Tuesday Tanda – Aníbal Troilo (tango)

Every Tuesday, we’ll publish a different tanda on our blog, to get you inspired for the week. Expect some humming or little twitches from your foot – better not fight it.

Today, four mythical tangos by Aníbal Troilo “Pichuco”, one of the best bandoneon player of all times.

Troilo was spellbound by the bandoneón when he heard it being played at local cafés in his neighborhood. He was ten when he persuaded his mother to buy him one. They bought it for 140 pesos to be paid in 14 installments, but after the fourth payment, the shopkeeper died and no one ever claimed the reminder. With this instrument, Troilo played almost his whole life.

Troilo has a long career: he first performed when he was 11, on a stage near El Abasto, a noisy fruit and vegetable market. Over the years, he played with various orchestras, before forming the Cuarteto Aníbal Troilo in 1968, initially to record 11 tangos and one milonga for Victor. In total, his orchestra released no less than 485 recordings.

As a composer, some of his most outstanding titles are: “Toda mi vida”, “Barrio de tango”, “Pa’ que bailen los muchachos” (which we’ve translated), “Garúa”, “María”, “Sur” (which we’ve translated too), “Che bandoneón”…

Troilo was a mythical character of Buenos Aires, who, as the poet Adrián Desiderato said: «It was on an eighteenth of May that the bandoneón let Pichuco fall from its hands».

NB: The best way to improve your tango dancing is to know the music you dance on!

See you soon on the dancefloor!

Abrazo,

Nati y Bruno

Source about Anibal Troilo history: http://www.todotango.com/english/artists/biography/50/Anibal-Troilo/