Osvaldo Pugliese - Virtual Class w/Makela 4/12/2020

Osvaldo Pugliese

Real name: Pugliese, Osvaldo Pedro

Nickname: El chicharra (cicada) de Villa Crespo

Pianist, conductor, composer. (~450 recordings)

(2 December 1905 - 25 July 1995)

Place of birth: Buenos Aires Argentina

Singers

Alberto Morán 1945: romantic, sensual, a rare quality for the mezza voce and perfect match with the orchestral accompaniment (48 recordings). Farol 1:39 El abrojito 1:24

Roberto Chanel join in 1943 with nasal and compadrito style (31 recordings) Fuimos 1:24 Jorge Vidal 1949-50 (8 recordings)

Jorge Maciel, Miguel Montero,

Osvaldo Pugliese is born in 1905 within the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Villa Crespo to parents Aurelia Terragno and Adolfo Pugliese, an Italian immigrant family. His two brothers Vicente Salvador and Alberto Roque were violinists. His father starts teaching Osvaldo the violin as a young child but he likes the piano.

He starts playing professionally at 15 years old. In 1921 he joins Paquita Bernardo (the first female bandoneonist ) in her sextet. In 1926 O.P composes his famous tango Recuerdo that is considered by many to be the origin of stylized instrumental tango. He also plays with Alfredo Gobby, Aníbal Troilo, Pedro Laurenz, and Miguel Caló.

In 1939, aged 34, Pugliese forms his Orquesta Típica Pugliese, and debuts at the café El Nacional. The Orquesta Típica Pugliese has a deep influence of De Caro school and its very specific style: no drums, highly syncopated, bandoneon solos, holding notes slightly longer than expected for dramatic effect (rubato), alternating slow and fast tempos (slargando or slentando).

One of the salient features of Pugliese’s style is expressed by a word he invented: ‘yumba” which- the quote ‘yum-ba, yum-ba”- denotes that the first and third beats should be stressed and the second and the second and fourth beats should be played softly with a bass piano note.

Despite being sentimental and romantic, Pugliese doesn’t forget the rhythm and uses any kind of syncopation and off-beat, as well as some percussion effects.

Pugliese celebrates his 80’s birthday by playing with his orchestra at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.

Pugliese was very committed to the rights of the musicians, and he fought for better wages, weekly rest, and the end of workday at 4 pm. He set up a labor union in 1935.

His orchestra was set up as a cooperative, in which participation was democratic and everyone had an equitable distribution of income.

Pugliese’s complexity “Osvaldo’s complexity lies in his simplicity. His technical skills allows him three overlapping sounds: playing the violins, another is the bandoneon, and the other piano and bass. And in turn the three merge together. This is the Pugliese tango. It is very difficult to imitate.” Natalio Etchegaray co-author of Don Osvaldo, and one of Pugliese’s friends.

TANGOS FOR DANCING (Para Bailar) Farol 1943 Alberto Morán, Amurado 1944, Raza criolla (El Taita) 1945, El monito 1945, Rondando tu esquina 1945 Roberto Chanel, La cachila 1945, Mala Junta 1943, Adiós Bardi 1944, Tiny 1945, Fuimos 1946 Roberto Chanel, Remembranzas 1956 Jorge Maciel, El abrojito 1945 Alberto Morán, Recuerdo 1944, Corrientes y esmeralda 1944 Roberto Chanel, Seguíme si podés 1953, La Tupungatina 1952, Esta noche de luna 1955 Jorge Maciel, Cascabelito 1955, Desde el alma 1979 (composer: Rosita Melo) VALS Un baile a beneficio 1950 Jorge Vidal MILONGA

TANGOS FOR STAGE La yumba 1946, Negracha 1948, Malandraca 1949, Para dos 1952, Patético 1948, Pata ancha 1957, Gallo ciego 1959, Emancipación 1955, Yunta de oro 1957, Don Agustín Bardi 1961, Cafetín 1947 Alberto Morán, Nochero soy 1956, El sueño del pibe 1945 Roberto Chanel, Pasional 1951.

Please check our prior blog on Pugliese for more information on dance tips.