2011: Eighth Day Eighth Tango

Tango Argentiniano

El Choclo, composed by Ángel Villoldo, in 1898 it seems. It was premiered in Buenos Aires in 1903 - the date appears on a program of the venue - at El Americano on 966 Cangallo Street (today the street changed its name to Teniente General Perón).



The orchestra was conducted by José Luis Roncallo, who had to change the name of the song to Danza Criolla: the owner of the place did not like tango music.

El Choclo: (video by tangoteatro)

Why El Choclo? The sister of the composer once explained, El Choclo was in fact a tough guy, a pimp, that was based in the surroundings of Junín and Lavalle; he was called by that name because of the color of his hair. This denies the explanation given by the composer himself (who had been cautious, it seems, to not upset anybody), pa' mi el choclo es lo más rico del puchero.

Here are the lyrics (in the 1930 version of Juan Carlos Marambio Catán):

Vieja milonga que en mi horas de tristeza,
traes a mi mente tu recuerdo cariñoso
y, encadenandome a tus notas dulcemente,
siento que el alma se me encoje poco a poco;
recuerdo triste de un pasado que en mi vida
dejo una pagina de sangre escrita a mano
y que se he llevado como cruz de mi martirio
aunque mi carga infame me llene de dolor.

Hoy que los años han blanqueado ya mis sienes,
que en mi pecho solo anida la tristeza
como una luz que ilumina en el sendero
llegan tus notas de melodica belleza.
Tango querido, viejo tango que me embargas
con la cadencia de tu musica sentida
quiero morir bajo el arrullo de tus quejas,
cantando mi querellas, llorando mi dolor
recuerdo aquella epoca, tan linda que se fue.

And another video based on a recording from 1929:

El Choclo: (video by 240252)

(Les Troubadours du Temps Jadis)