El Choclo

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El Choclo , Habanera rhythm
The Orquesta de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires plays this tango in an arrangement that makes the rhythm of the habanera , a forerunner of tango, clearly audible.
The artistically designed title page of the piano score of the 'Tango criollo' "El choclo" composed by José Luis Roncallo , which was composed around 1903 by Ángel Gregorio Villoldo.

El Choclo (Spanish: “the corn cob”) is the erotic and ambiguous title of this tango, which is internationally most played, right after La Cumparsita , A media luz and Adiós muchachos .

El choclo is the masterpiece of Ángel Gregorio Villoldo (1861–1919), a famous composer of the Old Guard , the Guardia Vieja .

The original instrumental was premiered on November 3, 1903 in Buenos Aires in the elegant restaurant "El Americano" by Villoldo's friend, the pianist and arranger José Luis Roncallo. José Luis Roncallo also wrote the famous piano score, which is reprinted again and again in tango literature because of its eye-catching, artistically designed title page . With this premiere in a pub frequented by the upper class, the social acceptance of tango, which until then had only been danced by the lower class, began. Villoldo initiated the cultural transfer of tango to Europe:

"Together with the married couple Alfredo Gobbi (note: Uruguayan violinist and orchestra conductor) Villoldo undertook a trip to Paris in 1907, which has a certain historical significance, as he and the Gobbis were the first to present tango to the public in Europe."

- Dieter Reichardt: Tango. Denial and grief. Contexts and texts, pp. 74/75.

The Argentine vernacular gave the popular composer Ángel Gregorio Villoldo the honorary title El papá del tango criollo , father of Argentine tango, because of his importance for the development of sung and danced tango .

It was not until forty years later the Tangopoet wrote Enrique Santos Discépolo the vocal version, which in the Spanish-speaking world in the tango canción de has sung the tango, enforced. In it, the rise of tango from wicked circles such as slums and red-light districts into the bourgeois world of the higher classes, in a detour via the metropolis of Paris, is metaphorically described:

V01 Con este tango que es burlón y compadrito
V02 Batió sus alas la ambición de mi suburbio.
V03 Con este tango nació el tango, y como un grito
V04 Salió del sórdido barrial buscando el cielo ...

V19 Carancanfunfase hizo al mar con tu bandera
V20 Y en un pernó mezcló a París con Puente Alsina

The
ambition of my suburb flapped its wings with this tango, which is mocking and revolting .
With this tango the tango was born, and like a scream
it rose from the dirty slums and searched for the sky ...

A skilled tango dancer set off across the sea with your flag
and mixed in a Pernod, Paris and Alsina bridge ...

'El choclo' in Argentina

The title

«El puchero» with the typical corn on the cob

Tango literature reports different things about the origin of the ambiguous title. In a figurative sense, el choclo , "the cob of corn", is known because of its shape as a phallic symbol . On the other hand, as a vegetable, it is an indispensable component of the popular puchero rioplatense (Spanish puchero means "stew, pot, stone pot; also livelihood"), the rioplatensian stew dish:

"Pa 'mi el choclo es lo más rico del puchero."

"For me the corn on the cob is the most delicious thing in the« Puchero »"

whereby the word puchero is used in the figurative sense to allude to the daily livelihood: "ganarse el puchero", which would correspond to the Germans "earn their breads":

"La palabra '' puchero 'se emplea para aludir a la comida necesaria para mantenerse."

"The word 'puchero' is used to allude to the food necessary for survival."

- María Moliner: Diccionaro de uso del español

So was 'El choclo' as a potboiler planned catchy with its melody and performance at an exquisite location Villoldo is a better existence and permanently filled with corn on the cob "Pucheros" promised. The original instrumental was premiered on November 3rd, 1903 or 1905 in the elegant restaurant "El Americano", 6, Calle Cangallo, today calle Teniente General Juan Domingo Perón, by the pianist, double bass player and arranger Jose Luis Roncallo:

Roncallo había escrito la partitura original de 'El choclo'… Asimismo, fue el que lo estrenó the 3 de noviembre de 1903, en el Restaurante El Americano de Buenos Aires .

“Roncallo wrote the original score for 'El choclo'. It was also he who played El choclo for the first time in public on November 3, 1903 in the El Americano restaurant in Buenos Aires. "

- Biography about Jose Luis Roncallo

According to the composer's sister Villoldo, "El choclo" was the nickname of a well-known blonde pimp given to him because of the color of his hair:

“Why 'El choclo'? Irene Villoldo, sister of the composer, once explained it to the singer Juan Carlos Marambio Catán. These are her words: 'El choclo' was in fact a tough guy who as well was 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. "

“Why 'El Choclo'? Irene Villoldo, the composer's sister, explained it to the singer Juan Carlos Marambio Catán one day. These are her words: 'El choclo' was indeed a hard-hitting fellow and pimp who lived in the vicinity of Junín and Lavalle streets (in Buenos Aires). He was called by this name because he had blond hair. "

Song lyrics

“In the course of the development of the tango, 'El choclo' was given three different texts. Villoldo wrote the first himself, and Enrique Santos Discépolo wrote the last . This tango - with its ambiguous title - was initially conceived only as a dance, the first part of which lets something of the rhythm of the habanera shimmer through with faster, repeated notes . "

- Dieter Reichardt: Tango. Denial and grief. Contexts and texts. P. 74.

Text by Enrique Santos Discépolo, 1947

The poetry of the tango poet Enrique Santos Discépolo from 1947 is the best known and most sung Argentine text version of 'El choclo':

"Of the multitude of lyricists, Enrique Santos Discépolo ," Discepolín "as he was generally called with concerned tenderness, achieved the greatest popularity ... Discepolín wrote a total of 26 tangos."

- Dieter Reichardt: Tango. Denial and grief. Contexts and texts , p. 147.

Here Discépolo's text version from 1947, El choclo :

Verse 20: Y en un pernó mezcló a París con Puente Alsina. And mixed in a Pernod , Paris and Alsina bridge. (mixed Paris and Buenos Aires)

V01 Con este tango que es burlón y compadrito
V02 Batió sus alas la ambición de mi suburbio,
V03 Con este tango nació el tango, y como un grito
V04 Salió del sórdido barrial buscando el cielo.
V05 Conjuro extraño de un amor hecho cadencia
V06 Que abrió caminos sin más ley que la esperanza,
V07 Mezcla de rabia, de dolor, de fe, de ausencia
V08 Llorando en la inocencia de un ritmo juguetón.

V09 Por tu milagro de notas agoreras
V10 Nacieron sin pensarlo, las paicas y las grelas,
V11 Luna de charcos, canyengue en las caderas
V12 Y un ansia fiera en la manera de querer.
V13 Al evocarte, tango querido
V14 Siento que tiemblan las baldosas de un bailongo
V15 Y oigo el rezongo de mi pasado.
V16 Hoy que no tengo, más a mi madre
V17 Siento que llega en punta de pie para besarme
V18 Cuando tu canto nace al son de un bandoneón.

V19 Carancanfunfa se hizo al mar con tu bandera
V20 Y en un pernó mezcló a París con Puente Alsina
V21 Fuiste compadre del gavión y de la mina
V22 Y hasta comadre del bacán y la pebeta.
V23 Por vos, shusheta, cana, reo y mishiadura
V24 Se hicieron voces al nacer con tu destino,
V25 Misa de faldas, querosén, tajo y cuchillo
V26 Que ardió en los conventillos y ardió en mi corazón.

The
ambition of my suburb flapped its wings with this tango, which is mocking and revolting .
With this tango the tango was born, and like a scream
it rose from the filthy slums and sought the sky.
The magic of a love turned into rhythm,
which opened the way, justified only through hope, a
mixture of anger, pain, belief and privation,
weeping in the innocence of a playful rhythm.

Through the miracle of your foreboding notes
, the lovers and the floozy were suddenly born,
the moon in the puddles, the swing in the hips
and a wild longing in the way of love.
In the memory, beloved Tango,
I feel the tiles shake at
the Schwof , and I hear the grumbling of my past ...
Today, since I no longer have my mother,
I feel her tiptoeing to kiss me
when your song comes alive to the sound of the bandoneon.

A skilled tango dancer set off across the sea with your flag
and mixed in a Pernod , Paris and Alsina bridge .
You were pal of the seducer and lover
and even matchmaker of the rich man and the young girl.
You turned dandy, policeman, crook and misery
into voices born with your fate ...
A mass of skirts, kerosene, cut and knife that
flared up in the tenements and in my heart.

Text by Juan Carlos Marambio Catán, 1930

Ángel Vargas sings the version by Juan Carlos Marambio Catán in 1941:

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.

Hoy que los años
Han blanqueado ya mis sienes,
Tango querido,
Viejo tango que me embarga,
Con la cadencia
De su musica sentida,
Recuerdo aquella epoca,
Tan linda que se fue.

Text Villoldo, 1903

De un grano nace la planta
Que más tarde nos da el choclo,
Por eso de la garganta
Dijo que estaba bichoco.
Y yo como no soy otro
Más que un tanguero de fama,
Murmuro con alborozo
Está muy de la banana.

Argentinian recordings

1929: Orquesta típica Victor; 1947: Libertad Lamarque in the film 'Gran Casino'; 1947: Orquesta típica Ricardo Tanturi, singer Alberto Castillo; 1948: Orquesta típica Francisco Canaro , singer Alberto Arenas; 1949: Tita Merello in the film 'La historia del tango'

'El choclo' abroad

Germany

The instrumental piece of music came to Germany even before the First World War . The Romanian conductor of the Berlin Palais de danse orchestra , Giorgi Vintilescu , played it here in 1912, as shown on the gramophone record label , label 2-940829.

  • Milva sings a German version of the text: "These are the men with graying temples."

Italy

  • Milva sings an Italian version of the text: «All'Osteria»

USA: 'Kiss of Fire'

In 1952 the Americans Lester Allen and Robert Hill gave the tango 'El choclo' a new look. Flamenco appeal and a completely different text in English. In agreement with Louis Armstrong , in disregard of the author's rights, they passed it off as a North American tango and called it 'Kiss of Fire'. The plagiarism became public through objection by Argentine copy-right guards . The US-Americans then added the record label: 'Kiss of Fire' with ('El choclo') in brackets.

The vocalists in 1952 were the trumpet player Louis Armstrong , accompanied by his orchestra and Georgia Gibbs and Toni Arden. 'Kiss of Fire' one placed in 1952 on No in the US. Billboard - Charts .

Here are the English lyrics of Kiss of Fire :

I touch your lips and all at once the sparks go flying
Those devil lips that know so well the art of lying
And though I see the danger, still the flames grow higher
I know I must surrender to your kiss of fire

Just like a torch, you set the soul within me burning
I must go on along the road, of no returning
And though it burns me and it turns me into ashes
My whole world crashes without your kiss of fire

I can't resist you, what good is there in trying
What good is there denying, you're all that I desire
Since first I kissed you, my heart was yours completely
If I'm a slave, then it's a slave I want to be
Don't pity me, don't pity me

Give me your lips, the lips you only let me borrow
Love me tonight and let the devil take tomorrow
I know that I must have your kiss although it dooms me,
Though it consumes me,
The kiss of fire.

Back translation into Spanish: 'Beso (s) de fuego'

The composers and arrangers Mario Jesús Báez and Angel Villoldo Arroyo again created Spanish-language versions of 'Kiss of fire'. The plagiarized piece of music 'El choclo ' disguised as 'Kiss of Fire' became Beso (s) de fuego .

Connie Francis sings 'Beso (s) de fuego' in a tango version and the Puerto Rican singer Carmen Delia Dipiní sings 'Beso (s) de fuego' in a rhythmically modified sil, in a bolero version .

literature

  • Héctor Ángel Benedetti: Las mejores letras de tango. Antología de doscientas cincuenta letras de tango, cada una con su historia. Planeta, Madrid 2012, ISBN 978-987-580-514-9 .
  • Francisco García Jiménez: Así nacieron los tangos. - Comentarios de Pedro Ochoa. Corregidor Publishing House, Buenos Aires 2018, ISBN 978-950-05-3160-3 .
  • Oscar del Priore, Irene Amuchástegui: Cien tangos fundamentales. 2nd Edition. Verlag Aguilar, Buenos Aires 2008, ISBN 978-987-04-1123-9 , pp. 26-29, limited preview in the Google book search.
  • Dieter Reichardt: Tango. Denial and grief. Contexts and texts. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1984, ISBN 3-518-37587-3 .

Web links

Scores

Musicology

Dance examples

Audio samples 'El choclo'

Instrumental

vocal

Audio samples 'Kiss of Fire'

Individual evidence

  1. From Habanera to Tango El Choclo , Mariano Marzán on YouTube
  2. Etymon is the Quechua word 'choccllo'. Diccionario etimológico español en línea: choclo : "La palabra choclo viene del quechua 'choccllo'"
  3. Other sources give the date November 3, 1905.
  4. Biography of José Luis Roncallo in Spanish on Todotango.com
  5. ^ Dieter Reichardt: Tango. Denial and grief. Contexts and texts. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1984, ISBN 3-518-37587-3 .
  6. Text version Discépolos, El choclo II on hermanotango.com
  7. Explanation of the song text Discépolos on YouTube in Spanish with Spanish subtitles
  8. Verse 02, “ batió sus alas la ambición de mi suburbio” instead of “ Se ató dos alas la ambición de mi suburbio”.
    In tango text anthologies and on relevant tango lyrics websites it says in verse 02: “ Se ató dos alas la ambición de mi suburbio” (wrap the ambition of my suburb around two wings). Raúl Berón and Charlo sing in the same way in the recordings from 1952. In contrast, the vocalists Libertad Lamarque (1947), Alberto Castillo (1948) and Tita Merello (1949) sing
    batió sus alas la ambición de miu suburbio ”(The ambition of my suburb flapped its wings).
  9. ^ Film excerpt, La historia del tango , 1949 (from 0:00:53) on YouTube - Tita Merello sings the lyrics to Discépolos.
  10. The Lunfardo word Carancanfunfa in the language of the suburbs denotes the tango danced with fractions ( cortes ) and the skillful tango dancer who has mastered this style: History of Tango - Dictionary of Lunfardo
  11. Puente Alsina is the name of a bridge over the Río Riachuelo in Buenos Aires
  12. Apostrophes to the personified tango
  13. A statement by Villoldo after an article on: todotango.com
  14. Maria Moliner: Diccionaro de uso del español. 3rd edition. Verlag Gredos, 2007, ISBN 978-84-249-2886-5 .
  15. EL choclo The ear of corn (1903)
  16. Biography of José Luis Roncallo in Spanish on Todotango.com
  17. todotango.com
  18. El Choclo (I, II, III - on hermanotango.com.ar
  19. Estilos de tango - Tango styles - On the piano, the Argentine pianist and musicologist Mario Marzán explains very vividly the origin and evolution of tango rhythms.
  20. Source: Tango in Salzburg - Translation changed in some places.
  21. Singing example: Tita Merello on YouTube
  22. Angel D'Agostino - Angel Vargas - El Choclo, 1941 (label RCA 13-11-1941)
  23. El Choclo (II)
  24. El Choclo (I) on hermanotango.com.ar
  25. ^ Film excerpt, Gran Casino , 1947 on YouTube Libertad Lamarque sings the lyrics to Discépolos.
  26. (Label Odeón 15-01-1948). Alberto Arenas sings on YouTube - lyrics by Enrique Santos Discépolo . The first verse reads: "Con este tango que es burlón y compadrito ..." (With this tango that is mocking and boastful ...)
  27. ^ Film excerpt, 'La historia del tango', 1949 (from 0:00:53) on YouTube Tita Merello sings the lyrics to Discépolos.
  28. Gramophone record label Label 2-940829
  29. Milva: These are the men with the graying temples on YouTube
  30. Milva: All'osteria on YouTube
  31. Con la música de “El choclo” orquestaron “Besos de fuego” Article in the Venezuelan daily El Clarín, May 24, 2016.
  32. Shellac record with extended entry Brunswick, label 04956
  33. Louis Armstrong: 'Kiss of Fire' on YouTube
  34. Brunswick shellac record, label 04956
  35. ^ Kiss of Fire 1952 on YouTube
  36. ^ Billboard 1952 in Google Book Search
  37. Martín Flores Araujo: Con la música de “El choclo” orquestaron “Besos de fuego. In: El Clarín . May 24, 2016. (Spanish) (elclarinweb.com)
  38. Connie Francis: Beso de fuego - Tango version on YouTube
  39. Carmen Delia Dipiní : Besos de fuego in bolero version on YouTube