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Tango is one of the main musical elements of the national identity of modern Argentina. It is born in the marginalized environment of the port of Buenos Aires, but soon conquers Europe and the USA, where it is carried by traveling Argentine musicians and dancers during the first decade of the 20th century. Its acceptance by the upper and middle classes was due to its transformation from a multicultural musical expression of the underworld to a dance-music one for whites, as well as to its thematic cleansing of its overtly sensual origins. Primarily marginal types and their provocative liminality are replaced by quaint figures who are possessed by unquenchable, but stylized love passions. This is how a “tamed” musical genre emerges that recalls a more romantic Argentina. Tango takes Parisian cabarets by storm, and its initially targeted popularity soon develops into widespread appeal. Record companies, composers and orchestras manage it as an integral part of their business. At the end of the 1920s and the beginning of the 1930s, Greece succumbs too to this “tangomania”. During the interwar period, tango has a central place in the repertoire of elafro (light music) and enriches discography’s catalogs with hundreds of original compositions which complement the systematic arrangements of popular pieces, mainly of European origin, “dressed” with Greek lyrics.
This recording is an adaptation with Greek lyrics of the song "Mamá, yo quiero un novio", set to music by the Uruguayan composer Ramón Collazo (Montevideo, January 25, 1901 - Montevideo, July 16, 1981) and lyrics by Roberto Fontaina (Montevideo, January 3, 1900 - Montevideo, February 15 1963).
In historical discography, the song has been recorded several times in various formats, languages and locations. For example:
- Alberto Vila, Buenos Aires, 1928 (Victor BAVE 44311 - 80965)
- Jose'Melin e la sua orchestra Argentina, Italy, 1928 or 1929 (Columbia WB 3681 - CQ 358)
- "Santa Madonna", Maria Modzelewska, Warsaw, 1929 (Syrena-Electro 21446 -3584)
- "Mamă, eu vreau să mă'nsor", Jean Moscopol, probably Romania, 1929 or 1930 (Homocord H-75120 - R. 4-11126-I)
- Antônio Gomez - Milonguita, Brazil, 1929 (Parlophon 2772-1 13059b)
- Trio Argentino, Madrid, March 25, 1929 (Gramophone BJ 2057 - AE 2601)
- L'Orchestre Argentin Bachicha, Paris, 1930 (Odeon KI 3402.- 238042)
- Orquesta Francesa de Belisario López, Havana, June 1930 (Brunswick HV33000 - 41231
The Greek musical score with lyrics by Pοl Menestrel was published by the Stefanos Gaitanos publications under the title "Mama... thelo en' antrouli".
In Greek historical discography, the song was recorded by Michalis Thomakos (present recording), Eleni Papadaki and Tetos Dimitriadis.
Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis, George Evangelou and Nikos Ordoulidis
Tango is one of the main musical elements of the national identity of modern Argentina. It is born in the marginalized environment of the port of Buenos Aires, but soon conquers Europe and the USA, where it is carried by traveling Argentine musicians and dancers during the first decade of the 20th century. Its acceptance by the upper and middle classes was due to its transformation from a multicultural musical expression of the underworld to a dance-music one for whites, as well as to its thematic cleansing of its overtly sensual origins. Primarily marginal types and their provocative liminality are replaced by quaint figures who are possessed by unquenchable, but stylized love passions. This is how a “tamed” musical genre emerges that recalls a more romantic Argentina. Tango takes Parisian cabarets by storm, and its initially targeted popularity soon develops into widespread appeal. Record companies, composers and orchestras manage it as an integral part of their business. At the end of the 1920s and the beginning of the 1930s, Greece succumbs too to this “tangomania”. During the interwar period, tango has a central place in the repertoire of elafro (light music) and enriches discography’s catalogs with hundreds of original compositions which complement the systematic arrangements of popular pieces, mainly of European origin, “dressed” with Greek lyrics.
This recording is an adaptation with Greek lyrics of the song "Mamá, yo quiero un novio", set to music by the Uruguayan composer Ramón Collazo (Montevideo, January 25, 1901 - Montevideo, July 16, 1981) and lyrics by Roberto Fontaina (Montevideo, January 3, 1900 - Montevideo, February 15 1963).
In historical discography, the song has been recorded several times in various formats, languages and locations. For example:
- Alberto Vila, Buenos Aires, 1928 (Victor BAVE 44311 - 80965)
- Jose'Melin e la sua orchestra Argentina, Italy, 1928 or 1929 (Columbia WB 3681 - CQ 358)
- "Santa Madonna", Maria Modzelewska, Warsaw, 1929 (Syrena-Electro 21446 -3584)
- "Mamă, eu vreau să mă'nsor", Jean Moscopol, probably Romania, 1929 or 1930 (Homocord H-75120 - R. 4-11126-I)
- Antônio Gomez - Milonguita, Brazil, 1929 (Parlophon 2772-1 13059b)
- Trio Argentino, Madrid, March 25, 1929 (Gramophone BJ 2057 - AE 2601)
- L'Orchestre Argentin Bachicha, Paris, 1930 (Odeon KI 3402.- 238042)
- Orquesta Francesa de Belisario López, Havana, June 1930 (Brunswick HV33000 - 41231
The Greek musical score with lyrics by Pοl Menestrel was published by the Stefanos Gaitanos publications under the title "Mama... thelo en' antrouli".
In Greek historical discography, the song was recorded by Michalis Thomakos (present recording), Eleni Papadaki and Tetos Dimitriadis.
Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis, George Evangelou and Nikos Ordoulidis
© 2019 KOUNADIS ARCHIVE
