Tango Archive

Another new-and-original picture, this time showing Di Sarli (center, with gla… OK, that was obvious already), his musicians (look how young of them some are!) and the ”kid” Rufino, still in his teens, yet trying to look like a tough guy, in the back. There are two more photos below the main image.

Female singers are very scarce in tango recordings meant for dancing. However, that doesn’t mean there was a lack of female tango singers in general. Several women were popular as tango canción (meant for listening) singers and some of them recorded quite some material, like Ada Falcón. The lady shown on this picture, Dorita Davis, is a lesser-known example among them. However, she at least does appear as a refrain singer in a few songs meant for dancing, more precisely by Roberto Firpo and Orquesta Típica Victor.

This feature shows us the musicians who abandoned Juan D’Arienzo en masse in March 1940 to form a new orchestra under the direction of pianist Juan Polito (on the right, with cigarette), including singer Alberto Echagüe (on the left). According to this article, the orchestra members had been obliged by law (contract) to keep working for D’Arienzo during another month after they announced their intention to break up with him. Sadly, no recordings were left by this Polito-Echagüe partnership.

This piece also mentions that D’Arienzo was already practising with his new orchestra, formerly under the direction of Hector Varela, who conceded leadership to the King of the Beat and instead became the arranger and lead bandoneonist. In contrast with Polito, D’Arienzo new formation did actually start recording music the same year.

This little gem shows Osvaldo Fresedo and his singers Ricardo Ruiz (to the right of the mic, light suit) and Carlos Mayel (next to Ruiz, slightly darker suit) at the heart of their orchestra in the studio of Radio El Mundo. According to the caption they had just returned from a succesful carnaval in the city Rosario, north of Buenos Aires.

Francisco ”Pancho” Lomuto was a true veteran of tango music by the year 1940, when this advertisement was published. It shows Lomuto playing on the piano and on the other side his orchestra posing for a picture, including singers Fernando Díaz and Jorge Omar in the center, both flanking the boss, who sits there like a king on his throne.

Here’s another, somewhat less work-related picture of Miguel Caló with his singer Mario Corrales/Mario Pomar he should have made recordings with *angry look*. Miguel Caló can be recognized in the center, his singer, all set with a nice suit, is standing on the left of the picture.

This photo from 1940 shows Osvaldo Fresedo on the piano and a rarer appearance on print of his young singer Ricardo Ruiz. One can only wonder what song they were practising.

In the late thirties, Francisco Lomuto (on the right) teamed up both his two emblematic singers, Fernando Díaz (left) and Jorge Omar (center). On this photo, they are shown having fun with the inevitable groupies.

Santiago Devin, a name now more or less forgotten, may be recognized by dancers as one of Sexteto Di Sarli’s singers, and one with an excellent voice. He opted for a solo career throughout the rest of the 1930s and is shown on this picture, preparing for a radio broadcast.

This picture shows Aníbal Troilo and Francisco Fiorentino practising a mystery song in 1940. There are no recordings from that year. It’s a tragedy.