Contents
Carlos Gardel
The voice of tango, whose recordings and musical films carried the form far beyond Buenos Aires.
Mi noche triste · Cuesta abajo
- Born
- 11 December 1890
- Birthplace
- Argentina
- Died
- 24 June 1935
More people
Carlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel turned tango songs into intimate dramas, combining a rich voice with carefully shaped phrasing. His partnership with lyricist Alfredo Le Pera produced enduring standards.
Early life
Buenos Aires upbringing
Arrived from France with his mother as a small child and grew up in Buenos Aires.
Local performances
Began singing in neighbourhood venues and private gatherings.
Career
- 1910s
Singing partnership
Performed with José Razzano before developing his solo career.
- 1917
Tango song breakthrough
Recorded Mi noche triste.
- 1920s
International touring
Took his repertoire to European and Latin American audiences.
- 1930s
Sound films
Made Spanish-language musical films for Paramount.
Selected work
Mi noche triste
An early landmark of tango sung as a personal story.
Cuesta abajo
A musical film and its title song.
El día que me quieras
Film and song created with Alfredo Le Pera.
Beyond music
Final journey
Died in an aircraft collision in Medellín in 1935.
Recorded heritage
A collection of his original recordings entered UNESCO’s Memory of the World register.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗UNESCO: Gardel recordings ↗Photo: Unknown photographer. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
