Miguel Caló at the cabaret "Singapur" (1942)

Excerpt from Miguel Caló and the Orchestra of the Stars by Manuel Adet

From Portal del Tango
English version by Tango Decoder

"In those distant and memorable years of the 1940s, one of the places habitually frequented by the tango public was the cabaret "Singapur," located at the corner of Montevideo and Corrientes.* In this nighttime redoubt, one could enjoy a good drink, agreeable company, and the privilege of savoring the talents of El Cachafaz, the mythical "bailarín compadrito," then at the height of his powers...."

"...Then, in that exclusive and stringent tango environment, the stellar figure of the night was Miguel Caló and his orchestra comprised of the best musicians of the period, a hallmark of this pianist born 28 October 1907 in old Balvanera. At the Singapur two emblematic singers were launched by that orchestra: Raúl Berón and Alberto Podestá. The former was recommended by his countryman Armando Pontier, the latter sponsored by Miguel's brother Roberto Caló, who had just formed his own orchestra....

"Miguel Caló is one of the most representative figures of the 1940s. His sober, unhurried, elegant style always answered to both the demands of the vanguard and the requirements of the public as a whole. Like all the great orchestra directors of his time, he achieved this position after having undergone strict musical training...." [By Manuel Adet, from El Portal del Tango, translated by Tango Decoder. Original castellano is below.]

Further notes by Tango Decoder:

1) 369 Montevideo: In October, 1944, two years after the appearance of the ad seen at the right, the site of the original cabaret Singapur at Montevideo 361-369 would become "Gran Taxi Girl's," a pay-per-dance club modeled after the Orpheum dance hall in New York City. Gran Taxi Girl's opening night featured Alberto Castillo; later acts included Roberto Rufino, Francisco Fiorentino, Amadeo Mandarino, Guardia Vieja stalwart Anselmo Aieta, and others, including Caló himself. The club seems to have changed names often, possibly in response to police harassment. Among its later appellations were Dancing Girl's, Montevideo 369, and Montevideo Ticket Bar.]

2) Típica Argentina: The "Argentina" listed on the right side of the ad consisted of "Ex-members (of the) Osvaldo Fresedo Orchestra with Ricardo Ruiz." That would have been the Fresedo lineup of 1939-41 which, according to TodoTango.com, included L. Pertrucelli, P. Storti, and U. Panella on bandoneones, Víctor Felice, J. Lorito, P. Desrets and M. Perini on violins, Demetrio Riseti on viola (later Do Reis), De Luca (drums and vibes), Nélida Gianneo (harp), Lalo Scalise in piano, bassist Hugo Ricardo Baralis (later Tito Colom), and vocalists Ruíz, Carlos Mayel, and Carlos Roldán. The text seems to be a bit ambiguous; it's not clear whether Ruíz was to sing on this night, or his name was simply used to establish the band's credentials.

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Original text en castellano:

En aquellos lejanos y memorables años de los cuarenta, uno de los lugares habituales frecuentados por el público tanguero fue el cabaret “Singapur”, ubicado en la esquina de Montevideo y Corrientes. En ese reducto de la noche, se podía disfrutar de una buena copa, de excelente y agradable compañía, y del privilegio de apreciar las dotes del Cachafaz, el mítico “bailarín compadrito”, entonces en su momento de máximo esplendor.

Entonces, en ese selecto y exigente ambiente de tango, la figura estelar de la noche era la orquesta de Miguel Caló, integrada por los mejores músicos de la época, una marca en el orillo de este pianista nacido el 28 de octubre de 1907 en el viejo Balvanera. En “Singapur” se iniciaron dos cantores emblemáticos de esta orquesta: Raúl Berón y Alberto Podestá. Al primero, lo recomendó su paisano Armando Pontier; el segundo, fue apadrinado por Roberto Caló, hermano de Miguel y un notable músico y cantor que en algún momento llegó a dirigir su propia orquesta que, según los entendidos, compitió en buena ley con la de su hermano. No está de más saber que Roberto contó en sus diversas formaciones musicales con cantores de la talla de Enrique Campos, Tito Reyes, Oscar Larroca y Roberto Ray. Y fue el compositor de “Soñemos”, el tango escrito por Reynaldo Yiso.

Miguel Caló es una de las figuras más representativas de la década del cuarenta. Su estilo sobrio, depurado, elegante, siempre estuvo atento a las exigencias de la vanguardia y los requerimientos del gran público. Como todos los grandes directores de orquesta de su tiempo, llegó a ese lugar luego de haber recorrido una exigente carrera musical.