My Father and His Tangos [October’s theme Youhive] ESP/ENG
I am delighted to join this initiative, in which we pay tribute to the artists and singers who captivated—or still captivate—members of our families. In my own case, I would like to pay tribute to that beautiful music which, though it did not originate in my own country but rather in the stunning land of Argentina, completely captivated my father: I am referring, of course, to tangos—especially those of Carlos Gardel. I still remember, as if it were yesterday, those years when my father was alive and would sit by the record player with his vinyl collection on his lap, examining each record as if to ensure it was intact; when the mood struck him, he would let his deep voice ring out, imitating Gardel’s tone—perhaps recalling his own youth. It is also interesting to note that I once learned Gardel had visited not only Venezuela but my own city, Valencia; this makes me think that my father likely wanted to see his idol in person back when he was just a young man.
Me complace mucho unirme a esta iniciativa en la que tenemos que rendir tributo a esos artistas, cantantes que cautivaron o cautivan aún a algún mienbro de nuestra familia. En mi caso particular me gustaría redir tributo a esa musica tan preciosa que aunque no procede de mi país, sino de la bellísima Argentina, tenía completamente cautivado a mi padre, me refiero desde luego a los tangos, en especial los de Carlos Gardel. Todavía recuerdo como si fuese ayer aquellos años cuando mi padre aún vivía y se sentaba junto al tocadiscos con su colección de vinilo en el regazo, examinando cada uno de ellos como comprovando que estuviesen intactos, y cuando se sentía más inspirado dejaba escapar su grave voz, imitando un poco el tono de Gardel, quizá recordando sus años de juventud. Y fijense que una vez me enteré que Gardel llegó a visitar no solo Venezuela, sino mi ciudad, Valencia, lo que me hace pensar que probablemente mi padre quiso ir a ver a su ídolo cuando él era aún muy jovencito.
Another song I particularly remember is "Pajarito Errante" by Francisco Canaro. I remember it because it was practically a ritual: whenever my dad came home after having had a few too many drinks, he would search through his vinyl records, pull out one specific record, and play that exact song. Not only that, but he would manage to listen to it over and over again—and I say "manage" because anyone who has used a turntable knows you need a steady hand with the needle to find the exact track you want to hear. Because we heard it so much, my siblings and I ended up hating it (we were kids, after all 😄). The rhythm seemed slow, boring, and old-fashioned to us—much like Gardel’s songs (you know how kids lack a critical eye)—but this particular song annoyed us because my dad played it so often. So, one time, my younger sister hid the record; when my dad started looking for it, we played dumb 😁, telling him we had no idea where it was. We’d leave it out later so he could find it, but at least we enjoyed a bit of peace and quiet without that repetitive "Pajarito Errante," haha.
Otra canción que recuerdo particularmente es "Pajarito Errante" de Francisco Canaro, la recuerdo porque era un ritual practicamente canónico que cada vez que mi papá llegaba a casa con algunos tragos de mas, él buscaba entre sus discos de vinilo, sacaba uno en particular y ponía exactamente esta canción, pero no solo eso sino que se las arreglaba para escucharla una y otra y otra vez, y digo que se las arreglaba porque los que hayan usado un tocadiscos sabrán que hay tener mucha precisión con la aguja para dar con la canción exacta que quieras escuchar. Entonces al escuchar tanto la canción, mis hermanos y yo terminamos odiándola (éramos niños 😄) el ritmo nos parecía lento, aburrido y anacrónico, al igual que las de Gardel (ya saben que los niños no saben apreciar nada con ojo crítico) pero esta canción en particular nos molestaba por lo mucho que mi papá la reproducía, así que en una ocasión mi hermana menor escondió el disco y cuadno mi papá empezó a buscarlo nosotros finjimos demencia 😁 le decíamos que no teníamos ni idea, más tarde lo dejabamos pro ahí para que pudiera encontrarlo, pero al menos disfrutamos un tiempo de paz sin el repetitivo pajarito Errante jaja
Another singer my father always listened to was Simón Díaz, a great exponent of Venezuelan *criollo* music. My father enjoyed Simón’s voice and storytelling; he was not just a singer but an excellent narrator. In fact, I once had the opportunity to see him perform live with my family, and we found it fascinating to discover the stories behind the songs in his repertoire. Simón Díaz’s songs likely appealed to my father because they were tales of rural life; even though my dad lived in the city for so many years, he remained a man from a small town who had experienced the daily work of the countryside. The songs he liked best were the *tonadas*—a type of melancholic song performed with a soft, high-pitched, and sustained voice, often used in rural areas while milking cows or herding cattle.
Otro cantante que mi padre siempre escuchaba era Simón Díaz, un gran exponente de la musica criolla venezolana, mi padre disfrutaba de la voz y los relatos de Simón, proque él no solo era un cantante, sino un excelente narrador de historias, de hecho en una ocasión yo tuve la oportunidad de verlo en vivo y en directo junt a mi familia y nos resultó fascinante ver como hay una histria detrás de todas las canciones de su repertorio. Probablemente las canciones de Simón Díaz le atraían a mi papá porque eran anecdotas de campo, y a pesar de que mi papá vivió en la ciudad por muchísimos muchísimos años, él no dejaba de ser un hmbre proveniente de un pueblo pequeño que vivió las faenas del campo. Las canciones que más le gustaban eran las llamadas "Tonadas" una especie de canto melancólico que se canta con voz sutil, aguda y prolongada y que a menudo en el campo usan para odeñarlas vacas o arrear ganado.
Well, those are the singers through whom I wanted to remember my father—my way of paying tribute to that beautiful music which, while belonging to the past, will always remain present in one way or another.
Y bueno esos son los cantantes con lso que quise recoerdar a mi padre, mi manera de rendir tributo a esa musica tan hermosa que hoy en día forman parte del ayer pero que de alguna u otra forma siemrpe estará presente.
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What a lovely tribute you’ve paid to the singers and the sort of songs your father used to like. I can see how many memories have come flooding back to you, such as the time your father sang Gardel’s songs, or when he’d come home and play that vinyl record over and over again, and you, his children, hid it from him. I imagine those memories have brought a smile to your face, because those moments will always be with you. What a lovely memory of your father listening to that Venezuelan singer whose songs were full of stories of country life.
As I always say, those are the experiences we seek most in our community, and you’ve shared some lovely anecdotes that connect you to your father through those singers, you’ve paid a wonderful tribute to them all. Your father would surely be happy. Thank you so much for taking part in this month’s theme, I’ve loved it!! A big hug!!💗
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No, muchas gracias a ti y a la comunidad por crear este espacio tan hermoso en el cuál podemos expresarnos a voluntad. Sí, claro que lo recordé con una sonrisa, jeje éramos traviesos de verdad, y luego mi ppaá buscando por toda la casa diciendo "¿Pero como se pudo haber perdido si yo lo tenía donde siempre" después se lo pusimos a la vista para que lo encontrara. Son recuerdos hermosos que me remontan a mi niñez.
Esos recuerdos son los que siempre estarán presentes y nos hacen felices, gracias nuevamente!