17 September, 1944. Club Atlético Sportsman in the far southern barrio of Barracas announces a Gran Soiree featuring the tango orchestras of Osvaldo Pugliese and Alfredo De Angelis and jazz guitarist Oscar Alemán's band. One has to read the small print to see that the three acts are to appear en versiones fonoeléctricas, which is a fancy way of saying "on recording."
It's a puckish, inside joke, I suppose: advertising the names of three orchestras, even though they'd be heard on recordings only. (And they seem to have involved Odeon Records in the jest, since the ad bears the record-company's by-now-ubiquitous logo!) Then again, all three orchestras had appeared earlier, in the flesh, at Sportsman, so the claim wasn't completely unfounded--I'm sure all three bandleaders had left behind mucho DNA on Sportsman's stage.
But there's a deeper logic for tango fans living in or near Barracas: True, all three orchestras are appearing live in BsAs tonight -- De Angelis in Villa Urquiza, in the far north of the city; Pugliese in Liniers, way out west; and Alemán in Villa Devoto, even further to the northwest. But why spend a small fortune (up to $3 pesos per show, about $9 in today's dollars), schlep all over town, and fight the crowds on pistas the size of a football field, when you can hear the same three orchestras right there in your own neighborhood club for just $1 peso? Now that's an offer you can't refuse!
RELATED POSTS:
Map of all the Buenos Aires dances advertised on this day, 17 September 1944.
Tango Time Machine for 17 September 1944.
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