From El Portal del Tango we pay
homage to one of the first performers of the bandoneón.
Great
bandoneon player from the first period of tango. Juan Félix Maglio was
born on November 18th, 1880, in Buenos Aires, his father was Pantaleón
Maglio, Italian, and his mother was Carmen Dodero, Argentinean. Pacho
felt some kind of attraction for the bandoneon since he was a child,
when his family has already moved to Boedo he heard his father playing,
“the bandoneon” which would become in the typical instrument of tango.
He was a mischievous boy and for that reason he received by his father
the nickname “Pazzo” (crazy in Italian). “My play mates, he told to an
interview of Héctor and Luis Bates, couldn’t pronounce that word, but
instead the said “Pacho”. Little by little that nickname was becoming
more and more popular, and they continued calling me like that, until
the time took charge of confirming it, ending up being known more than
my true pile name.” In 1898, being 18 years old, he began to
take lessons with Domingo Santa Cruz and a year later he made his first
performance in “El Vasco” café, situated in Barracas, with a trio formed
by: Julián Urdapilleta (violin), Luciano Ríos (guitar), a person that
had a lot to do with for many years to Pacho´s formations. By the year
1903, he formed a quartet with Luis Guerriero (violin), José Guerrero (flute)
and Luciano Ríos (viola). In 1910 he acted for the first time in
legendary café “La Paloma”, the conditions of that place wasn’t good
enough, it was full of rats, and Pacho and his musicians had to play
until the time the members of the group refused to keep playing in that
conditions so the owner resolved the problem. From “La Paloma” the
quartet continued playing in “Café Garibotto” (Pueyrredón and San
Luis), “Ambos Mundos” (Paraná almost Corrientes), “La Morocha” (Carril
and Corrientes)
and many other places, until returned, in 1912, to “La Paloma”, now with
and extraordinary success and without rats. It was there when the group
was hired to record in Columbia company and it was called by the name
“Orquesta Típica Criolla Juan Maglio “Pacho” (Typical Creole orchestra
Juan Maglio Pacho); formed by four remarkable musicians: José “Pepino”
Bonano (violin bugle), Carlos “Hernani” Macchi (flute), Luciano Ríos (seven
strings guitar) and, of course Pacho in bandoneon. The success meant,
the sale of albums and the fame of the bandoneon player. It was in that
same year when Pacho began in the composition area. His first tango was
called: “El Zurdo” (the left-handed one), then would come “Quasi nada”
(subtitled the combat) “Armenonville”, “Jeanne”, “Un copetín”, “Adelita”,
“Sábado ingles”(English Saturdya), “Royal Pigall”, with lyrics by José
González Castillo, “Qué has hecho de mi cariño”(what have you done of
myself, honey), “cielito” (heaven), “Toma mate”, “Chile”, “Ando pato”,
“La Guardia Vieja” (The old guard), “Tacuarí” and many others which
belonged to his first period. And the songs composed in the “Tango-song”
days were: “Llegué a ladrón por amarte” (I became a thief because of
your love) with his own lyrics, “La chacarera a medias”with José
Servidio and written by Juan Andrés Caruso), “Tango Argentino” (Argentine
tango) (with Alfredo Bigeschi) “A media noche” (In the middle of the
night), “Copen la banca” (both with Enrique Dizeo), “El curdela” (with
Jorge Luque Lobos), “El
Llorón” (The whiner), (old tango which he compiled and made versify by
Enrique Cadícamo), and others. His vals had almost been extremely
popular such as: “Orillas del Plata”, “María Esther”, “Horas de hastío”
(Boredom hours), “Copo de nieve” (snowflake) and “Violetas” (violets),
among others. In
1920 he
organized his new orchestra, formed by himself, Rafael Rossi and Nicolás
Primiani (bandoneons), Benito Juliá, Salvador Viola and “El Pibe” Rossi
(violins), Juan Carlos Ghio (piano) and José Galarza (flute and drums).
Pachu´s glorious periods had gone, as that tango “Canyengue” and “Bravío
de la Guardia Vieja”(Brave of the old guard). In his last times he
continued leading his final formations, an old style sextet, one of its
violins was played by Elvino Vardaro and the Pacho trio, formed by three
bandoneon players: José and Luis Servidio, besides the director. He made
his last performances in Radio Belgrano with them in 1934. Some time
later he was interned in Ramos Mejía´s hospital, he died being very
young, on July 14th, 1934, in Buenos Aires. In his work table there were
several unpublished tangos, which he hadn’t have time to name them. He
was a great director, of great popularity; the audience everywhere he
presented it, followed his orchestra. In his work as a composer his
talent also shone this was seen in the tangos: “Armenonville”, “Qué
has hecho mi cariño”, “Tango Argentino”, “Hojas al viento”, “Royal
Pigall”, “El zurdo”, “Violetas”,
and many other songs.
“When Maglio´s fame was becoming bigger, the most common phrase that
was heard from the album shops was: “Déme un pacho” (Give me a Pacho).
Such was the success of the sales of the recordings of the orchestra
directed by Juan Maglio, nicknamed “Pacho”, that this little word
became a synonym of album.”
Great
bandoneon player from the first period of tango. Juan Félix Maglio was
born on November 18th, 1880, in Buenos Aires, his father was Pantaleón
Maglio, Italian, and his mother was Carmen Dodero, Argentinean. Pacho
felt some kind of attraction for the bandoneon since he was a child,
when his family has already moved to Boedo he heard his father playing,
“the bandoneon” which would become in the typical instrument of tango.
He was a mischievous boy and for that reason he received by his father
the nickname “Pazzo” (crazy in Italian). “My play mates, he told to an
interview of Héctor and Luis Bates, couldn’t pronounce that word, but
instead the said “Pacho”. Little by little that nickname was becoming
more and more popular, and they continued calling me like that, until
the time took charge of confirming it, ending up being known more than
my true pile name.” In 1898, being 18 years old, he began to
take lessons with Domingo Santa Cruz and a year later he made his first
performance in “El Vasco” café, situated in Barracas, with a trio formed
by: Julián Urdapilleta (violin), Luciano Ríos (guitar), a person that
had a lot to do with for many years to Pacho´s formations. By the year
1903, he formed a quartet with Luis Guerriero (violin), José Guerrero (flute)
and Luciano Ríos (viola). In 1910 he acted for the first time in
legendary café “La Paloma”, the conditions of that place wasn’t good
enough, it was full of rats, and Pacho and his musicians had to play
until the time the members of the group refused to keep playing in that
conditions so the owner resolved the problem. From “La Paloma” the
quartet continued playing in “Café Garibotto” (Pueyrredón and San
Luis), “Ambos Mundos” (Paraná almost Corrientes), “La Morocha” (Carril
and Corrientes)
and many other places, until returned, in 1912, to “La Paloma”, now with
and extraordinary success and without rats. It was there when the group
was hired to record in Columbia company and it was called by the name
“Orquesta Típica Criolla Juan Maglio “Pacho” (Typical Creole orchestra
Juan Maglio Pacho); formed by four remarkable musicians: José “Pepino”
Bonano (violin bugle), Carlos “Hernani” Macchi (flute), Luciano Ríos (seven
strings guitar) and, of course Pacho in bandoneon. The success meant,
the sale of albums and the fame of the bandoneon player. It was in that
same year when Pacho began in the composition area. His first tango was
called: “El Zurdo” (the left-handed one), then would come “Quasi nada”
(subtitled the combat) “Armenonville”, “Jeanne”, “Un copetín”, “Adelita”,
“Sábado ingles”(English Saturdya), “Royal Pigall”, with lyrics by José
González Castillo, “Qué has hecho de mi cariño”(what have you done of
myself, honey), “cielito” (heaven), “Toma mate”, “Chile”, “Ando pato”,
“La Guardia Vieja” (The old guard), “Tacuarí” and many others which
belonged to his first period. And the songs composed in the “Tango-song”
days were: “Llegué a ladrón por amarte” (I became a thief because of
your love) with his own lyrics, “La chacarera a medias”with José
Servidio and written by Juan Andrés Caruso), “Tango Argentino” (Argentine
tango) (with Alfredo Bigeschi) “A media noche” (In the middle of the
night), “Copen la banca” (both with Enrique Dizeo), “El curdela” (with
Jorge Luque Lobos), 
1920 he
organized his new orchestra, formed by himself, Rafael Rossi and Nicolás
Primiani (bandoneons), Benito Juliá, Salvador Viola and “El Pibe” Rossi
(violins), Juan Carlos Ghio (piano) and José Galarza (flute and drums).
Pachu´s glorious periods had gone, as that tango “Canyengue” and “Bravío
de la Guardia Vieja”(Brave of the old guard). In his last times he
continued leading his final formations, an old style sextet, one of its
violins was played by Elvino Vardaro and the Pacho trio, formed by three
bandoneon players: José and Luis Servidio, besides the director. He made
his last performances in Radio Belgrano with them in 1934. Some time
later he was interned in Ramos Mejía´s hospital, he died being very
young, on July 14th, 1934, in Buenos Aires. In his work table there were
several unpublished tangos, which he hadn’t have time to name them. He
was a great director, of great popularity; the audience everywhere he
presented it, followed his orchestra. In his work as a composer his
talent also shone this was seen in the tangos: “Armenonville”, “Qué
has hecho mi cariño”, “Tango Argentino”, “Hojas al viento”, “Royal
Pigall”, “El zurdo”, “
