His music is played often at milongas in Buenos Aires, and the instrumentals are the classic harder rhythmic tangos with a strong staccato dance rhythm. He also recorded many great milongas and fast valses.
More detail.....
(December 14, 1900 – January 14, 1976)
D'Arienzo was born on 14 December 1900 in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Balvanera.
By 1936 Juan D'Arienzo was at the height of his popularity. He was just 35 years old, one less than Julio De Caro –but stylistically at the other end of the musical horizon of tango. De Caro was already a star in 1924 when D'Arienzo began his rise to popularity when Pablo Osvaldo Valle took him to the brand new El Mundo radio station.
Like almost all the musicians in those days, he started in tango as a boy. He played violin in local venues at a very early age with Angel D'Agostino on piano, the bandoneon player Ernesto Bianchi (Lechuguita) and Ennio Bolognini, Remo and Astor´s brother. His first known performance goes back to 1919. In that year, he played with the Arata-Simari-Franco theater company when they presented the comic play by Alberto Novión, "El cabaret Montmartre" at the Nacional theater.
In an interview in 1949 with Andrés Muñoz,he said “We, D'Agostino and I on the violin, took part in the opening night of Alberto Novión´s sainete "El cabaret Montmartre". At the play a small tango orchestra appeared, led by us, and which accompanied Los Undar's, a famous dancing number formed by the partners la Portuguesa and El Morocho, two stars of tango canyengue”.
Doctor Luis Adolfo Sierra has established, however, that Roberto Firpo's orchestra premiered that show (Firpo, on piano; Cayetano Puglisi, on violin; Pedro Maffia and Juan Bautista Deambroggio, on bandoneons, and Alejandro Michetti, on drums) until September 1 of that year, when it was replaced by that of D'Arienzo-D'Agostino.
D'Arienzo remained linked to theater. Always with D'Agostino on piano, he accompanied Evita Franco, who beautifully sang tangos like "Loca", "Entra nomás" or "Pobre milonga".
He also played violin in the Frederickson jazz band and assembled a sextet with D'Agostino on piano; the other violin was Mazzeo. On bandoneons were Anselmo Aieta and Ernesto Bianchi, and Juan Puglisi on bass.
When D'Agostino left, he was replaced by Luis Visca, who was then composing "Compadrón".
1935 is the key year in D'Arienzo´s career. This is the year when the D'Arienzo we all remember really appeared. That happened when Rodolfo Biagi joined the orchestra. Biagi was a pianist who had played with Pacho, who had accompanied Gardel on some recordings, and had played with Juan Guido and Juan Canaro. By then, D'Arienzo was performing at the Chantecler. Biagi´s inclusion meant a change of time signature for D'Arienzo orchestra, which changed the four-eight for the two-four; that is to say, he returned to two-four, the fast frolic beat of the early tangos.
When Biagi left him in 1938 to assemble his own orchestra, D'Arienzo had already identified himself with the two-four definitively. Facing the martial rhythm by Canaro, the somewhat street band-like platitude of Francisco Lomuto, and De Caro´s symphonic attempts, D'Arienzo contributed a fresh, juvenile, enlivening air to tango.
Tango, which had been an ostentatious, challenging almost gymnastic dance, turned one day, according to Discépolo, into a sad thought which can be danced to. The dance had become subsidiary, displaced by lyrics and the singers, and then by the arrangement. D'Arienzo gave tango back to the dancers´feet and with that he revived the interst of the young in tango.
This nickname "king of beat", given by Príncipe cubano (Angel Sanchez Carreño), an MC at the cabaret Chantecler, turned into the king of the dance, and by getting people to the dance he earned a lot of money.
Tango lovers despise D'Arienzo. He is considered as a sort of tango demagogue. But D'Arienzo, as José Luis Macaggi has very well said, made possible that tango renaissance called "la década del cuarenta" (the 40s), a decade which represented The golden Age of Tango.
When D'Arienzo achieved success with the new beat, he dazzled the Chantecler dancers and El Mundo radio station broadcast it all over the country.
In 1949 D'Arienzo said: “In my view, tango is, above all, rhythm, nerve, strength and character. Early tango, that of the old stream (guardia vieja), had all that, and we must try not to ever lose it. Because we forgot that, Argentine tango entered into a crisis some years ago. Putting aside modesty, I did all was possible to make it reappear. In my opinion, a good part of the blame for tango decline is on the singers. There was a time when a tango orchestra was nothing else but a mere pretext for the singer´s performance. The players, including the leader, were no more than accompanists of the popular stars. For me, that can´t be. Tango is essentially music. In consequence, the orchestra, which plays it, cannot be relegated to the background to spotlight only the singer. The human voice is not, it should not be another thing but an instrument more in the orchestra. To sacrifice everything for the singer´s sake, for the star, is a mistake. I reacted against that mistake which caused the tango crisis and placed the orchestra in the foreground and the singer in his place. Furthermore, I tried to rescue for tango its masculine strength, which it had been losing. In my interpretations I stamped the rhythm, the nerve, the strength and the character which distinguished it in the music world and which it had been losing for the above reasons. Luckily, that crisis was temporary, and today tango has been re-established, our tango, with the vitality of its best times. My major pride is to have contributed to that renaissance of our popular music. [Edited quote from the Aquí Está magazine].
In 1975, a month before his death, D'Arienzo noted again: "The foundation of my orchestra is the piano. I regard it as irreplaceable. When my pianist, Polito is ill, I replace him with Jorge Dragone. If something happens to the latter I´m at a loss. Then the fourth violin appears as an essential element. It must sound like a viola or a cello. I assemble my group with piano, double bass, five violins, five bandoneons and three singers. Less members, never. I had even used, for some recordings, up to ten violins".[Interview made known by Telam and taken from La Voz del Pueblo, Tres Arroyos, 23 December 1975].
Due to the importance given to piano by the maestro, it is not superfluous to give here the list of his pianists: Alfonso Lacueva, René Cóspito, Vicente Gorrese, Nicolás Vaccaro, Juan Polito, Luis Visca, Carlos Di Sarli, Lidia Fassoli, Cesar Zagnolli, Rodolfo Biaggi, Juan Polito, Fulvio Salamanca, Juan Polito, Normando Lazara (Di Sarli only performed for a month, at the Chantecler, in 1934, replacing Visca)
In 1975, when the avant-garde movement was in bloom, D'Arienzo went on saying that "if musicians turned back to the pureness of two-four, the passion for our music would come again and, thanks to the modern media of broadcasting, we would reach world importance".[Interview made known by Telam and taken from La Voz del Pueblo, Tres Arroyos, 23 December 1975].
Originally published in Tango y Lunfardo Nº 132, Year XIV, Chivilcoy, 16 September 1997.
El Choclo
Juan D'Arienzo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tango
Musica di: Angel Villoldo e Enrique Santos Discepolo (1903 - 1942)
Con este tango que es burlon y compadrito
se ato dos alas la ambición de mi suburbio;
con este tango nacio el tango y como un grito
salio del sordido barrial buscando el cielo:
El choclo (Nomignolo dato al tango)
Con questo tango che è scherzoso e caporione,
presero le ali le emozioni del mio sobborgo.
Con questo tango nacque il tango e come un grido
uscì dalla sordida periferia cercando il cielo:
Conjuro extraño de un amor hecho cadencia
que abrio caminos sin más luz que la esperanza,
mezcla de rabia de dolor, de fe, de ausencia
llorando en la inocencia de un ritmo jugueton.
Scongiuro strano di un amore fatto di cadenza
che aprì il cammino senza più guida ne speranza,
miscuglio di collera, di dolore, di fede e privazioni,
piangendo all'innocenza di un ritmo buontempone.
Por tu milagro de notas agoreras,
nacieron sin pensarlo, las paicas y las grelas,
luna de charcos, canyengue en las caderas,
y un ansia fiera en la manera de querer...
Per tuo miracolo di note presagite,
nacquero senza pensarlo i piaceri e le sventure,
luna nelle pozze, movimenti nei loro fianchi
e un'ansia fiera nel modo di amare ...
Al evocarte, tango querido,
siento que tiemblan las baldosas de un bailongo
y oigo el rezongo de mi pasado...
Ad evocarti, amato tango,
Sento che tremano le piastrelle di una balera
e odo il brontolio del mio passato...
Hoy, que no tengo más a mi madre,
siento que llega en punta'e pie para besarme
cuando tu canto nace al son de un bandoneón...
Oggi che non ho più mia madre,
la sento arrivare in punta di piedi per baciarmi
quando il tuo canto nasce al suono di un bandoneòn...
Carancanfunfa se hizo al mar con tu bandera
y en un 'pernó' mezclo a Paris con Puente Alsina,
triste compadre del gavion y de la mina
y hasta comadre del bacan y la pebeta.
Carancanfù si alzò al mare con la tua bandiera
e in un Pernòt mischiò Parigi con Puente Alsina.
Tu fosti compare del bullo e della pupa,
e anche comare del riccone e la fanciulla.
Por vos shusheta, cana, reo y mishiadura
se hicieron voces al nacer con tu destino...
Misa de faldas, querosen, tajo y cuchillo,
que ardio en los conventillos y ardio en mi corazón!
Per il tuo spargersi, gendarme colpevole ed immondizia,
si fecero voci al nascere sul tuo destino ...
messa di gonne, cherosene, taglio e coltello,
che arse nei loro caseggiati e arse nel mio cuore!
Tango querido ... tango argentino
siento que tiemblan las baldosas de un bailongo
y orgo el rezongo de mi pasado.
Tango querido … tango argentino
siento que llega en punta e pie para basarme
cuando tu canto nace al son de un bandoneon.
Amato tango … tango argentino
sento che tremano le piastrelle di una balera
ed ascolto il brontolio del mio passato.
Amato tango … tango argentino
sento che arriva in punta di piedi per baciarmi
quando il tuo canto nasce al suono di un bandoneon
The lyrics to Juan D'Arienzo's "El Choclo" talk about the birth of the tango dance in Argentina. The lyrics describe the tango as a playful and rebellious dance that originated in the slums and eventually made its way to the highest echelons of society. The song speaks to the deep emotions that the dance evokes, including love, pain, and hope.
The song begins by describing the tango as a playful and rebellious dance that was born from the slums and aimed to reach the sky. The lyrics go on to describe the tango as a strange spell of love that opened paths with only hope as its light. The song talks about the various emotions that the dance evokes, including anger, pain, faith, and longing, all of which are expressed through the rhythm of the dance.
The lyrics also talk about the love and passion that people feel when they dance the tango. The song speaks to the deep connection that people have with the music and how it can stir up memories of the past. The song ends by paying tribute to the tango as an Argentinian cultural icon that has become a symbol of the country's spirit and soul.
Line by Line Meaning
Con este tango que es burlon y compadrito se ato dos alas la ambición de mi suburbio;
Con questo tango ironico e sopraffatto, l'ambizione del mio sobborgo si legò a due ali;
con este tango nacio el tango y como un grito salio del sordido barrial buscando el cielo:
Con questo tango nacque il tango e come un grido uscì dalla sordida periferia cercando il cielo:
Scongiuro strano di un amore fatto di cadenza che aprì il cammino senza più guida ne speranza, miscuglio di collera, di dolore, di fede e privazioni, piangendo all'innocenza di un ritmo buontempone.
Uno strano incantesimo di un amore fatto di cadenza aprì il cammino senza più guida né speranza, mescolanza di collera, dolore, fede e privazioni, piangendo con l'innocenza di un ritmo giocoso.
Per tuo miracolo di note presagite, nacquero senza pensarlo i piaceri e le sventure, luna nelle pozze, movimenti nei loro fianchi e un'ansia fiera nel modo di amare ...
Per il tuo miracolo di note presagite, nacquero senza pensarlo i piaceri e le sventure, luna nelle pozze, movimenti nei loro fianchi e un'ansia fiera nel modo di amare ...
Ad evocarti, amato tango, Sento che tremano le piastrelle di una balera e odo il brontolio del mio passato ...
Ad evocarti, amato tango, sento che tremano le piastrelle di una balera e sento il brontolio del mio passato ...
Oggi che non ho più mia madre, la sento arrivare in punta di piedi per baciarmi quando il tuo canto nasce al suono di un bandoneòn ...
Ora che non ho più mia madre, la sento arrivare in punta di piedi per baciarmi quando il tuo canto nasce al suono di un bandoneon...
Tu fosti compare del bullo e della pupa, e anche comare del riccone e la fanciulla.
Sei stato amico del bullo e della pupa, e anche amico del riccone e della fanciulla.
Per il tuo spargersi, gendarme colpevole ed immondizia, si fecero voci al nascere sul tuo destino ... messa di gonne, cherosene, taglio e coltello, che arse nei loro caseggiati e arse nel mio cuore!
Per il tuo diffondersi, polizia colpevole e immondizia, si fecero voci al tuo nascere sul tuo destino ... messa di gonne, cherosene, taglio e coltello, che arse nei loro appartamenti e nel mio cuore!
Amato tango … tango argentino sento che arriva in punta di piedi per baciarmi quando il tuo canto nasce al suono di un bandoneon.
Amato tango ... tango argentino, sento che arriva in punta di piedi per baciarmi quando il tuo canto nasce al suono di un bandoneon.
Contributed by Lila S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@norbertorubenattadia3924
Con este tango que es burlón y compadrito
Batió sus alas la ambición de mi suburbio
Con este tango nació el tango, y como un grito
Salió del sórdido barrial buscando el cielo
Conjuro extraño de un amor hecho cadencia
Que abrió caminos sin más ley que la esperanza
Mezcla de rabia, de dolor, de fe y ausencias
Llorando en la inocencia de su ritmo juguetón
Por tu milagro de notas agoreras
Nacieron, sin pensarlo, las paicas y las grelas
Luna en los charcos, canyengue en las caderas
Y un ansia fiera en la manera de querer
Al evocarte, tango querido
Siento que tiemblan las baldosas de un bailongo
Y oigo el rezongo de mi pasado
Hoy, que no tengo más a mi madre
Siento que llega en punta 'e pie para besarme
Cuando tu canto nace al son de un bandoneón
Carancanfunfa se hizo al mar con tu bandera
Y en un pernó mezcló a París con puente alsina
Fuiste compadre del gavión y de la mina
Y hasta comadre del bacán y la pebeta
Por vos shusheta, cana, reo y mishiadura
Se hicieron voces al nacer con tu destino
¡Misa de faldas, querosén, tajo y cuchillo
Que ardió en los conventillos y ardió en mi corazón
@cesarrenatoavilesaranda2446
Mi Padre era Argentino de Buenos Aires y el Tango lo aprendi de el Q.E.D. lindos y muchos recuerdo.
@denisordonez3161
Argentinian music is amazing. One of the most mesmerizing cultures around the world. Argentine people are cool, funny, nice, talented and humble. Great country.
Greetings from Argentina.
@masticadosampler7946
Te mamaste.jajaaja.
@elsebaswin2
La mejor terapia, el mejor vino , el mas rico dulce de leche...esto te transporta a otro mundo, cien cuadros del mejor pintor todos juntos son una pincelada de Tango.
@eunesco
Tengo 39 y se lo estoy haciendo conocer a mí hijo de 4. El tango nunca va a morir.
@samrabinovici1140
Soy Uruguayo y recuerdo a mi padre tocando los discos de D'arienzo...para el la mejor orquesta de tango....siempre me decia que el tango era la mejor musica del mundo....que razon tenia....
@hugojauregui9487
Lo baile en 5to grado hoy tengo 61 y me emociono
@fernandosamudio3376
Soy colombiano y esta bellísima musica me hace sentir argentino.
@carlitoselias6214
imaginate como me sieto yo, en esta cuarentena. el tango y un buen vino
@valentinocoletti5929
Ser argentino no significa haber nacido en el país, sinó sentirse uno.