Malerba is an Argentine bandoneonist, leader and composer (August 24, 1905 – June 29, 1974). The atmosphere of the late 20′s, and his travels to Europe shaped his musical style. His orchestra is famous for its quality and its swinging sound.
Tuesday tanda
 |  | Discover some of Malerba’s most famous pieces, including Gitana rusa, Mi taza de cafe and Tres amigos. If, like us, you love Malerba’s famous interpretation of the tango Remembranza, you can let yourself get carried away by these performances. |
Translation of “Embrujamiento”
 | | Embrujamiento” (spellbound) is about the spell of passionate love. When he fell in love, the poet in fact fell under a strong unbreakable spell. No matter how much he tries, he finds himself trapped in time, trapped in his own recurring thoughts and feelings. Read the full story, listen to the music and discover the lyrics in English, or watch a high energy and elegant performance by Oscar Mandagaran & Georgina Vargas on Embrujamiento. |
Translation of “La piba de los jazmines”
 | | This Tango depicts a fall from grace, as a fresh-faced working-class girl is gradually seduced by her false lover, with promises of bohemian freedom, of a life beyond the monotonous toil of factory work that awaits her daily. Read the full story, listen to the music and discover the lyrics in English. |
Orchestra facts
Luz Demar… is Ricardo Malerba’s nickname.
1 peso a day… is what Ricardo Malerba and his brothers earned whilst working in cinemas at the start of their tango careers. Ricardo was at the bandoneon, Alfredo at the piano and Carlos at the violin. They were in their early 20′s then.
1927… is the year Ricardo Malerba and his brothers joined Cátulo Castillo’s orchestra for its European tour. Miguel Caló and Roberto Maida were also members of the orchestra.
The tour took them to Spain where they stayed several months and performed in several cities. During this time, they also cut several records for the Odeon label.
Although the tour ended in 1930, the Malerba brothers decided to stay in Europe.
The famous Tabarís Cabaret… is where Ricardo Malerba performed after returning from his European tour. His orchestra had Francisco Fiorentino on vocals.
Thanks to his sister in law, Libertad Lamarque, Ricardo Malerba landed a contract with Radio Belgrano. The contract stipulated he had to play rhythmical tangos, in D’Arienzo style. His own orchestra started in 1938 and he stayed at the station for more than 20 years.
Thirty eight… is the number of records Ricardo Malerba cut for for the Odeon label between 1941 and 1957. The main hits from this stage of his career are: “Gitana rusa”, “Remembranza” and “Magdalena”, with Orlando Medina on vocals, and “Medianoche” and “Una copa más”, with the singer Antonio Maida.
In 1957, he switched to the Music Hall label, for which he recorded five pieces.
“La vida de Carlos Gardel”… is the movie Ricardo Malerba and his orchestra appeared in. It featured Hugo del Carril and Delia Garcés who performed the tango “Noches de Montmartre” (the nights of Montmartre). His orchestra also appeared in the movie Cita en la frontera with his sister in law Libertad Lamarque, as the support for the lead female singer.
Aristocracia… along with “Cuando florezcan las rosas”, “Mariana” (waltzes), “Violín”, “La piba de los jazmines”, “Embrujamiento”, “Taruchito” (tangos) are Ricardo Malerba’s most famous compositions.
