Orquesta Típica Victor (OTV) - Golden Age recordings

From its creation Orquesta Típica Victor was recording in Guardia Vieja style. The songs from that period were very simple and rhythmical, all the instruments were playing together - "a la parilla". Some other popular orchestras playing in that style were: Adolfo Carabelli, Sexteto Carlos di Sarli, early Francisco Lomuto and Francisco Canaro. In the middle of 30ies the style changed and Golden Age period started. The music became more sophisticated, melodic and romantic. Also OTV did follow that trend.

Songs from that period are probably less known among the dancers than the ones from the Guardia Vieja epoch. I like them a lot, both as a DJ and as a dancer. I'd like you to pay special attention to two of them.

"Una Vez" is the first one. I think that it is currently the most popular song of OTV from that period. It is truly beautiful, its melody usually brings all the dancers to the dance floor. It happens that some songs become popular in the milongas because of some famous couple's performance video on Youtube. I think "Una Vez" is an example of it. It got much more popular (at least at the milongas I was attending) after Noelia Hurtado and Carlitos Espinoza performed to it (link to the video below).

By the way: Noelia had also an important contribution to promoting another tango hit - "Invierno" by Francisco Canaro. At that occasion it was still with Pablo Rodríguez.

Another song to check is "Loca", a song better known from d'Arienzo's repertoire. The version by OTV is pretty much completely unknown. The quality of the recording available is not great and it is not easy to build a consistent tanda with it. I would rather leave playing it during marathons with crowd of experienced dancers.

Song examples:

Una Vez, Canta Ortega del Cerro, 1943
Bailan Carlitos Espinoza y Noelia Hurtado
Bailan Murat y Michelle Erdemsel

Bajo El Cono Azul, Canta Alberto Carol, 1944
Bailan Anita Monteagudo y Pablo Retamar

Tu Vida Es Mi Vida, Instrumental, 1937

Mi Taza De Café, Canta Alberto Carol, 1944

Loca, Instrumental, 1944

Adios Buenos Aires, Angel Vargas, 1938
Bailan Juan Carlos Martinez y Nora Witanowsky

Desesperanza, Canta Mario Pomar, 1939

Orquesta Típica Victor (OTV) - Overview

From the beginnings of tango "industry" some of the recording companies were creating their own tango orchestras. Their main purpose was to represent the companies and make recordings. They usually did not perform in public. Example of such orchestras are: Orquesta Típica Brunswick, Orquesta Típica Columbia, Orquesta Típica Select. But by far the most famous one was Orquesta Típica Victor (OTV).

The orchestra was created in 1925 and existed until 1944. Throughout its history many of the best tango musicians worked there. Adolfo Carabelli was the first leader of the orchestra. Among other famous names we could find bandoneonists: Luis Petruccelli , Ciriaco Ortiz, Carlos Marcucci, Pedro Laurenz; violinists: Agesilao Ferrazzano, Elvino Vardaro, Antonio Buglione, Cayetano Puglisi. Most of those musicians have created their own orchestras after leaving OTV. Among the most important singers we should list: Roberto Díaz, Carlos Lafuente, Alberto Gómez, Ernesto Famá, Luis Díaz, Ortega del Cerro, Angel Vargas.

Between 1925 and 1937 the orchestra was recording in Guardia Vieja style. Later on it followed trend and moved to the Golden Age style. To read about the difference between those styles please check one of my previous posts: Guardia Vieja vs Golden Age.

In the repertoire we will find very wide selection of tangos but also many valses and a few milongas. In my next posts I will write more about them and give many examples...

For more detailed information please go to:
Todo Tango - Orquesta Típica Victor

Guardia Vieja vs Golden Age - part 1

For quite some time already I wanted to write a post about terms that most of us have heard many times, but probably we don't always know what exactly they mean. Those terms are: Guardia Vieja, Guardia Nueva and La Época De Oro. Before writing more, once again I'd like to highlight that I'm am not an expert in the history of tango. My knowledge is based on some basic reading, talking to knowledgeable tango friends and mainly on listening!

While reading some texts about Guardia Vieja, Guardia Nueva and La Época De Oro, I came across several different, sometimes contradictory definitions. Some sources define Guardia Vieja (Old Guard) as the period in the history of Tango covering the years 1880 - 1920. Then comes Guardia Nueva (New Guard) and lasts from 1920 till 1960. La Época De Oro (Golden Age) is not mentioned at all. Even though this classification may be correct, from our perspective (21st century tango dancers and DJs) it does not seem to be very logical and useful.

Another definition cuts the history of tango music in the following way: Guardia Vieja 1880-1925, Guardia Nueva 1925-1935, La Época De Oro 1935 - 1955. This categorization is much closer to my heart and seems much more logical.

And how do I see it? The period before 1925, was the time when the music we are dancing today in milongas was being formed. It starts at the end of the XIX century with "payadores"- folk artists singing accompanied by a guitar. Later came the trios: a flute, a guitar and a violin. Later the bandoneon was added. The big revolution came when the piano replaced the guitar (both of them are string instruments). When I check my collection, I can hear the piano for the first time in recordings of Roberto Firpo's orchestra from 1919. And this was the moment when the tango music started reminding the music we all know today. During the next 5-6 years, the music did evolve further. Together with the music also technology improved. Around 1925 we are ready! The music has developed in a way that it is interesting for the dancers and the quality of the recordings allows us to use it in the milongas.

So the period before 1925 is very important in the history of tango, but it is not that important for us as dancers and DJs. The period between 1925 and 1935 is what I call Guardia Vieja. The music at that time is rhythmic and fairly simple. Most instruments play together and the same (a la parilla). The most important orchestras from this period are: Orquesta Tipica Victor, Adolfo Carabelli, Sexteto Carlos di Sarli and my favorite Francisco Canaro.

In 1935 we have a big change: Juan d'Arienzo arrives with his new style. Many of the existing orchestras change their styles (e.g. OTV, Carlos di Sarli, Fresedo) and other new, great orchestras are formed. This is the best period in the history of tango music and for that reason it is called Golden Age. The music becomes much more sophisticated. Instruments become much more independent (that makes dancing to that music so interesting, we can choose different instruments to dance to). This period lasts until approximately 1960. Around that time tango dancing lost its popularity in Buenos Aires. This is the moment when dance and music take different directions. To a big extent this change of direction can be linked to the genius and great tango musician: Astor Piazzolla.

So here we are: 

- before 1925: music not yet for dancing

- 1925 - 1935: Guardia Vieja period

- 1935 - 1960: Golden Age period

- after 1960: music not for dancing anymore

Don't get me wrong. I don't mean that after 1960 there was no music recorded that can be used in milongas. Myself I do play occasionally some late d'Arienzo (instrumental, with Valdez or Ramos), late Pugliese (I love A Evaristo Carriego or La Mariposa), Calo (e.g. Que falta que me haces with Podesta). But those are rather exceptions.

In one of the coming posts I will focus more on Guardia Vieja and Golden Age period. I will share my experience as a dancer and as a DJ. For now check the song examples below...

Song examples:

Before 1925

Payador - Angel Villoldo, aprox. 1909

Payador - Gabino Ezeiza, 1913

Trio - Eduardo Arolas, approx. 1915

Trio - Juan Maglio "Pacho", 1912

Guardia Vieja (1925-1935)
La guinada, Orquesta Adolfo Carabelli, Instrumental
Ventarrón, Orquesta Típica Victor, Canta Alberto Gómez, 1933
Pipermint, Orquesta Francisco Canaro, Instrumental, 1931
Chau Pinela, Orquesta Carlos di Sarli (sexteto), Canta Ernesto Famá, 1930
Rosa Poneme Una Ventosa, Orquesta Edgardo Donato, Canta Hugo del Carril, 1935
Tinta Verde, Orquesta Osvaldo Fresedo, Instrumental, 1927 

Estoy Penando, Orquesta Típica Brunswick, Instrumental, 1931

Golden Age (1935-1960)

Rie Payaso, Orquesta Juan d'Arienzo, Canta Carlos Casares, 1940
Tus Palabras Y La Noche, Orquesta Carlos di Sarli, Canta Oscar Serpa, 1954
Un Crimen, Orquesta Miguel Caló, Canta Raúl Berón, 1942
Café Dominguez, Orquesta Angel d'Agostino, Instrumental with intro by Julián Centeya, 1955
En Esta Tarde Gris, Orquesta Aníbal Troilo, Canta Francisco Fiorentino, 1941
Sangre De Mi Sangre, Orquesta Rodolfo Biagi, Canta Hugo Duval, 1954
Tupungatina, Orquesta Osvaldo Pugliese, Instrumental, 1952
Nieblas De Riachuelo, Orquesta Osvaldo Fresedo, Canta Roberto Ray, 1937
Alhucena, Orquesta Lucio Demare, Canta Horacio Quintana, 1944

After 1960

Este Es El Rey, Orquesta Juan d'Arienzo, Instrumental, 1971
La Mariposa, Orquesta Osvaldo Pugliese, Instrumental, 1966 

Edgardo Donato - Milongas

In my previous post I have written a little bit about the theory of the milongas and one possible way of categorizing them. Now it's time to get more into practice:). I'm quite sure that Donato's milongas are in the top 3 most frequently played milongas in Europe (with Canaro and d'Arienzo). The songs have a very warm and soft tone, which has probably quite a lot to do with the voice of Horacio Lagos and the use of the accordion.

The milongas of Donato are very playful and one never gets bored with them. Every time I hear  them, I immediately look for a partner to dance. While dancing, I always smile :). Very often I add some spice to the dance by doing some "extras" (e.g. special pause, change of level, etc...) - The music provides lots of opportunities to do them. Very often experienced followers who know the music well, expect those "extras" and to surprise them.... I don't do anything. It's a great game to play!

Amongst the songs you'll find quite a big variety in terms of speed. The slowest songs (El Torito, Papas Calientes or El Lengue) start with 80 bps. The medium speed songs are the most famous and popular ones (e.g. Ella Es Así or Porteña Linda). The fastest songs have really great energy: the most famous is surely La Milonga Que Faltaba.

Enjoy listening and .... dancing :)

Song examples:

Slow milongas:
El Torito, Instrumental , 1939
Papas Calientes, Instrumental, 1937
El Lengue, Instrumental , 1940

Medium speed milongas:
De Punta A Punta, Canta Horacio Lagos, 1939
Ella Es Así, Canta Horacio Lagos, 1938
Porteña Linda, Canta Horacio Lagos, 1940
Sácale Punta, Canta Horacio Lagos, Randona, 1938

Fast milongas:
Campo Afuera, Canta Horacio Lagos, 1940
Milonga Que Faltaba, Canta Horacio Lagos, 1938, Baila Loukas Balokas - Georgia Priskou
Repique Del Corazón, Cantan Horacio Lagos, Romeo Gavio, 1941

MILONGAS

It has been a while since my last publication in this blog. The last weeks have been very busy but now the time has come to start writing again! Originally, I was going to write a post about the milongas of Edgardo Donato. When I thought about the introduction, I realized that the topic can be interesting enough for a stand-alone post. So here it comes... Donato's milongas will follow very soon.

It is always very difficult to make any classification of the tango music. Any "label-putting" carries some risks (there are always some exceptions, we simplify the topic too much, etc...). But still I believe it is wise to classify the music, as it helps us understand the basics and learn more about it. So here comes my classification of milongas... I split them into the following groups:

1) Guardia Vieja style milongas
2) Milongas of d'Arienzo
3) Golden Age milongas

This split might seem very simplistic to many of you. But there's quite some logic behind it and many implications for both dancing and DJ-ing.

1) Guardia Vieja style milongas are the oldest ones. The first song I use while DJ-ing dates back to 1932 (Milonga Sentimental of Adolfo Carabelli). The milongas in this group are very light and playful. In general they are very easy to dance (especially the slow ones). They are perfect for all events and dancers of all levels should appreciate them. In this category we will find the milongas of:

• Francisco Canaro (from 1930ies)
• Edgardo Donato
• Francisco Lomuto (most of them are really fast)
• Orquesta Típica Victor (there are only 2 frequently played songs)

2) Milongas of d'Arienzo. You might be surprised why I put the milongas of one orchestra in a separate category. I think those songs are distinctive enough to treat them separately. They are less playful than the previous ones. The rhythm is dominant, they are very dynamic. One could even say that they are a bit "aggressive". They are relatively difficult to dance.

3) Golden Age milongas. In the beginning of 1940ies the tango music changes significantly. This change did not spare milongas. After the playful and rhythmical milongas of  the 1930ies, the milongas of the 1940ies become much more melodic. This is the main characteristic of this period. In some songs the rhythm is hardly present (e.g. Zorzal by di Sarli). Those songs are generally sophisticated, very difficult to dance and mainly advanced dancers appreciate them. In this category we will find milongas of many orchestras. E.g.:

• Angel d'Agostino
• Aníbal Troilo
• Carlos di Sarli
• Miguel Caló
• Pedro Laurenz
• Ricardo Tanturi
• Rodolfo Biagi

Many dancers don't appreciate milongas from this category. I have heard several times comments such as: "this is bad, not danceable music" - that's obviously not the case. As a dancer, I'm not a big fan of Golden Age milongas, but I appreciate them and I know that it is valuable and important music (even if it is less playful and more difficult to dance). I think it would be great if the dancers knew tango music history and its evolution a little better. This would help them to understand and appreciate good tango music, despite their personal preference and dancing level.

Song examples:

1) Guardia Vieja style:

Ella es asi, Orchestra Edgardo Donato, Canta Horacio Lagos, 1938 

Sácale Punta, Orquesta Edgardo Donato, Canta Horacio Lagos, 1938 

Milonga Sentimental, Orquesta Francisco Canaro, Canta Ernesto Famá, 1933

Reliquias Porteñas, Orquesta Francisco Canaro, Instrumental, 1938

Cacareando, Orquesta Típica Victor, Canta Carlos Lafuente, 1933 

Que Tiempo Aquel, Orquesta Francisco Lomuto, Canta Jorge Omar, 1938 

2) Milongas of d'Arienzo:

La Cicatriz, Orquesta Juan d'Arienzo, Canta Alberto Echagüe, 1939 

Estampa De Varón, Orquestra Juan d'Arienzo, Canta Alberto Echagüe, 1938 

De Ataño, Orquesta Juan d'Arienzo, Canta Alberto Echagüe, 1939 

3) Golden Age Milongas:

El Porteñito, Orquesta Angel d'Agostino, Canta Angel Vargas, 1943

Con Toda Voz Que Tengo, Orquesta Aníbal Troilo, Canta Francisco Fiorentino, 1941

Zorzal, Orquesta Carlos di Sarli, Canta Roberto Rufino, 1941

Milonga Que Peina Canas, Orquesta Miguel Caló, Canta Raul Berón, 1942

Milonga De Mis Amores, Orquesta Pedro Laurenz, Instrumental, 1944

Asi Es La Milonga, Orquesta Ricardo Tanturi, Canta Roberto Castillo, 1942

Flor De Monserrat / Pobre Negrito, Orquesta Rodolfo Biagi, Canta Alberto Amor, 1945