The Best Orchestra You Never Heard?

  Quick! Name the tango orchestra that, from mid-1942 to early 1943, featured both Roberto Rufino and Alberto Marino at the mic. Tango geeks already know the answer, but just in case, here it is....

 

Comments

[Carlos]

It's my understanding that the most acclaimed orchestra during the golden age of tango was Orlando Goñi's. They called him "el Mariscal del tango". He died before they got a record deal.

[Michael]

Carlos, thanks for your message! You know, it's true that Goñi received a lot of attention and acclaim once he formed his own orchestra. His debut performances at La Nacional and later at Palermo Palace were advertised in El Mundo almost every day for weeks on end, and some of them even featured a very stylized image of his signature, to emphasize his personal artistry, I suppose. The nickname "Mariscal del Tango" (Marshal of Tango) was more an advertising slogan than anything else, I believe, and such names weren't at all unusual during those war years. Even Ciriaco Ortiz was referred to as El Capitán del Tango, and Demare, Soifer, Orlando, and several others were included in the "Ronda de Ases," the Ace Patrol (as in, air aces). (Truth be told, Goñi was more often referred to as El Pulpo, The Octopus. But again, that's just advertising hype.)

Keep in mind, however, that this orchestra only existed for maybe thirteen months, From December 1, 1943 to some time in December 1944. So whatever acclaim it received was very limited in time. We don't know what its staying power would have been had it, and its leader, survived longer, recorded, and developed further. And there were other performers of the same period who received as much or more attention as Goñi, at least as reflected by the amount of advertising done on their behalf: Roberto Rufino (The Actor of Tango); Alberto Castillo (El Corazón Que Canta); and of course Francisco Fiorentino. Plus Troilo, Di Sarli, and D'Arienzo were still very active at this time, and they had long-standing reputations for musical quality. They didn't need to advertise that! Osvaldo Pugliese had achieved a very strong, very active fan base as well.

It's important not to confuse the hype with the reality!