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Ricardo Tanturi con Alberto Castillo - Muñeca Brava

Magenta 9051

A beautiful cover and of course great music but average transfers. Don't do it! Get the CDs on Tango Argentino instead; see our Tanturi page for recommendations.

Track list

Francisco Canaro: Ojos Negros

Magenta 9053

Another Canaro album; is it any good?

Magenta's information is never good, but on this album they have surpassed themselves. There are dates on the back - something which would will be really helpful with Canaro who had such a long career! But no my friends, these are not recording dates! These are the dates that the pieces were composed. They have no relationship to the recording dates at all; some are more than 30 years later. Moreover, the CD also includes tracks from the Quinteto Pirincho

However: buried in amongst all this are some real gems. El triunfo is simply beautiful, and the tango Canto por no llorar with Charlo - who else - exquisite.

Ojos negros is the beautiful instrumental version from 1932, unavailable elsewhere on CD. (By the way: it turns out that Ojos negros que fascinan on La Cumparsita - Tango Argentina is not with Ernesto Famá at all, but is with Roberto Maida from 1935). Si yo fuera millonario is an excellent, typically up-beat Canaro tango from 1933 and the vals Vibraciones del alma is the 1956 version by the full orchestra.

And for those of you who like the modern sound, there are 5 tracks recorded in the 1960s - in stereo! These are: Pájaro azul Quiero verte una vez mas Bandoneón arrabalero Tres esperanzas and Tiempos viejos (Te acordás hermano). The unfamiliar names of the vocalists are a bit of a clue here, although not in the case of Eduardo Adrián who was singing with Canaro back in the 1940s.

To clear up the remaining confusions: the tangos Tierra negra, A la gran muñeca Milonga con variaciones and the milonga Arrabalera are by the Quinteto Pirincho whilst the delightful polca (!) Recuerdos is by the earlier incarnation of that group, Quinteto Don Pancho.

Goodness, that was hard work. This is why you come to milonga.co.uk!

Track list

Carlos Di Sarli - Duelo Criollo

Magenta 9063

Lovely Di Sarli album with 13 late 40s tracks from the baritone Jorge Durán, and 3 from Roberto Rufino. This was never the best choice for the collector, as you will want much more of both Durán and Rufino and for this one must turn to Tango Argentino. In any case, it's deleted.

Track list

Pugliese/Vidal - Vieja Recova

Magenta 9097

Scorching Pugliese sides from 1949-1950

In 1949, singer Jorge Vidal was homeless, and sleeping in the back of the bar where he performed. Pugliese discovered him and asked him to join his orchestra. Vidal agreed, but free spirit that he was he stayed only a year before going solo once again. They recorded only eight sides together.

This CD on Magenta is a reprint of the same LP that appears also on El Bandoneón. It includes Pugliese's electrifying instrumental composition Malandraca, one of the triptych of works he composed in the 1940s that define his style. If you don't like this music, Jack you dead.

Vidal is a very powerful baritone - my hair stands on end just thinking about his voice. Wonderful music and underappreciated: Pugliese just seems to be too much for a lot of people.

Customer review

Pugliese - Vidal is otherworldly, I could spend a whole night dancing just to this cd... - D.D.

Track list

Juan D'Arienzo canta Alberto Echagüe - La Morocha

Magenta 9101

Scandalous but true: the only place you can hear some of D'Arienzo's early hits with Echagüe.

Track list

Osvaldo Pugliese - Amurado

Magenta 9105

A good selection of early Pugliese skewed towards the vocals. Quite rightly from the dancer's point of view, those vocal tracks favour Roberto Chanel, Pugliese's best singer for dancing.

The transfers are clean - to my ear, over-cleaned. If you like your music completely without crackles, then this is for you, but this is not my first choice. Sporadic supply

Track list

Héctor Pacheco canta sus exitos con Osvaldo Fresedo

Magenta 9107

1960s recordings, not with Fresedo or even Carlos García, but with a backing group Pacheco calls the Orqusta Típica Don Osvaldo after Fresedo, not Pugliese ;)

I don't normally like these 1960s vocals, but the interpretation of Corrientes y Esmeralda is really special.

Track list

Tangos de la epoca del fonógrafo

Magenta 9109

And now for something completely different!

This is a CD of the earliest tangos. It contains some of the very first tango recordings ever made, way back in 1905. including the first tango with vocals, El criollo falsificado by the Gobbi duo (Alfredo's parents).

The fidelity is surprisingly good throughout. A fascinating document for those who want to hear the roots of tango from over a century ago.

Track list

Felipe Antonio - Tangos Valses Milongas Pasodobles

Magenta 88020

Felipe Antonio was another artist like Rafael Rossi who made music with a countryside feeling - even when performing city music. The group sounds like a trio of a bandoneón (presumably Antonio himself) backed by two guitars. The arrangements are very simple, the playing unsophisticated, but it's charming, relaxing and easy to enjoy.

Despite the title, I couldn't find any milongas here.

Track list