Song
El porteñito
"El porteñito" is a tango credited to Ángel Villoldo as composer [2][3]. A Todo Tango biography of Villoldo describes it as his first work and dates it to 1903, but the sources associate the piece with different years, so its date is disputed [3][4][5].
"El porteñito" is a tango composition [3]. Music credits name Ángel Villoldo as its composer [2].
A Todo Tango biography of Villoldo states that "El porteñito" was his first work and that he wrote it in 1903 [3]. Other sources associate the work with different years, 1880 and 1942, and the date is therefore disputed [4][5].
History
According to Todo Tango's biography of Ángel Villoldo, "El porteñito" was the first work he wrote, in 1903 [3]. Todo Tango's entry for the piece is also linked to the year 1903 [2].
Sources differ on the date. A Todo Tango listing titled "Tangos de la Guardia Vieja 1880-1920" links the work to the year 1880 and to the name Gabriel Diez [4]. The available record does not explain what that link means [4]. The tango.info entry for the work links it to the year 1942, without saying what event that date marks [5]. These dates are contested, and none of them is settled here [3][4][5].
References
- 2.El Porteñito · todotango.com“Música: Ángel Villoldo”
- 3.Ángel Villoldo: biografía · todotango.com“Su primera obra sería el tango “El Porteñito” que escribiera en el año 1903”
- 4.Tangos de la Guardia Vieja 1880-1920 · web.archive.org
- 5.EL PORTENITO · tango.info
Credit
- Music
- Ángel Villoldo
- Lyrics
- Ángel Villoldo
Source: TangoCloud catalogue
Every recording
6 recordings · our catalogue, dances filmed on TangoTube
- Orquesta Típica VictorEarliest we holdInstrumental · RCA Victor · Sep 261928
- Juan D'ArienzoInstrumental · RCA Victor · Aug 3119374 dances
- Quinteto Pirincho (Francisco Canaro)Instrumental · Odeon · Jun 619411 dance
- Ángel D'AgostinoMost dancedÁngel Vargas · RCA Victor · Mar 23194326 dances
- Cuarteto Típico Roberto FirpoInstrumental · Nov 71951
- Quinteto Pirincho (Francisco Canaro)Instrumental · Odeon · Apr 91959
Lyrics
Español · Underlined words are lunfardo: tap one for its meaning.
Soy hijo de Buenos Aires, por apodo 'El porteñito', el criollo más compadrito que en esta tierra nació. Cuando un tango en la vigüela rasguea algún compañero no hay nadie en el mundo entero que baile mejor que yo. No hay ninguno que me iguale para enamorar mujeres, puro hablar de pareceres, puro filo y nada más. Y al hacerle la encarada la fileo de cuerpo entero asegurando el puchero con el que dará. Soy el terror del malevaje cuando en un baile me meto, porque a ninguno respeto de los que hay en la reunión. Y si alguno se retoba y viene haciéndose el guapo lo mando de un castañazo a buscar quien lo engrupió. Cuando el ya escasea le formo un cuento a mi china que es la más ladina que pisó el barrio del sur. Y como caído del cielo entra el níquel al bolsillo y al compás de un organillo bailo el tango a su 'salú'.
English · machine translation
I am a son of Buenos Aires, by nickname 'El porteñito', the most compadrito criollo who was born in this land. When a tango in the reed strummed by some fellow there is no one in the whole world who dances better than me. There's no one who can match me for making women fall in love, pure talk of opinions, pure edge and nothing more. And when I face her I fillet her full body assuring the pot with the wind that it will give. I'm the terror of the wicked when I get into a dance, because I respect no one of those in the gathering. And if any of them frolic and comes in pretending to be handsome I send him off with a chestnut to look for the one who has made him a fool. When the wind is scarce I make up a story for my china who is the most ladina paica who ever set foot in the southern neighborhood. And as if it fell from the sky the nickel enters my pocket and to the beat of a barrel organ I dance the tango to her 'salú'.
Danced to it
Data: recordings, facts and sources
Recordings by year
Source: TangoCloud catalogue
1928: 1, 1937: 1, 1941: 1, 1943: 1, 1951: 1, 1959: 1
Composer1
Composed by Ángel Villoldo
Supported · 2Dates4
Gabriel Diez1880
Sources disagreeTango 19031903
Sources disagreePrimera obra1903
Sources disagree1942
Sources disagreeIn other catalogues3
TodoTango · tema/819
Single sourcetango.info · T0370238633
Single sourceMusicBrainz · 34757759-6f3c-4282-8f81-b55d22321773source
Single sourceIs a1
Is a Tango
Single sourcePublished1
Published 1903
Single sourceLyricist3
Lyrics by Ángel Villoldo
Single sourceLyrics by Carlos Pesce
Single sourceLyrics by Antonio Polito
Single sourceUsed in lyric2
vento — used in lyric El porteñito
Single sourcepaica — used in lyric El porteñito
Single sourceNotes1
Ángel Villoldo's El porteñito is premiered in 1903.1903
Single sourceListen
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