From “El Portal del
Tango” we pay homage to one of the biggest of tango
Singer,
composer and guitarist. Angel Gregorio Villoldo Arroyo, was born in
Barracas, Buenos Aires, on February 16th, 1861. Son of Juan Villoldo,
(Oriental), and Victoria Arroyo, (Argentinean). He was an important
personality of “La guardia vieja”, (“The old guard”). He played the
guitar and the harmonica, he was a lead figure in the variety show of
Buenos Aires of the XIX century. He is known as "El padre del tango
criollo", (“The father of the Creolo tango”. He was an artist and a
worker of multiple professions, he worked as typographer in “La Nación
newspaper) ; he also was a clown in Rafetto circus, and a
“resero” in the slaughterhouses, he was a journalist, he made
some monologues and he was a composer of national music in general
and of tango in particular. His fame arrived late, with his magic wand
. It happened in 1903, when Dorita Miramar made a big success of his
tango (“El porteñito), ("The little porteño”, person, native of Buenos
Aires), from the scenary of the variety show “Parisiana” situated in
Esmeralda street. Pepita Avellaneda, one year before, had interpreted
some of his pages in a variety show in Avenida de Mayo street. Apart
from that,
Juan,
also acted in “cafetines”, (“little cafe”) of La Boca, Los Corrales y
San Telmo and in the carps of Recoleta. In this places he acquired
reputation and fame. Some female singers wanted Villoldo, to be part
of their repertory, and he even composed several tangos for some of
them. He had composed a song called “La pamperito” for the singer "La
morocha", (“The brunette”) with Enrique Saborido´s music, for Lola
Candeles; "El entreriano", with Rosendo Mendizábal´s melody, for
Pepita Avellaneda, and many others. From 1907 he would be an early in
Europe, recording albums in Germany . This same year, he went to
Paris, to record albums in company of the marriage formed by Alfredo
Gobbi and Flora Gobbi with whom he registered several country
compositions, few tangos and some humorous dialogues. That trip
meant the first furor of our tango in the French capital, and in those
times, Villoldo affiliated to the author and composer’s society of
France. Then he founded in Buenos Aires “La sociedad del pequeño
derecho” “The little right society”), precursor of SADAIC. For those
times he was one of the most popular “tanguista” (“fond of tango”).
He
would record songs, monologues and dialogues in : “Era”, “Columbia”
and other album companies. He composed “El choclo”, (“The corn”), “El
torito), (“The bull"), “Una fija” (“A fixed one"), “Cuidado con los
cincuentas”(” Be careful with the fifty"),”Yunta brava”, “El fogonazo”
(“The flash"), “Sacáme una película, gordito”, (”La trigueña), (“The
corn colored”), "Pamperito", "El esquinazo", "De farra en el cabaret",
(“Party in the cabaret”), "La caprichosa", (“The capricious one”), "El
pechador", "Soy tremendo", “(I am tremendous”), "Un mozo bien", (“A
waiter well”), "Petit Salón", "La bicicleta", “(The bicycle), "A la
ciudad de Londres", (“To the city of London”), "Cuerpo de alambre",
(“Wire body”), "El porteñito", and lyrics, of "El 13", (“The 13”)
and “La morocha”, (“The brunette”) the song "Cantar eterno", (“Eternal
singing”). In the year 1919 he was submerged in misery. He died in
Buenos Aires, on October 14th, 1919. A few days later he received the
first check of the society of composers from France, ironically late.
Some history of 2 tangos...
"El
Esquinazo" was a big success in 1903, when it was interpreted in “El
restaurant del parque de 3 de Febrero”, popularly well-known as “Lo de
Hansen”, the clientele used to accompany the flicks of the second
compass with blows of hands or feet, then they became in blows of
teaspoons on the cups and finally in other blows, of glasses, plates,
seats or what was in their hands and the result of this was: a messy
place every night, until the owner decided to exhibit a message :
“Absolutely forbidden the execution of the tango “The esquinazo",
prudence is requested in such a sense. The
proprietor”.
El esquinazo
(fragmento).
“I don´t
care anything about your love,
Knock if
you want to! (Knocks)
The heart
told me
That your
affection was a doubled-dealing,
Although
you swore you tha you were
mine..."
Written by: Carlos
Pesce y Antonio Polito
Music:
Angel Villoldo
In
1903, José Luis Rocallo, sang for the first time “El
choclo", (“The corn”) in the restaurant “El americano”, (“The
American"), although camouflaged as “Danza criolla”, (“Creole dance”)
because the category of the place didn't admit the inclusion of
tangos. When the trick was discovered, it was already late, Roncallo
could not stop executing it, because the clientele demanded it night
after night. Although the premiere of this tango was in 1903, it was
published in 1905.
The corn
( fragment).
"With
this tango that is mocking and compadrito
it tied
up two wings the ambition of my suburb,
with this
tango, the tango was born and as a scream
it left
the sordid mire looking for the sky."
Written by: Enrique
Santos Discépolo
Music:
Angel Villoldo
This
tango had the own composer's initial lyrics, a later one of Carlos
Marambio Catán, and the definitive one of Discépolo, in 1947.
Singer,
composer and guitarist. Angel Gregorio Villoldo Arroyo, was born in
Barracas, Buenos Aires, on February 16th, 1861. Son of Juan Villoldo,
(Oriental), and Victoria Arroyo, (Argentinean). He was an important
personality of “La guardia vieja”, (“The old guard”). He played the
guitar and the harmonica, he was a lead figure in the variety show of
Buenos Aires of the XIX century. He is known as "El padre del tango
criollo", (“The father of the Creolo tango”. He was an artist and a
worker of multiple professions, he worked as typographer in “La Naci
Juan,
also acted in “cafetines”, (“little cafe”) of La Boca, Los Corrales y
San Telmo and in the carps of Recoleta. In this places he acquired
reputation and fame. Some female singers wanted Villoldo, to be part
of their repertory, and he even composed several tangos for some of
them. He had composed a song called “La pamperito” for the singer "La
morocha", (“The brunette”) with Enrique Saborido´s music, for Lola
Candeles; "El entreriano", with Rosendo Mendizábal´s melody, for
Pepita Avellaneda, and many others. From 1907 he would be an early in
Europe, recording albums in Germany . This same year, he went to
Paris, to record albums in company of the marriage formed by Alfredo
Gobbi and Flora Gobbi with whom he registered several country
compositions, few tangos and some humorous dialogues. That trip
meant the first furor of our tango in the French capital, and in those
times, Villoldo affiliated to the author and composer’s society of
France. Then he founded in Buenos Aires “La sociedad del pequeño
derecho” “The little right society”), precursor of SADAIC. For those
times he was one of the most popular “tanguista” (“fond of tango”).
He
would record songs, monologues and dialogues in : “Era”, “Columbia”
and other album companies. He composed “El choclo”, (“The corn”), “El
torito), (“The bull"), “Una fija” (“A fixed one"), “Cuidado con los
cincuentas”(” Be careful with the fifty"),”Yunta brava”, “El fogonazo”
(“The flash"), “Sacáme una película, gordito”, (”La trigueña), (“The
corn colored”), "Pamperito", "El esquinazo", "De farra en el cabaret",
(“Party in the cabaret”), "La caprichosa", (“The capricious one”), "El
pechador", "Soy tremendo", “(I am tremendous”), "Un mozo bien", (“A
waiter well”), "Petit Salón", "La bicicleta", “(The bicycle), "A la
ciudad de Londres", (“To the city of London”), "Cuerpo de alambre",
(“Wire body”), "El porteñito", and lyrics, of "El 13", (“The 13”)
and “La morocha”, (“The brunette”) the song "Cantar eterno", (“Eternal
singing”). In the year 1919 he was submerged in misery. He died in
Buenos Aires, on October 14th, 1919. A few days later he received the
first check of the society of composers from France, ironically late.
