an ephemeral experience and then he returned to the trio with his brother Vicente.
Year 1929 - due to the insistence of Minotto, Canaro incorporated him again, already in his a double function “bandoneonísta” and singer, recording in  ODEON company, three albums.
He begun to stand out as vocalist for his style and that caused that Juan Darienzo invited him to integrate his group to act in the Chantecler, ending up recording nine versions for  ELECTRA company. The first Tango that he recorded was  “Victoria”, (“Victory”) of Discépolo.
Darienzo dismantled the Orchestra for contract rescission, and Fiore had already had a name between the “estribillistas” of the moment such as Teófilo Ibáñez, Roberto Díaz, Charlo, Félix Gutiérrez, Carlos Dante among others, he called by Angel Dagostino to act with him.
His next step was working with Pedro Maffia as “estribillista” and bandoneon player ending up recording 15 albums.
Year 1931 - after having played besides Minotto and Mafia, Fiore decided definitively to be devoted to the song, but the destination had  reserved  him another play.
Again Minotto called him to be part of his orchestra as “bandoneonista” since it opted for not traveling with Canaro to Europe, thing he acceped because he had not necessary a lot to choose. Fiore  returned to the bandoneon. When Canaro returned he integrated Minotto again doing without Fiore  being this temporarily, without work. He recorded with  Victor’s Orchestra Victor the tango “Organito callejero” Vicente Gorrese (Calisay)  invited him to incorporate to his orchestra as “bandoneonista”, and  “estribillista”, the group was called “Los ases argentinos del tango”, “(The Argentinean aces of tango”) and they bet to a tour for Europe, (Germany) wasn’t  successful at all, returning quickly without pain neither glory. The Uruguayan violinist Roberto Zerrillo incorporated him as “estribillista”, (he recorded the song, “Serenata de amor”; “Serenade of Love”). Fiore had become a singer interpreting the first one and second verse of the lyric, copying to the beginner of this modality that was Carlos Dante with Rafael o Canaro´s orchestra.
 
HE AFFIRMED IN HIS IN ROUTE TO THE SUCCESS
Year 1934 - Fiorentino was a name inside the tango, and he became true his dram of being a soloist singer . He made his debut in “Radio Nacional”, (“National Radio”) then would be “Radio Belgrano” , and Malerba accompanied him in the piano, Enrique Rodríguez in bandoneón, and Tomás Cuervo in violin. For problems that arose with the owner of the radio, Jaime Yankelevich, he felt discouraged and he entered himself in a state of professional abandonment, period that almost lasts one year. In Radio Argentina played the duet Malerba-Vacaro and they invited him to be part of it as vocalist.
Year 1936 - Seated again inside the popular music, he incorporated to Daniel Alvarez's orchestra  and he begun his performances in radio again. Miguel Nijenshon and the violinist Antonio Rodio  interested him so that he accompanied them as a singer, having the group the bandoneonistas Hector María Artola and Miguel Bonano, and they made their presentation in the radial audition of “Jabón federal”, (“Federal Soap”), for Radio Belgrano,   Jaime took advantage of this situation to make the passes with Fiore . He incorporated to Ricardo Malerba's orchestra again  and they acted in the Tabaris, also in radio, and they made a tour in Rosario and Tucumán.
 
HIS GOLD TIME
Year 1937 - This was “His”. He entered to the Tango from the Big Door. For his friend's suggestion, the pianist Orlando Goñi, Anibal Troilo armed his own orchestra  to debut on July 1st, of 1937, in Marubu. Pichuco had his eyes in the singer Rodríguez Lesende, and he interested him so that he incorporated to his splendid orchestral grouping, for what the singer declined the offer Pichuco , in his substitution  offered the place to Fiore , and  that would  be the beginnings of the duple that would make History in our tango make history in our Tango.  They made “doublets” , in Marubu and the Germinal coffee, and they also acted in Radio Splendid .
Year 1938  Odeon company invited Troilo to record with them since they perceived that his Orchestra was being strong in the popular pleasure. The songs that he had to record were exclusively instrumental for that reason  Fiore was outside of the plans.
Year 1939 - Pichuco and Fiore  recorded Columbia Company  but these songs  weren’t printed
They continued growing in the popular pleasure through their performances in cabaret and dances in the neighbourhood clubs.
Year 1940 -  “Radio El mundo”,  (“The world radio”) due to the success that they had (Director and Singer) they hired them and they inaugurated a fundamental stage for our Tango.
Year 1941 - The authorities of R.C.A. Víctor invited them to record and on March 4th, orchestra and singer registered “Yo soy el tango”, (“I am The tango”) and the milonga “Mano brava” (“Brave hand”). There begun  a six year-old uninterrupted work  where Pichuco and Fiore  worked together.
Year 1944 - March 30th - Fiore   recorded the last song with Pichuco , the vals “Temblando” (“Trembling”),  concluding with his most  glorious period, according to the experts.
 
HIS NEW STAGE
Cycles that are completed in the life, waste in the relationship of friendship, professional jealousies with Marine (according to some people), the truth was that first he moved away from  Orlando Goñi, for this reason some  orchestras were dismembered, to his  brilliant pianist's exodus the departure of Fiore  was added. Pichuco that was very strict with his professional commitments, knew how to separate the friendship from the work. Little time later Piazzolla left. Goñi armed his own orchestra with Fiore  as singer, dissolved this Fiorentino armed  his own orchestra and he gave the responsibility of it conduction to Piazzolla .
Year 1944 - September 11th, thy made their debut in Radio Belgrano Belgrano , alternating with performances in Tango Bar and in the cabaret Picadilly
Years 1945-46 - The company     Odeon called them to record and they  registered 22 albums among them, “Si se salva el pibe”,  “Cotorrita de la suerte”, (“Lucky parrot”), “Amigazo”, “Burbujas” , (“Bubbles”), and “Viejo ciego”,  (“Old blind”).
Year 1946 - Astor Piazzolla left the Orchestra's conduction and Fiorentino replaced him with the excellent bandoneonísta Ismael Spitalnik. Piazzolla in his new orchestra incorporated the singer Aldo Campoamor. They were brave times for this type of groups, since it was necessary to compete with teachers of the  big size such as Sarli, Darienzo, Pugliese and where it was not still ingrained the singer's figure in the popular desire,  it was accepted as the orchestra's complement, for that Fiore  dissolved his group because of the little popular interest, to go and see  just soloist singers.
Year 1948 - May 2nd , Pepe Basso required him for its orchestra, and they made a formidable duet with  Ricardo Ruiz. (they recorded 11 songs).
Year 1950– on April 30th he detached of the orchestra, in spite of being passing a good moment and Basso asking him not to leave.
 
HIS DECLINE
The experience of having abandoned fat Pichuco years ago was traumatic for him, in spite of the lapsed time, he could not elaborate it.  Alberto Mancione invited him to be part of his orchestra and he accepted, but the step of the years,   his dissipated life made havocs in the humanity of Fiorentino , ending up singing in the alive numbers of the cinemas between movie and movie.
Year 1951 In this stage of his life, he made shows in clubs, private parties, or protocol meetings of companies, the step of the years had deteriorated him .
 
THE KINDNESS OF A BIG ONE
Year 1955, the fat Pichuco being present witness of his decadence, and with that kindness that  only had the big ones,  offered him to record with the quartet Troilo - Grela for what called him .
Fiore  that felt himself forgotten felt to reborn of his ashes, when receiving his good friend's proposal, but he answered him that he had to travel to Mendoza to complete a contracted commitment for a performance, and when he returned with a lot of pleasure he would accept to record. His  destiny wanted him that coming back from his journey, travelling in his friend’s car ,  it overturned. Fiore  hit his head and , and fainted his face settled on a puddle of water, dying drowned.
Year 1955,  September 11th, was quiet  forever one of the most  beautiful voices that gave our popular music.

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