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Tango Toppers: Astor Piazzolla

Published on October 25, 2008 in history and music. 0 Comments

Number two in out Tango Toppers list, and quite a famous one: Astor Piazzolla.

Ástor Piazzolla (March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. An excellent bandoneonist, he regularly performed his own compositions with different ensembles. He is known in his native land as “El Gran Ástor” (“The Great Ástor”).
Astor Piazzolla

This is him performing “Libertango”.

So what are the 10 most popular songs people listen to of his (according to last.fm data)?

#1 Libertango 21396
#2 Adios Nonino 12109
#3 Milonga Del Angel 9389
#4 Oblivion 5012
#5 Verano Porteño 4334
#6 Fear 4107
#7 Mumuki 3755
#8 Por Una Cabeza 3719
#9 Chau Paris 3665
#10 Tanguedia Iii 3626

Tango Toppers: Osvaldo Pugliese

Published on October 16, 2008 in history and music. 0 Comments

Getting to know tango music is quite a task. While you may hear it being played everytime you dance, you don’t always know the names of the composers and performers. Who’s song is ‘Poema’? (Francisco Canaro) Who wrote ‘Llorar por una mujer (“quererla y no tenerla“)? (Enrique Rodriguez) Who plays ‘La Cumparsita’? (just about everyone) So here’s an idea: I’m going to publish a top 10 of popular songs per composer/orchestra. The data I use comes from last.fm.

The first one: Osvaldo Pugliese, best known for his ‘La Yumba’. How does that sound again? Well, see if you recognize this song:

The Pugliese top 10 of songs on Last.fm goes like this:

#1 La Yumba 1617
#2 Recuerdo 1016
#3 Desde El Alma 878
#4 Gallo Ciego 612
#5 Mala Junta 459
#6 La Mariposa 417
#7 Chique 349
#8 Despues 295
#9 Malandraca 289
#10 Chacabuqueando 267

And here you can listen to some of those:

The first records in your tango collection

Published on October 18, 2007 in music. 2 Comments

Even as a seasoned dancer, discovering tango music and its performers can be a daunting adventure. If you hear tango DJs talk, they seem to have this vast knowledge of composers, orchestras and individual singers with detailed preferences for specific years and recording sessions. Where does a beginning lover of tango music start? And which CDs can you buy to start a (modest) collection?

Stephen and Susan Brown from TejasTango have written a nice article about where tango dancers can start learning and collecting music (just one tip: start with Di Sarli). They recommend the following records:

  • Francisco Canaro: La Melodia de Nuestro Adios / Las Grandes Orquestas del Tango
  • Miguel Caló: Yo Soy el Tango
  • Carlos Di Sarli: Instrumental Vol. 1 / RCA Victor 100 Años / Instrumental / Sus Primeros Exitos, vol.1 (c. Roberto Rufino)
  • Juan D’Arienzo: El Rey del Compas / Sus Primeros Exitos, vol. 1 / Sus Primeros Exitos, vol. 2
  • Anibal Troilo: Instrumental / Troilo/Fiorentino / El Inmortal Pichuco
  • Ricardo Tanturi con Alberto Castillo: Tanturi/Castillo / Tangos de mi Ciudad / El Tango es el Tango
  • Alfredo De Angelis: From Argentina to the World / Instrumentales Inolvidables
  • Osvaldo Pugliese: Ausencia / Instrumentales Inolvidables
  • Rodolfo Biagi: Sus Exitos con Falgas y Ibanez / Campo Afuera

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