Carlos Gardel is without doubt one of the most famous tango related artists, and his career changed tango in a profound way, from songs, to movies and much more. Today we’ll look at his style, as for many, Gardel embodies the soul of tango.
The life and career of Carlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel (11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a singer, songwriter and actor. He was born in Toulouse, France, although there are still claims of his birth in Uruguay. He is commonly referred to as “Carlitos”, “El Zorzal” (The Song Thrush), “The King of Tango”, “El Mago” (The Magician) and “El Mudo” (The Mute).
The unerring musicality of Gardel’s baritone voice and the dramatic phrasing of his lyrics made miniature masterpieces of his hundreds of three-minute tango recordings. Together with lyricist and long-time collaborator Alfredo Le Pera, Gardel wrote several tangos, most notably: Mi Buenos Aires querido, Cuesta abajo, Amores de estudiante, Soledad, Volver, Por una cabeza and El día que me quieras.
Carlos Gardel, the legend…
Gardel died in 1935 in an airplane crash in Colombia. Millions of his fans throughout Latin America went into mourning. Hordes came to pay their respects as his body was taken through New York City and Rio de Janeiro. In the neighborhood of Abasto, Buenos Aires, Gardel’s childhood home, the Carlos Gardel Museum opened in 2003. Gardel is still revered around the world.
Listen to Carlos Gardel’s unique rendering of tango songs
Here’s a video of the great Gardel performing Yira Yira:
And another one with pictures of him:
Last, an interview of his partner in the Hollywood movie, Cuesta abajo:
http://www.todotango.com/English/Gardel/Cronicas/mmaris.asp
Abrazo, Nati y Bruno
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Gardel
