Tanda Garcia - Rojas, with the tango lyrics translated and a short tutorial!

A tango tanda for dancing, with José Garcia and singer Alfredo Rojas.

++Timestamps++
Start 00:00
Tutorial 00:32
A lo mejor, quién te dice? 04:44
Adiós, adiós, corazón 07:26
Junto a tu corazón 10:07
Esta noche de luna 13:04

José García was born in Barracas, Buenos Aires in 1908. He played several instruments, including the piano, violin and bandoneon. He studied violin at the Conservatorio Nacional; his favourite composers were Beethoven, Schubert, and Gounod, and his expectations were to become a classical concert violinist.

However, in the 1930s he started a tango orchestra: ‘Los grises’, after the colour of their flannel suits. This later became ‘José García y sus Zorros Grises’ (his grey foxes), after the popular tango ‘Zorro Gris’. García recorded 40 tracks on the Odeón label between 1942 and ‘45. Most of them with singer Alfredo Rojas.

García didn’t just play tango, milonga and vals, but "otros ritmos" as well. One of his major successes was a corrido he wrote: ‘El mentiroso’. His best known tango composition is ‘Esta noche de Luna’, which he wrote together with Graciano Gómez. García disbanded his orchestra in 1950, and dedicated the rest of his artistic life to his other passion: painting.

There is very little we know about singer Alfredo Rojas. Like we don’t know where or when he was born or died. We do know his real name: Asdrúbal Sterla Webster. The only recordings we have by Alfredo Rojas are the 33 tracks he recorded with José García.

The first track of the tanda is ‘A lo mejor, quién te dice?’, recorded in October 1942. Music written by Domingo Varela Conte, and lyrics by Celedonio Flores. This recording by García is the only one we have of this tango. The intro has a ‘question-and-answer’ play between the bandoneons and the piano. The lyrics are an invitation to come out and dance…

The second track is ‘Adios, adios, corazón’, recorded in November 1942. Music written by Emilio Barbato & Félix Lipesker, and lyrics by Lito Bayardo. Again a tango with a with a nice intro – with a clear beat and some romantic touches. The romance doesn’t last however, as this tango is about the farewell to a love gone by…

Next is ‘Junto a tu corazón’, recorded July ‘42. Music written by Enrique Francini & Héctor Stamponi, lyrics by José Maria Contursi. ‘Junto a tu corazón’ was also recorded by Carlos Di Sarli, with singer Alberto Podestá – and if you compare these versions, there’s a very clear difference in style between them. García’s being far more rhythmical, while Di Sarli has the violins.

The final track of the tanda is ‘Esta noche de luna’, recorded in 1943. Music written by Graciano Gómez & José García, lyrics by Héctor Marcó. This is like the ultimate romantic tango, in more than one meaning of the word ‘romantic’ – “para amarte y morir”… ‘Esta noche de luna’ has been recorded by many orchestras, including Francisco Canaro, Osvaldo Pugliese and – again – Carlos Di Sarli, this time with singer Roberto Rufino. This version by José García himself has Carlos Figari in a starring role on the piano. And I think I like Rojas better than Rufino in this tango… but please don’t tell anyone I said that ;)

So that’s the tanda of this week by José García & Alfredo Rojas:

1. A lo mejor, quién te dice? (1942)
2. Adiós, adiós, corazón (1942)
3. Junto a tu corazón (1942)
4. Esta noche de luna (1943)

Enjoy!
Thanks:
www.tangoarchive.com
www.todotango.com
www.tangosalbardo.blogspot.com
www.tangodecoder.wordpress.com
www.agadu.org
Michael Lavocah, Jens Ingo tango DJ
FB pages about tango music like: Archivo Documental Del Tango, Tango Time Machine, Tango y Cultura, Con el tango en las venas, José Maria Otero, Pablo Dario Taboada, TDJ Laura Petroni, TDJ Alessandro Grillo, TDJ La Morocha, Gloria and Eduardo Arquimbau, Xavier Mulet, Carlos Gorrindo, Mercedes Garcia Blesa, Carlos Gardel, el tango y nuestro Buenos Aires querido and many others.
Tangolyrics translations: Derrick del Pillar, www.tangopoetryproject.com, tangotranslations.org and others.

#tangomusictutorials #tandaoftheweek #tanda #JoseGarcia #losamigostango