Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla was born in Mar del Plata, Argentina in 1921 to immigrant Italian parents, Piazzolla spent most of his childhood with his family in New York City. While there, he acquired fluency in four languages: Spanish, English, French, and Italian. He also started playing the bandoneon, quickly rising to the status of child prodigy. While still quite young, he met Carlos Gardel, another great figure of Argentine tango. He returned to Argentina in 1937, where strictly traditional tango still reigned, and played in night clubs with a series of groups. The pianist Arthur Rubinstein (then living in Buenos Aires) advised him to study with the Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera. Delving into scores of Stravinsky, Bartók, Ravel, and others, he gave up tango temporarily and worked as a modernist classical composer.
At Ginastera's urging, in 1953 Piazzolla entered his "Buenos Aires" Symphony in a composition contest, and won a grant from the French government to study in Paris with the French composer and conductor Nadia Boulanger. The insightful Boulanger turned his life around in a day, as Piazzolla tells beautifully in his own words:
"When I met her, I showed her my kilos of symphonies and sonatas. She started to read them and suddenly came out with a horrible sentence: ‘It's very well written.’ And stopped, with a big period, round like a soccer ball. After a long while, she said: “Here you are like Stravinsky, like Bartók, like Ravel, but you know what happens? I can't find Piazzolla in this.” And she began to investigate my private life: what I did, what I did and did not play, if I was single, married, or living with someone, she was like an FBI agent! And I was very ashamed to tell her that I was a tango musician. Finally I said, “I play in a ‘night club.’” I didn't want to say “cabaret.” And she answered, “Night club, mais oui, but that is a cabaret, isn't it?” “Yes,” I answered, and thought, “I'll hit this woman in the head with a radio....” It wasn't easy to lie to her.
She kept asking: “You say that you are not pianist. What instrument do you play, then?” And I didn't want to tell her that I was a bandoneon player, because I thought, “Then she will throw me from the fourth floor.” Finally, I confessed and she asked me to play some bars of a tango of my own. She suddenly opened her eyes, took my hand and told me: “You idiot, that's Piazzolla!” And I took all the music I composed, ten years of my life, and sent it to hell in two seconds."
Piazzolla returned to Argentina in 1955, formed the Octeto Buenos Aires to play tangos, and never looked back.
Upon introducing his new approach to the tango (nuevo tango), he became a controversial figure among Argentines both musically and politically. The Argentine saying "in Argentina everything may change — except the tango" suggests some of the resistance he found in his native land. However, his music gained acceptance in Europe and North America, and his reworking of the tango was embraced by some liberal segments of Argentine society, who were pushing for political changes in parallel to his musical revolution.
During the period of Argentine military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983, Piazzolla lived in France, but returned many times to Argentina, recorded there, and on at least one occasion had lunch with the dictator Jorge Rafael Videla. However, his relationship with the dictator might have been less than friendly, as recounted in Astor Piazzolla, A manera de Memorias (a comprehensive collection of interviews, constituting a memoir):
In 1990 he suffered a thrombosis in Paris and he passed away two years later in Buenos Aires.
Piazzolla's nuevo tango was distinct from the traditional tango in its incorporation of elements of jazz, its use of extended harmonies and dissonance, its use of counterpoint, and its ventures into extended compositional forms. Piazzolla also introduced new instruments that were not used in the traditional tango, including the flute, saxophone, electric guitar, electronic instruments, and a full jazz/rock drum kit.
Piazzolla played with numerous ensembles beginning with the 1946 Orchestra, the 1955 "Octeto Buenos Aires", the 1960 "First Quintet", the 1971 "Noneto", the 1978 "Second Quintet" and the 1989 "Sextet". As well as providing original compositions and arrangements, he was the director and Bandoneon player in all of them. He also recorded an album with jazz sax player Gerry Mulligan. His numerous compositions include orchestral work such as the "Concierto para Bandoneón, Orquesta, Cuerdas y Percusión", "Doble-Concierto para Bandoneón y Guitarra", "Tres Tangos Sinfónicos" and "Concierto de Nácar para 9 Tanguistas y Orquesta", as well as song-form compositions that still today are well known by the general public in his country, like "Balada para un loco" (Ballad for a madman) and "Adiós Nonino" (dedicated to his father) which he recorded many times with different musicians and ensembles. Biographers estimate that Piazzolla wrote around 3,000 pieces and recorded around 500.
He suffered a cerebral haemorrhage in Paris on 4 August 1990, which left him in a coma, and died in Buenos Aires, just under two years later on 4 July 1992, without regaining consciousness.
other albums not listed here
~ The Birth of Tango Nuevo, Vol. 1 - Sinfonia de Tango
~ Mis 30 Mejores Tangos
~ Piazzolla Interpreta A. Piazzolla (Original Album - Remastered)
~ Ensayos
~ Tiempo Nuevo
~ Se Armó
~ El Milrago - The Early Recordings, Vol. 2 (Astor Piazzolla With His First Own Orchestra, So Called 1946 Band.)
~ Tango Moderno
Balada para un loco
Astor Piazzolla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ya sé que estoy piantao, piantao, piantao... No ves que va la luna rodando por Callao; que un corso de astronautas y niños, con un vals me baila alrededor... ¡Baila! ¡Vení! ¡Volá! Ya sé que estoy piantao, piantao, piantao... Yo miro a Buenos Aires del nido de un gorrión; y a vos te vi tan triste... ¡Vení! ¡Volá! ¡Sentí!... El loco berretín que tengo para vos: ¡Loco! ¡Loco! ¡Loco! Cuando anochezca en tu porteño soledad, por la ribera de tu sábana vendré con un poema y un trombón a desvelarte el corazón. ¡Loco! ¡Loco! ¡Loco! Como un acróbata demente saltaré, sobre el abismo de tu escote hasta sentir que enloquecí tu corazón de libertad... ¡Ya vas a ver!
Salgamos a volar, querida mía; subite a mi ilusión supersport, y vamos a correr por las cornisas ¡con una golondrina en el motor! De Vieytes nos aplauden:¡Viva! ¡Viva!, los locos que inventaron el Amor; y un ángel y un soldado y una niña nos dan un valsecito bailador. Nos sale a saludar la gente linda... Y loco -pero tuyo-, ¡qué sé yo!; provoco campanarios con la risa, y al fin, te miro, y canto a media voz:
Quereme así, piantao, piantao, piantao... Trépate a esta ternura de locos que hay en mí, ponete esta peluca de alondras, ¡y volá! ¡Volá conmigo ya! ¡Vení, volá, vení! Quereme así, piantao, piantao, piantao... Abrite los amores que vamos a intentar la mágica locura total de revivir... ¡Vení, volá, vení! ¡Trai-lai-la-larará!
¡Viva! ¡Viva! ¡Viva! ¡Locos! ¡Locos! ¡Locos! ¡Loca ella y loco yo!
The lyrics to Astor Piazzolla's "Balada para un loco" describe a nonsensical, whimsical world that the singer creates with his imagination, inviting the listener to join him in his madness. He appears out of nowhere, dressed peculiarly with a melon on his head and taxi flags in his hands, claiming that only the person he's addressing can see him, while the world around him seems to be encouraging his behavior. He asserts that he is crazy, as the moon rolls down Callao and he dances with astronauts and children. Despite his insanity, he has a deep affection for the person he's addressing, and in the end, he asks them to love him despite his madness. The lyrics are full of surreal imagery, and the interplay of the insane whimsy with the romantic undertones leaves the listener with a feeling of both confusion and elation.
Line by Line Meaning
Las tardecitas de Buenos Aires tienen ese qué sé yo, ¿viste?
The Buenos Aires evenings have that certain something that one cannot describe, you know?
Salís de tu casa, por Arenales. Lo de siempre: en la calle y en vos...
You leave your house and walk down Arenales Street, the same old routine: the street and your thoughts.
Cuando, de repente, de atrás de un árbol, me aparezco yo.
Suddenly, from behind a tree, I appear before you.
Mezcla rara de penúltimo linyera y de primer polizonte en el viaje a Venus:
I am a strange mixture of a second-to-last hobo and a first stowaway on a trip to Venus:
medio melón en la cabeza, las rayas de la camisa pintadas en la piel, dos medias suelas clavadas en los pies, y una banderita de taxi libre levantada en cada mano.
half a melon on my head, the stripes of my shirt painted on my skin, halfway-soles nailed to my feet, and a free taxi sign held up in each hand.
¡Te reís!.. Pero sólo vos me ves: porque los maniquíes me guiñan; los semáforos me dan tres luces celestes, y las naranjas del frutero de la esquina me tiran azahares.
You laugh, but only you can see me, because the mannequins wink at me; the traffic lights give me three celestial lights, and the oranges from the fruit seller on the corner throw oranges at me.
¡Vení!, que así, medio bailando y medio volando, me saco el melón para saludarte, te regalo una banderita y te digo...
Come here! Like this, half dancing and half flying, I take off my melon to greet you, give you a free taxi sign, and tell you...
Ya sé que estoy piantao, piantao, piantao...
I know I'm crazy, crazy, crazy...
No ves que va la luna rodando por Callao; que un corso de astronautas y niños, con un vals me baila alrededor... ¡Baila! ¡Vení! ¡Volá!
Can't you see the moon rolling down Callao Street? A procession of astronauts and children dances a waltz around me... Dance! Come on! Fly!
Yo miro a Buenos Aires del nido de un gorrión; y a vos te vi tan triste... ¡Vení! ¡Volá! ¡Sentí!...
I look at Buenos Aires from the nest of a sparrow, and I saw that you were so sad... Come on! Fly! Feel it!...
El loco berretín que tengo para vos: ¡Loco! ¡Loco! ¡Loco!
The crazy whim I have for you: Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!
Cuando anochezca en tu porteño soledad, por la ribera de tu sábana vendré con un poema y un trombón a desvelarte el corazón.
When night falls in your Buenos Aires loneliness, I'll come along the edge of your sheets with a poem and a trombone to wake up your heart.
Como un acróbata demente saltaré, sobre el abismo de tu escote hasta sentir que enloquecí tu corazón de libertad...
Like a crazy acrobat, I'll jump over the abyss of your cleavage until I feel that I've driven your heart of freedom mad...
¡Ya vas a ver!
You'll see!
Salgamos a volar, querida mía; subite a mi ilusión supersport, y vamos a correr por las cornisas ¡con una golondrina en el motor!
Let's go fly, my dear; get on my super sports illusion and let's run along the ledges with a swallow in the engine!
De Vieytes nos aplauden:¡Viva! ¡Viva!, los locos que inventaron el Amor...
From Vieytes Street, they applaud us: Long Live! Long Live! The crazies who invented love...
y un ángel y un soldado y una niña nos dan un valsecito bailador.
And an angel, a soldier, and a girl give us a little dancing waltz.
Nos sale a saludar la gente linda...
The beautiful people come out to greet us...
Y loco -pero tuyo-, ¡qué sé yo!; provoco campanarios con la risa, y al fin, te miro, y canto a media voz:
And crazy -but yours-, I don't know what else to say! I make bell towers ring with my laughter, and finally, I look at you and sing in a low voice:
Quereme así, piantao, piantao, piantao...
Love me like this, crazy, crazy, crazy...
Trépate a esta ternura de locos que hay en mí, ponete esta peluca de alondras, ¡y volá! ¡Volá conmigo ya! ¡Vení, volá, vení!
Climb onto this madness that's inside me, put on this wig of larks, and fly! Fly with me now! Come on, fly, come on!
Abrite los amores que vamos a intentar la mágica locura total de revivir...
Open yourself up to love, for we're going to try the magical total madness of reliving...
¡Vení, volá, vení! ¡Trai-lai-la-larará!
Come on, fly, come on! Trai-lai-la-larará!
¡Viva! ¡Viva! ¡Viva! ¡Locos! ¡Locos! ¡Locos! ¡Loca ella y loco yo!
Long live! Long live! Long live! Crazies! Crazies! Crazies! She's crazy and I'm crazy!
Contributed by Owen C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sebastiananchur2749
Mí abuelo solía decirme...."no te hagas drama si no te gusta, el tango te espera tranquilo".....30 años después lo entiendo
@mabelgonzalez1413
Es verdad. Era chica yo y a mi tía Camila le encantaba escuchar tangos y cuando ella se dormitaba yo le movía el dial de la radio 🤣😍😭
@AdrianArgen7o
Un sabio tu abuelo!
@valu.mor.316
🥺
@mariaelenahermoso2789
Yo soy venezolana, pero crecí oyendo oyendo tangos, mi mamá y mis tíos oían mucho tangos, me se de memoria los tangos mas famosos, esta composición de Piazola me encanta .
@eneasortega2837
Heme aquí!!!
@shadynarcotics3272
"La diferencia entre un loco y un genio, es el éxito". Que Dios bendiga a la Argentina y su pueblo maravilloso y pueda guiar por el buen camino a su Presidente.
@malenaoxum
A milei? Al abismo
@shadynarcotics3272
@@malenaoxum Lo siguen subestimando. Está haciendo el trabajo sucio que nadie quiso hacer porque no tienen pelotas. La oposición no la ve, por eso perdieron.
@malenaoxum
@@shadynarcotics3272 cual trabajo? Traer a la mafia de macri a endeudarse y fugar? Mientras la pato reprime? Uds no entendieron la letra de esta canción, es de un peronista, Horacio Ferrer, y habla de hippies utopicos que no pudieron cambiar el mundo. No de psiquiatricos marionetas de Mafias!