Tango in 1923

This article covers tango-related events and recordings dated to 1923 in the available sources. These are a biographical article on Carlos Gardel and a discographic listing of recordings for the year ^{[1] [2]}.

The biographical material for 1923 centres on Gardel. That year he obtained Argentine nationality, lost his early manager, made his first tour of Europe with José Razzano, and is described as introducing the tango "Mano a mano" ^[1].

The recording material is a year listing of titles with their performers, genre labels and catalogue identifiers. Exact recording days are given for only a few entries ^[2]. Most of the entries credit Carlos Gardel with the guitarists Guillermo Barbieri and José Ricardo. A substantial group credits the orchestra of Osvaldo Fresedo, and smaller groups credit Juan Carlos Cobián, Francisco Canaro and Roberto Firpo ^[2].

According to the biographical source, Gardel's early career was managed by a man known as the «Gordo» Giggio or Yiyo. Gardel formed a relationship of strong mutual affection with him, described as having a father-son character ^[1]. When Giggio died in 1923, Gardel was one of those who carried the coffin ^[1].

In 1923, using Uruguayan documents he had obtained, Gardel applied for Argentine nationality ^[1]. The source states that it was granted immediately and that he was issued the Argentine passport he would use for travel ^[1]. The source reports agreement that Gardel lived in Buenos Aires from childhood and was naturalised as an Argentine in 1923 ^[1].

The same source notes that accounts of Gardel's origins differ. Both versions nevertheless agree on the 1923 naturalisation ^[1]. The documents Gardel filed in 1920 and 1923 are described as the main documentary evidence for what the source calls the «hipótesis uruguayista» ^[1]. In them, Gardel himself declared that he was born in Tacuarembó on 11 December 1887 and named his parents as Carlos Gardel and María Gardel ^[1]. The source adds that the authenticity of these documents is not in question ^[1]. The question of his origin is recorded as disputed below ^[1].

Also in 1923, the duo Gardel-Razzano made its first tour of Europe, specifically to Spain ^[1]. The duo accompanied the theatre company led by the actress Matilde Rivera and her husband, the actor Enrique de Rosas ^[1].

The biographical source states that during this period the duo added a second guitarist, Guillermo Barbieri ^[1]. It also states that in 1923 Gardel introduced the tango "Mano a mano" («Rechiflado en mi tristeza...»), with lyrics by Celedonio Flores ^[1]. According to the source, Gardel had discovered Flores as a poet in 1920 and had already recorded Flores's "Margot" ^[1]. The 1923 date for the introduction of "Mano a mano" rests on this single prose account. The discography independently lists a 1923 recording of the title by Gardel with Barbieri and Ricardo, which is its earliest known recording in this dossier ^{[1] [2]}.

The listing also has entries credited to Carlos Gardel alone for "Buenos Aires", "La cumparsita", "La mariposa" and "Padre nuestro" ^[2]. For "Buenos Aires", "La mariposa" and "Padre nuestro", these entries share a catalogue identifier with the corresponding entries credited to Gardel with Barbieri and Ricardo ^[2].

Apart from the three dated entries, the listing gives only the year 1923 for these recordings ^[2].

One further 1923 entry for "Cacique" has malformed performer data and no genre, and cannot be attributed from the listing ^[2].

Several titles appear in the 1923 listing under more than one performer ^[2]. "Padre nuestro" is credited to Carlos Gardel, to Gardel with Barbieri and Ricardo, to Francisco Canaro and to Roberto Firpo ^[2]. "Buenos Aires" is credited to Gardel, to Gardel with Barbieri and Ricardo, and to Firpo ^[2]. "Pobres flores" appears under both Gardel with Barbieri and Ricardo and Firpo ^[2]. "Nubes de humo" and "Nerón" appear under both Gardel with Barbieri and Ricardo and Canaro ^[2]. "Julián" appears under Fresedo and under an unspecified orchestra with Libertad Lamarque ^[2].

Most entries in the listing carry the label tango ^[2]. The Gardel sides also include valses, zambas, estilos, a tonada, a triste, a canción zamba and a shimmy, and Canaro is also credited with a shimmy ^[2]. Genre labels are inconsistent for a few titles. "Cacique", "Mujer", "Sea breve" and "La mariposa" each appear once as a tango and once with no genre given ^[2].