For me, tangos by the Two Angels--bandleader Angel D'Agostino and singer Angel Vargas (right)--always have an uplifting feeling, even when they sing of sadness or loss. Sometimes the atmosphere at a milonga can feel really heavy, and then Tres Esquinas or Madreselva comes on, and everything changes. I feel like I'm getting a second wind, and I could dance all night.
Here's one of my favorite D'Agostino songs, the bouncy, oft-heard "El Yacaré." The title, which means The Alligator, refers not to the fearsome marine reptile but to the nickname of a wildly popular jockey of the 40s, Eliás Antúnez. Remember, not all tango lyrics are about lost love or duels to the death! Some are about drinking, gambling, mother, flowers, the sea, or tango itself. And then there's this one, all about a jockey.
A nice bio of El Yacaré lyricist Mario Soto is at TodoTango.com. There's more commentary from me in the notes following the lyrics. There's a YouTube video of the song down there, too, and of course Soto's lyric in the original language.
El Yacaré (The Alligator)
Music by Alfredo Attadia, lyrics by Mario Soto
English version by Michael KrugmanIt's Sunday, Palermo* glitters in the sun,
Hope rides on every horse* in the ring.
The thoroughbreds toe the line
And at the shout of “They’re off!” they leap out of the gate.
In the middle of the pack, biding his time,
A jockey waits with quiet poise.
Now he's getting ready to charge...an infernal outcry...
He hits the home stretch and the crowd goes wild."Come on, Alligator!"
The deafening cry explodes.
They all flog like crazy
But it’s no use:
Antúnez* is already in the winner’s circle.
You sure know how to pick a loser
To win a Grand National...
Wild Angel*? What a longshot!
But there she is, the top of the scoreboard,
As always your triumphant finish line.An artist at the reins, the courage of a lion,
All the marks of a true champion.
Surveying the track like a sharpshooter,
The path to the winner’s circle is in your sights.
In the grandstand they all marvel at your tenacity and skill,
Your winning ways have got them all wound up.
In one crazy outburst they yell themselves hoarse
When hell for leather* you start your furious charge.Notes:
*Palermo: El Hipodromo Argentino de Palermo, Buenos Aires' main racetrack.
*Horse: Pingo, Arg. slang for a good horse. Nice word!
*Antúnez: Eliás Antuñez (b. 1907), legendary jockey known as El Yacaré, won the Gran Premio Pellegrini in 1941 and 1950 and the Gran Premio Nacional in 1949.
*Wild Angel: Muñeca Brava. I don't see any evidence that this really was one of Antúnez's horses. The name may be fanciful.
*Hell for leather: The original is a taco y lonja, literally, by heels and by leather strap. Sounds like "hell for leather" to me.
[Original text en castellano follows]
El Yacaré
Es domingo, Palermo resplandece de sol,
cada pingo en la arena llevará una ilusión.
En las cintas los puros alineados están
y a la voz de “¡Largaron!” da salida un afán.
En el medio del lote, conteniendo su acción,
hay un jockey que aguarda con serena atención,
ya se apresta a la carga... griterío infernal.
Emoción que desborda en un bravo final.¡Arriba viejo Yacaré!
Explota el grito atronador.
Todos castigan con rigor,
pero no hay nada que hacer,
en el disco ya está Antúnez.
Sabés sacar un perdedor,
ganar un Premio Nacional...
Muñeca brava y al final
el tope del marcador
siempre es tu meta triunfal.Un artista en las riendas, con coraje de león,
tenés toda la clase que consagra a un campeón.
Dominando la pista con certera visual
el camino del disco vos sabés encontrar.
Las tribunas admiran tu pericia y tesón
y se rinde a tu arte con intensa emoción.
Se enronquecen gargantas en un loco estallar,
cuando a taco y a lonja empezás a cargar.
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