Subtitled Tango Nr. 13: AVE DE PASO (D'Agostino/Vargas)

"Release me from my vow, brown-skinned girl.

Forget the madness of my loving you.
Buenos Aires compels me to leave you,
and under her skies I’ll dream of you...."

The story behind the song: In 1936 the great tango singer Charlo is headed for a series of gigs in Río de Janeiro aboard the luxury liner Conte Biancamano. He is accompanied by his friend, noted poet and tango lyricist Enrique Cadícamo, and guitarist José Razzano, former guitarist and business partner of the late Carlos Gardel. During the week-long voyage, they meet the Miranda Sisters, Carmen and Aurora, a locally known duo returning to Río from a gig in Buenos Aires. Charlo and Carmen (shown, right), who was soon after to become a Hollywood sensation, have a torrid, fleeting, shipboard romance.

Charlo is a great success in Río, though unfortunately his agent deposits most of the proceeds at the gaming tables of the casino.

A certain Heriberto Muraro, a highly regarded Argentine pianist who has lived in Río for many years, is a frequent visitor at the flat rented by Charlo and company on the Avenida Atlántica. One afternoon, Muraro engages Cadícamo to write a tango lyric for him to set to music. "And I'm not going to budge from this spot until it's done," jokes the pianist.

"No problem," says Cadícamo. He borrows Charlo's portable typewriter and, eager to complete the assignment, finishes the job in record time. At that moment, Charlo reads the lyric of AVE DE PASO over the poet's shoulder. "That's for me," says the singer, tearing the paper out of the machine. "Write another one for Muraro." The astonished Muraro is left without the promised lyric. Cadícamo promises to send him another one, but later forgets all about it.

Charlo composes a beautiful musical accompaniment to AVE DE PASO on his accordion. He not only sings and records it brilliantly, but makes it the prelude to all his later performances, a kind of theme song.

 

[Source: Tangos al bardo]

 

AVE DE PASO (Bird of passage)
Tango, 1936
Words by Enrique Cadícamo; music by Charlo.
Performed 1944-11-02 by Orquesta Angel D'Agostino, vocal Angel Vargas.

Bilingual Spanish/English subtitles and English-language translation by Tango Decoder. All Rights Reserved.

The third verse, unsung in the D'Agostino/Vargas version:

Mi destino es andar en la vida... Hice mal en soñar a tu lado. Se ha teñido ese cielo rosado... al conjuro de darte esta adiós... Perdoná mi promesa, morena. Olvidá mi locura de amarte. Buenos Aires mi obliga a dejarte y bajo esos cielos con vos soñaré...

My destiny is to travel around in this life... I was wrong to dream at your side. This pink sky has been dyed under the spell of giving you this farewell. Release me from my vow, brown-skinned girl. Forget the madness of my loving you. Buenos Aires compels me to leave you, and under her skies I’ll dream of you....

 

Comments

[Beatriz Dujovne]

Love this song. My favourite version is Alberto Podesta's. In my mind I translate the title as "I am a passing bird." Great work Michael!