From “El Portal Del Tango” we
pay homage to a big tango man.
(Bandoneon
player, director y arrenger). He was born in Paternal, (Capital
Federal), on December 31st, 1936. His father was a violin player and
his mother’s brothers were all violin players, “orejeros" (meaning
they learnt just listening not studying). At the age of ten he had
begun studying bandoneon with the teacher, (who was one of the uncle
of the bandoneon player Alfredo Cordiso, who also taught piano). When
he was twelve he studied with Domingo Mattio (who was “fueye” of
Aníbal Troilo´s orchestra to the end). He also studied harmony Pedro
Rubione and Julio Nistal, and Music Philosophy with Juan Francisco
Giacobbe. By the time he was eleven years old he had already formed
his first trio, which was called OSMASI (they were Osvaldo, Mario and
Simón). When he was fifteen he was playing in Ricardo Pedevillla´s
orchestra, he had made a big success with his Di Sarli style, he made
his debut in the “Nobel de suipacha” (dancing place). At the age of
sixteen he joined Alfredo Gobbi´s orchestra, when Jorge Maciel and
Carlos Almada sang there. But Gobbi went to play with the group in the
“Casino de Río Hondo” (“Rio Hondo Casino”), and Piro wasn’t allowed to
go because he wasn’t old enough, so he was out of the orchestra. He
played with Víctor D´Amario, Ángel D´Agostino, Celso Amato and many
others orchestras for short period of time. After that he returned to
Gobbi´s orchestra, where he played for six years. In 1964 he played in
Fulvio Salamanca’s orchestra for short periods of time and one year
later he formed his own one. With his orchestra he made his debut on
February 16th, 1965 in “Patio Tango”. The musicians that played in
that orchestra were: O. Piro, Raúl Salvetti, Oscar Malvestitti and
Alejandro Prevignano (bandoneons); Eduardo Salgado (soloist), Mario
Grossi and Ricardo Buonvincino (violins); Enrique González (cello);
Néstor Panik (viola); Oscar Palermo (piano) and Osvaldo Aulicino (bass).
With that company he travelled to Falda (Córdoba), (for a musical
event), he had a big
success
and he received a lot of prizes. When he returned “La Falda”, Odeón
company was interested in hiring the orchestra for the recording of
their first album, but Osvaldo Piro hesitated and the contract
signature was delayed. Finally he was convinced of being hired for a
small company, where he would not have great artist competing with him,
so he choose “Alanicki”, which was a new company. In 1967 he won the
“Palma de Oro” (important prize) in the scenery of his consecration:
“El festival de La Falda”, he also acted in different TV channels and
APTRA gave him a “Martín Fierro” for being “Revelación musical del
año”, (Musical revelation of the year”) of the Argentinean television.
In 1968 he recorded for “Phillips”: “Osvaldo Piro y su orchestra”.
(“Magenta company” reissued the songs that he recorded for his old
company some years later). In 1969 he did a lot of shows and
presentations in different places, having big success for his
performance in “Carnavales del centro Lucense” (carnivals), with very
high collections. That year he had a car accident and he had small
hurts. During September he participated in the "Festival en el mar" on
board the ship "Los 33 orientales", arriving at Porto Alegre do Sul (Brazil),
with an artistic scale in Montevideo (Uruguay) and finishing the tour
in "Gran Rex" (Buenos Aires). In 1970 he got married with “Tana
Rinaldi" with whom he shared artistic billboard in
“Citydrev” (in City Hotel) for the first time, with his orchestra and
the singers Carlos Casado and Alberto Hidalgo and he also played in
“Magoya en Mar del Plata” (it was a night haven of his property)
where he acted accompanied by an important staff with a very good
public acceptance, in 1974 he separated Susana Rinaldi and by the year
1975 he received from zitta, “Pichuco”´s bandoneon. He composed the
music Jorge Luis Borges´s tale (“El Sur”), and in 1976 he travelled to
Brazil, acting for 3 months. By 1977 he is protagonist with his
orchestra of the “return” of tango to the Cafe Tortoni´s box, creating
a new period. In 1978, he returned to the “marplatense” (From Mar Del
Plata” scenery “Magoya”. He also played with his group in different
sceneries such as: “Michelangelo”, the “Café de los angelitos”, the
“Auditórium Buenos Aires”, With the camera musicians, the “Teatro
Cómico”, the “Confitería del Molino” and the screens of the channels 2
and 7 with Pedro Vargas and the Brandsen ballet, among others.
In 1978 he recorded 2 albums. “Octubre” and “Barrio de Tango”. In
1983 he was hired to act in France, where he went in 1984, with
“Orquesta grande”. In France he made a lot of presentations in
different places. He also made some presentations in different
countries such as: Holland, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Italy,
Switzerland... during his tours, in 1986 he recorded: “O. Piro Quintet
Tango”, with Maria Mentana in the sung songs. In 1988 he returned to
Buenos Aires and “Ensamble 9”, (a new orchestra) was born. It was a
period which lasted 2 years, he recorded with them: “Romance de Abril”
in 1991; during the following he acted in Astral and Alvear´s
theatres, In 1994 he assumed as Director of the National orchestra of
the Argentinean music Juan De Dios Filiberto, which whom he had made a
lot of presentations.
His musical style: he had spectacular and well-balanced
elaborated arrangements; his music presented well-marked melodic
tints, with a global majesty. He was a good time controller, his style
was highly delicate and attractive, intimate, calm, warm, very
evolved. He had “troilena”´s influences “gobbiana” and in the modern
forms of harmonisations it was seen the “piazzolesco” contribution. In
some “orquestales” songs (all the orchestra play) such as:(“Verano
porteño, “Adiós Nonino”, “Tango del Ángel”, “Color Tango”), the
outstanding solos were of a great interpretive level. His bandoneon
sound had a deep, velvet flows, in delicate fraseos very similar to
Maffia. His creativity was clearly reflected in this beautiful tango “Azulnoche”.
Aníbal Troilo told to Osvaldo Piro:
“There
are many and good musicians that play the bandoneón and they are big
technicians, but that they have soul here, in the yolk of the fingers,
as me, there aren’t. The exception is you boy, for that reason you
feel the tango...”
(Registered from no for “Clarín” and “Crónica”, in
1966)
(Bandoneon
player, director y arrenger). He was born in Paternal, (Capital
Federal), on December 31st, 1936. His father was a violin player and
his mother’s brothers were all violin players, “orejeros" (meaning
they learnt just listening not studying). At the age of ten he had
begun studying bandoneon with the teacher, (who was one of the uncle
of the bandoneon player Alfredo Cordiso, who also taught piano). When
he was twelve he studied with Domingo Mattio (who was “fueye” of
Aníbal Troilo´s orchestra to the end). He also studied harmony Pedro
Rubione and Julio Nistal, and Music Philosophy with Juan Francisco
Giacobbe. By the time he was eleven years old he had already formed
his first trio, which was called OSMASI (they were Osvaldo, Mario and
Simón). When he was fifteen he was playing in Ricardo Pedevillla´s
orchestra, he had made a big success with his Di Sarli style, he made
his debut in the “Nobel de suipacha” (dancing place). At the age of
sixteen he joined Alfredo Gobbi´s orchestra, when Jorge Maciel and
Carlos Almada sang there. But Gobbi went to play with the group in the
“Casino de Río Hondo” (“Rio Hondo Casino”), and Piro wasn’t allowed to
go because he wasn’t old enough, so he was out of the orchestra. He
played with Víctor D´Amario, Ángel D´Agostino, Celso Amato and many
others orchestras for short period of time. After that he returned to
Gobbi´s orchestra, where he played for six years. In 1964 he played in
Fulvio Salamanca’s orchestra for short periods of time and one year
later he formed his own one. With his orchestra he made his debut on
February 16th, 1965 in “Patio Tango”. The musicians that played in
that orchestra were: O. Piro, Raúl Salvetti, Oscar Malvestitti and
Alejandro Prevignano (bandoneons); Eduardo Salgado (soloist), Mario
Grossi and Ricardo Buonvincino (violins); Enrique González (cello);
Néstor Panik (viola); Oscar Palermo (piano) and Osvaldo Aulicino (bass).
With that company he travelled to Falda (Córdoba), (for a musical
event), he had a big
success
and he received a lot of prizes. When he returned “La Falda”, Odeón
company was interested in hiring the orchestra for the recording of
their first album, but Osvaldo Piro hesitated and the contract
signature was delayed. Finally he was convinced of being hired for a
small company, where he would not have great artist competing with him,
so he choose “Alanicki”, which was a new company. In 1967 he won the
“Palma de Oro” (important prize) in the scenery of his consecration:
“El festival de La Falda”, he also acted in different TV channels and
APTRA gave him a “Martín Fierro” for being “Revelación musical del
año”, (Musical revelation of the year”) of the Argentinean television.
In 1968 he recorded for “Phillips”: “Osvaldo Piro y su orchestra”.
(“Magenta company” reissued the songs that he recorded for his old
company some years later). In 1969 he did a lot of shows and
presentations in different places, having big success for his
performance in “Carnavales del centro Lucense” (carnivals), with very
high collections. That year he had a car accident and he had small
hurts. During September he participated in the "Festival en el mar" on
board the ship "Los 33 orientales", arriving at Porto Alegre do Sul (Brazil),
with an artistic scale in Montevideo (Uruguay) and finishing the tour
in "Gran Rex" (Buenos Aires). In 1970 he got married with “Tana
Rinaldi" with whom he shared artistic billboard in 
s.
In 1978 he recorded 2 albums. “Octubre” and “Barrio de Tango”. In
1983 he was hired to act in France, where he went in 1984, with
“Orquesta grande”. In France he made a lot of presentations in
different places. He also made some presentations in different
countries such as: Holland, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Italy,
Switzerland... during his tours, in 1986 he recorded: “O. Piro Quintet
Tango”, with Maria Mentana in the sung songs. In 1988 he returned to
Buenos Aires and “Ensamble 9”, (a new orchestra) was born. It was a
period which lasted 2 years, he recorded with them: “Romance de Abril”
in 1991; during the following he acted in Astral and Alvear´s
theatres, In 1994 he assumed as Director of the National orchestra of
the Argentinean music Juan De Dios Filiberto, which whom he had made a
lot of presentations.
“There
are many and good musicians that play the bandoneón and they are big
technicians, but that they have soul here, in the yolk of the fingers,
as me, there aren’t. The exception is you boy, for that reason you
feel the tango...”