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Francisco Canaro - Roberto Maida canta sus éxitos

EMI 541691

Canaro certainly knew how to make good dancing music. By the mid 1940s it was becoming a bit easy-listening (nothing wrong with that I hear some of you say), but on this album, recorded in 1936-1938, we catch him in better form. Roberto Maida was Canaro's singer from 1935 - 1938, the bridge between two long spells that Ernesto Famá spent with the band that were very different in quality. When Famá returns, it is with the faster pace that would define the beginning of the golden decade of the 1940s, but when he left it marked the end of the slow style of the late 20s and early 30s - an end already presaged by Canaro's innovative introduction of the milonga in 1933.

Maida therefore marks the change between the old and the new. The pace is beginning to increase, although not nearly as dramatically as Donato's, and you can mostly date the tracks by this alone. the faster ones such as Mano a mano are from the end of his stay (1938) whilst the slower ones such as Mi noche triste are closer to the beginning (1936). As ever with Reliquias, the tracks more or less run in reverse chronological order.

The disc contains the awesome Milonga criolla (although not in the very best fidelity) and a sung version of Milonga triste, which you might play at the milonga just once for novelty value, but probably not more often. Of more interest are the tangos, playful, enjoyable and strong in typical Canaro fashion.

Track list

1. Mano a mano
2. Madreselva
3. Nada más
4. Romantica vals
5. Desprecio
6. Desaliento
7. Adiós muchachos
8. Milonga criolla milonga
9. Ave de paso
10. Siempre unidos
11. El adiós
12. La noche que me esperes vals
13. Paciencia
14. La cuarenta
15. Que le importa al mundo
16. Milonga triste milonga
17. Mi noche triste
18. Amor
19. Milonguita
20. Noches de amor vals

Carlos Di Sarli 1928/1931

EURO 17022

These fabulous sides of Di Sarli's early sextet won't be to everyone's taste. Beats me though. I just can't get enough of this period.

Track list

1. TBC
2. La guitarrita
3. Belén
4. Pobre yo
5. Quién te ve
6. No te aguanto más
7. Cicatrices
8. Rosamel vals
9. Sábado
10. No cantes Victoria
11. Racing Club
12. Don José María
13. Chau pinela
14. La estancia
15. Flora
16. Añorándote
17. Que Dios la perdone
18. Cachivache
19. Sobre el pucho
20. La baguala
21. Una noche de garufa
22. Maldita

Canta:

Santiago Devincenzi (7); Ernesto Famá (14,15); Fernando Diaz (17)

Gotan Project: La Revancha del Tango

Surely everyone has this iconic album, still the best - the most musical - "tango nuevo" album ever. Released in 2001, it's still interesting and exciting eight years later. Even the most ardent traditionalist should have this CD.

Track list

1. Queremos paz
2. Epoca
3. Chunga's revenge
4. Triptico
5. Santa Maria (del buen ayre)
6. Una música brutal
7. El capitalismo foraneo
8. Last tango in Paris
9. La del ruso
10. Vuelvo al sur

Osvaldo Pugliese - Sus éxitos con Alberto Morán vol.2

EMI 529112

temporarily out-of-stock

In the history of tango there has never been a singer with as much appeal to the ladies as Alberto Morán. When he came to the microphone, the men suddenly found themselves without partners because the girls had all rushed to the foot of the stage. The reason was his dramatic, sensual and intense style. It's hard to find words to describe the power of Morán's voice. This is uncompromising, high-octane stuff: take it in small doses, or you'll either switch off or pass out.

With Morán, Pugliese was instrumental in initiating the change of role of the singer within the orchestra. Here we see the singer poised between the cantor de orquesta of the 1940s, tightly integrated within the orchestra, and the soloist of the 1950s, out in front, and backed by his orchestra. Make no mistake: despite the brilliance of these sides, it's not as good for dancing as Pugliese's work with Chanel.

Morán's style ruined his voice when he was still relatively young, but his fans didn't care. Here he is though at the height of his powers. The most satisfying tracks for dancing are the two duos with Chanel which deserve to be heard more often at the milonga, Por qué? being particularly delightful.

Track list

1. La última copa
2. Que nunca me falte
3. Ahora no me conocés
4. Llevatelo todo
5. No quiero perderte
6. Quiero verte una vez más
7. Llámame
8. Porque no te tengo más
9. El mareo
10. Dejame en paz
11. Dos ojos tristes
12. Hoy al recordarla
13. Cafetín
14. Desilusión
15. En secreto
16. Manos adoradas vals
17. Por qué ?
18. Por qué no has venido?
19. La noche que me esperes vals
20. Dos que se aman vals

Cantan

Alberto Morán (1-8,10-16,18-20) dúo Chanel - Morán (9,17)