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Orchestra

Orquesta Típica Juan de Dios Filiberto

The orchestra associated with Juan de Dios Filiberto began in 1932 as the Orquesta Porteña, distinguished by the inclusion of clarinet, flute and harmonium, and later evolved under his direction into the Municipal Popular Orchestra of Folk Art and the National Orchestra of Argentine Music. Filiberto, composer of “Caminito,” led these ensembles from their foundation until the late 1950s.

Juan de Dios Filiberto (born Óscar Juan de Dios Filiberti on 8 March 1885 in the La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires and died on 11 November 1964) was a composer, guitarist, pianist and conductor whose best-known works include “Caminito,” “Quejas de bandoneón,” “El pañuelito” and “Malevaje.”[1][2] He formed his first personal orchestra, the Orquesta Porteña, in 1932, seventeen years after his earliest tango “Guaymallén.”[1][3] The ensemble deliberately departed from the standard orquesta típica instrumentation by adding clarinet, flute and harmonium to the usual bandoneons, violins, piano and double bass.[1][2] It made its public debut at the Café Tortoni, performed in Buenos Aires theaters and spent the summer of 1932 in Mar del Plata.[1][3] In 1933 the orchestra appeared in Luis Moglia Barth’s film ¡Tango!, the first Argentine commercial sound feature, with Filiberto conducting in his characteristic physical style.[1][2]

Vocalists were Patrocinio Díaz and, later, Jorge Alonso.[1] Recording activity was modest compared with the major dance orchestras: twenty-five sides for Odeón between 1932 and 1936, and a further twenty for Victor between 1941 and 1959, the majority instrumental.[1][2] The repertoire emphasized Filiberto’s own compositions and other works of Argentine popular and folk origin.

In October 1938 the Municipality of Buenos Aires created the Orquesta Popular Municipal de Arte Folklórico and appointed Filiberto its director; some sources date the appointment to 1939.[1][3][4] The ensemble, initially of more than twenty musicians, performed a broad program of tango, folklore and popular music. In 1948 a presidential decree transferred the orchestra to the national sphere as the Orquesta de Música Popular, expanding it to forty players while retaining Filiberto as conductor.[1][3][4] After the 1955–1956 political changes the name was altered to Orquesta de Música Argentina y de Cámara. Filiberto remained at its head until his retirement on 18 October 1959, when an homage was held on the Caminito street in La Boca and a bust was unveiled.[2][4]

Ten years after his death the national orchestra was officially renamed Orquesta Nacional de Música Argentina “Juan de Dios Filiberto.”[1][3][4] It continues as a state ensemble devoted to Argentine popular and folk music and has been directed by musicians including Osvaldo Requena, Osvaldo Piro and Atilio Stampone.[1][3]

Filiberto’s orchestras never competed in the commercial dance-orchestra market of the 1930s and 1940s. Their significance lies instead in the institutionalization of a mixed tango-and-folklore ensemble under public patronage and in the permanent association of the composer’s name with one of Argentina’s official musical institutions. The 1932 Orquesta Porteña remains the earliest recorded example of his distinctive instrumentation, while the later municipal and national bodies extended that concept into a lasting cultural infrastructure.

Orquesta Porteña (1932–1938)

The 1932 ensemble was a deliberate experiment that enlarged the típica with winds and harmonium.[1][2] Its appearances at the Café Tortoni, in theaters, in Mar del Plata and in the film ¡Tango! established Filiberto as a conductor as well as a composer.[1][3] The limited Odeón discography of this period is mostly instrumental.[1]

Municipal and national orchestras

The October 1938 (or 1939) creation of the Orquesta Popular Municipal de Arte Folklórico marked the beginning of state support.[1][3][4] The 1948 transfer to the national government expanded the personnel and secured the ensemble’s continuity under successive political regimes.[1][4]

Repertoire and vocalists

Patrocinio Díaz and Jorge Alonso were the principal singers.[1] The recorded output remained small and largely instrumental, focusing on Filiberto’s own tangos and Argentine popular material rather than the commercial hits of the dance orchestras.[1][2]

Legacy and the present-day orchestra

The renaming of the national orchestra in Filiberto’s honor in 1973 (or 1974 according to some sources) permanently linked his name to Argentine state musical life.[1][3][4] The ensemble continues to perform both the classic tango repertoire and broader Argentine popular music.

References

  1. 1.Biografía de Juan de Dios Filiberto por Néstor Pinsón · todotango.com“Recién tuvo orquesta propia en 1932 y la llamó Orquesta Porteña, agregando a los habituales instrumentos tangueros, el clarinete, la flauta y el armonio.”
  2. 2.Juan de Dios Filiberto · en.wikipedia.org“Following this success and that of "Botines viejos" in 1932, Filiberto formed his own group, the "Orquesta Porteña".”
  3. 3.Juan de Dios Filiberto, el gran compositor del tango · argentina.gob.ar“En 1932 Filiberto fundó, con solo catorce músicos, la Orquesta Porteña.”
  4. 4.Juan de Dios Filiberto: Caminito and the orchestra of La Boca · elportaldeltango.com“In 1932, seventeen years after Guaymallén and the year of Botines viejos, Filiberto formed his own orchestra, the Orquesta Porteña.”
  5. 5.Biography of Juan de Dios Filiberto · todotango.com“Only in 1932, he had his own orchestra and he called it Orquesta Porteña.”
  6. 6.Juan de Dios Filiberto · es.wikipedia.org“En 1932 organizó su propia orquesta, la Orquesta Porteña.”
  7. 7.Tango es patrimonio · argentina.gob.ar“Fue fundada en el año 1932, con el nombre de Orquesta Porteña, por el emblemático compositor argentino Juan de Dios Filiberto.”
  8. 8.Juan de Dios Filiberto · todotango.com“(8 March 1885 - 11 November 1964)”
Data: recordings, facts and sources

Recordings by year

Source: TangoCloud catalogue

19411959

1941: 1, 1958: 5, 1959: 11

Singers over the years

First to last recording together · source: TangoCloud catalogue · tap a bar for the takes

19591959
  1. Patrocinia Diaz1959 · 2
  2. Jorge Alonso1959 · 2

Singers

Described as15

Described as Takes part in the port strikes as a unionised dock worker.1907Single source

Described as Around age 24 enrols at a conservatory to study violin and theory, later winning a scholarship with Alberto Williams.1909Single source

Described as Writes his first tango, Guaymallén, in Mendoza.1915Single source

Described as Publishes Quejas de bandoneón.1919Single source

Described as Begins his series of tango songs with El pañuelito.1920Single source

Described as Writes Caminito.1926Single source

Described as Spends the summer playing tango on the harmonium in Mar del Plata with Benito Quinquela Martín.1927Single source

Described as Founds the Orquesta Porteña and starts recording for Odeon; moves into the house at Magallanes 1140.1932Single source

Described as Conducts the Orquesta Porteña in the film ¡Tango!.1933Single source

Described as Is among the founders of SADAIC, the authors' and composers' society.1936Single source

Described as Takes charge of the new Orquesta Popular Municipal de Arte Folklórico.1938Single source

Described as Begins recording for Victor.1941Single source

Described as His orchestra becomes the 40-piece Orquesta de Música Popular by decree.1948Single source

Described as Dies in La Boca.1964-11-11Single source

Described as Composed “Quejas de bandoneón” (1918).1918Single source

Born on1

Born on 1885-03-081885-03-08source

Listen

  1. GuaymallénJuan de Dios Filiberto1941
  2. Amor que muereJuan de Dios Filiberto1958
  3. La vuelta de RochaJuan de Dios Filiberto1958
  4. Palomita blancaJuan de Dios Filiberto1958
  5. MalevajeJuan de Dios Filiberto1958
  6. AmigazoJuan de Dios Filiberto1958
  7. El pañuelitoJuan de Dios Filiberto · Patrocinia Díaz1959
  8. A mi madreJuan de Dios Filiberto1959
  9. Yo te bendigoJuan de Dios Filiberto1959
  10. La canciónJuan de Dios Filiberto · Patrocinia Díaz1959
  11. La malevaJuan de Dios Filiberto1959
  12. Derecho viejoJuan de Dios Filiberto1959

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