The history of tango is a history of migration, memory, and metamorphosis. From German dance orchestras in 1940 Berlin to Jewish artists keeping Yiddish cabaret alive in postwar Europe and Brazil’s deep baritone homages, this collection documents how the world adopted, reshaped, and preserved the most melancholic rhythm of the 20th century.
Tango pra Tereza - 1975 – Walmir Calmon / Ângela Maria - :) :) :)
Original Background: Written by the legendary Brazilian songwriting duo Jair Amorim and Evaldo Gouveia, "Tango pra Tereza" stands apart as a masterclass in mid-century Brazilian popular songcraft. While much of Ângela Maria's catalog leaned into melodramatic radio ballads, this track uses a sophisticated, driving tango rhythm to frame a bittersweet narrative, making it an enduring exception in the genre.
A Média Luz / A Meia Luz (1952) – Edgardo Donato / Carlos César Lenzi (Portuguese version: Lourival Faissal)
Amarga Confissão - 1956 – Herivelto Martins / David Nasser
Amarras - 1967 – Julio De Caro / Francisco Amicarelli / Luis Bayón Herrera (Portuguese version: Lourival Faissal)
Carmen - 1961 – Herivelto Martins / Nelson Gonçalves
Carlos Gardel - 1956 / 1961 (from the album O Tango na Voz de Nelson Gonçalves) – Nelson Gonçalves / Othon Russo - :)
Ciúme (Jalousie) - 1967 – Jacob Gade (Portuguese version: Oswaldo Santiago) - :) :)
Confissão (Confesión) - 1967 – Enrique Santos Discépolo / Luis César Amadori (Portuguese version: Lourival Faissal)
Esta Noite Me Embriago (Esta Noche Me Emborracho) - 1955 – Enrique Santos Discépolo (Portuguese version: Lourival Faissal) :) :) :)
Estação da Luz - 1961 – Herivelto Martins / David Nasser - :) :)
Estrelas Na Lama - 1956 – Nelson Gonçalves / Herivelto Martins
Garras - 1967 – Aníbal Troilo / José María Contursi (Portuguese version: Moacir Vieira)
Hoje Quem Paga Sou Eu (1955) – Herivelto Martins / David Nasser
Inveja (Envidia) - 1967 – Francisco Canaro / J. Castilho (Portuguese version: W. Santos)
Mano a Mano - 1967 – Carlos Gardel / José Rótulo / Celedonio Flores (Portuguese version: Lourival Faissal) :) :) :)
Meu Buenos Aires Querido (Mi Buenos Aires Querido) - 1967 – Carlos Gardel / Alfredo Le Pera (Portuguese version: Lourival Faissal)
Nostalgias - 1967 – Juan Carlos Cobián / Enrique Cadícamo (Portuguese version: Juraci Rago)
O Dia Que Me Queiras (El Día Que Me Quieras) - 1967 – Carlos Gardel / Alfredo Le Pera (Portuguese version: Lourival Faissal)
O Último Tango (1961) – Herivelto Martins / David Nasser
Palhaço -1957 – Herivelto Martins / David Nasser
Sem Palavras (Sin Palabras) - 1967 – Mariano Mores / Enrique Santos Discépolo (Portuguese version: Nelson Figueiredo) - :)
Sempre É Carnaval / Siempre Es Carnaval (1953) – Osvaldo Fresedo / Emilio Fresedo (Portuguese version: Jair Rodrigues)
Triste Abandono (Cuesta Abajo) - 1967 – Carlos Gardel / Alfredo Le Pera (Portuguese version: Serafim Costa Almeida) - :) :) :)
Vermelho 27 - 1956 – Herivelto Martins / David Nasser - :) :)
Voltou uma Noite (Volvió Una Noche) - 1967 – Carlos Gardel / Alfredo Le Pera (Portuguese version: Ghiaroni
Original Background: Known as the "Metralhadora" (Machine Gun) due to his rapid, distinct vocal cadence and dramatic baritone, Nelson Gonçalves stands as one of the towering titans of Brazilian popular music (Música Popular Brasileira), particularly within the golden age of the samba-canção and Brazilian tango (tango brasileiro / canção). While Argentina had its Guardia Vieja, Brazil developed a unique lineage of tango deeply intertwined with bohemian nightlife, radio culture, and records issued by RCA Victor. Gonçalves infused the melancholic, fatalistic lyrical themes of traditional tango (love, betrayal, alcohol, and urban sorrow) with a distinctly Brazilian passion and phrasing, cementing the tango as a staple of Rio de Janeiro's mid-century nocturnal soundscape.
Vous, qu'avez-vous fait de mon amour? - 1933 – Tibor Barczi (French lyrics: Henri Varna / Marc Cab).
Original Background: Originally composed by Hungarian musician Tibor Barczi, this melancholy tango became an iconic fixture of the Parisian music hall scene when equipped with evocative French lyrics by Henri Varna and Marc Cab. This 1933 recording pairs the expressive accordion and orchestra direction of Miguel Orlando with the legendary vocals of a young Tino Rossi, who was rapidly rising to stardom in France. It represents the height of the 1930s French chanson-tango synthesis, blending Argentine rhythmic cadence with Parisian romantic melodrama.
Avant de mourir - 1929 – Georges Boulanger / Jimmy Eaton / Reg Connelly (Original)
Avant de mourir - 1929 – Georges Boulanger / Satow (Tri-Ergon Cat. 5441 / Matrix M. 02057) - :) :) :)
Original Background: Recorded in 1929 and pressed on the pioneering sound-on-film Tri-Ergon label, this performance features Géza Komor—a renowned violinist and bandleader of Hungarian-Jewish origin who made Paris and Berlin major hubs for his transnational salon orchestra work. The composition itself, "Avant de mourir" (widely known internationally as "My Prayer"), was written by Romanian-German composer Georges Boulanger. This recording captures the sophisticated, cinematic European salon-tango style of the late 1920s, bridging Central European gypsy-violin traditions with the burgeoning Parisian ballroom culture just as the acoustic era gave way to electrical recording and sound cinema
La Mélodie de notre adieu - 1936 – Fioravanti Di Cicco / H. Lemarchand / Carmelo Santiago (Columbia CL 5647).
Original Background: Recorded in Paris in 1936, this track captures the vibrant European tango diaspora spearheaded by Rafael Canaro, brother of the legendary Argentine tango icon Francisco Canaro. While Francisco remained the powerhouse of Buenos Aires, Rafael established a permanent base in Paris during the 1930s, adapting authentic Argentine tango compositions for European audiences. Featuring French vocalist Roger Toussaint, this recording highlights how Paris served as the cultural bridge where South American rhythmic structures met French cabaret lyricism, released on Columbia Records during the golden era of Montparnasse ballroom culture.
Nächtliche Gitarre - 1940 – Michael Jary / Bruno Balz - :) :) :)
Original Background: Recorded in Berlin during the height of World War II (1940), this rendition features Eugen Wolff's prestigious dance orchestra. Composer Michael Jary and lyricist Bruno Balz were central figures in German popular music and film scores of the era. Despite strict wartime censorship and Nazi cultural oversight regarding swing and foreign influences, tango maintained a massive following in the Third Reich as a sophisticated salon and ballroom staple. This recording captures the slick, highly polished studio sound of wartime German radio and gramophone productions before much of Berlin's infrastructure was destroyed later in the conflict.
Nächtliche Gitarre - 1945 – Michael Jary / Bruno Balz - :) :) :)
Original Background: Composed originally in Germany by Michael Jary with lyrics by Bruno Balz, "Nächtliche Gitarre" ("Nighttime Guitar") became a popular tango/schlager hit during the World War II era (notably recorded by Eugen Wolff's Tanz-Orchester in 1940). This specific 1945 recording by Stanisław Godarski’s orchestra in liberated or underground-adjacent postwar Poland holds deep historical significance. It reflects the complex transmission of German popular repertoire in Central Europe right at the close of WWII, capturing how musicians salvaged and performed European salon and tango material amidst the shifting borders and devastated cultural landscape of post-Nazi Poland.
Papirosen - 2003 – Herman Yablokoff - :) :)
Original Background: Written and composed by Herman Yablokoff in 1932/1933 for the American Yiddish theater (originally introduced in the play Papirosn), this iconic minor-key tango depicting an orphaned cigarette seller on a freezing European street became an anthem of the Yiddish diaspora. Zully Goldfarb’s 2003 European recording preserves this traditional cabaret interpretation.
Ja mam czas, ja poczekam (Yiddish: Ikh hob tsayt, ikh vel vartn) - 2017 – Mieczysław Mierzejewski / Emanuel Schlechter (Yiddish lyrics: Benzion Witler).
Original Background: The song originated in Warsaw's interwar cabaret scene as a hit Polish tango performed by Eugeniusz Bodo in the 1934 revue Cyrk Młodości / productions by the Stara Banda theater. The music was composed by Mieczysław Mierzejewski with lyrics by Emanuel Schlechter. This modern rendition stems from the project Yiddish Tango Live in Jerusalem (2017), utilizing a Yiddish translation/adaptation by Benzion Witler.
Rivkele (Rebeka) - 2012 – Zygmunt Białostocki / Andrzej Wlast :) :)
Original Background: This piece is a Yiddish adaptation and reinterpretation of "Rebeka", one of the most famous pre-war Polish tangos composed by Zygmunt Białostocki with lyrics by Andrzej Wlast, originally made legendary in Poland by singer Chaim Towber and various 1933 Warsaw recordings. This revival features Olga Avigail Mieleszczuk on vocals accompanied by the contemporary Polish ensemble Tango Attack (Hadrian Tabęcki, Grzegorz Bożewicz, Piotr Malicki).
Help us discover, preserve and share the music that keeps tango alive.
Send your suggestions to: Milonguero Ezequiel at:
dance@tangotropical.com
