El Choclo

El Choclo was composed by Ángel Villoldo and first performed on 3 November 1903 at the restaurant El Americano on Cangallo Street (today Teniente General Perón) in Buenos Aires. Because the venue’s owner disliked tango, the orchestra of José Luis Roncallo presented the piece under the neutral designation danza criolla. Some accounts suggest the melody may date to 1898 and have originated with the Afro-Argentine violinist Casimiro Alcorta, though published sheet music of 1905 credits Villoldo alone. The title, meaning corn cob, has been linked by Villoldo’s sister to a local figure known by that nickname; Villoldo’s own early lyrics avoid any such reference. Later lyric versions include lines written by Villoldo himself under the title Cariño puro, verses associated with Roncallo, and the definitive 1947 text by Enrique Santos Discépolo that begins Con este tango que es burlón y compadrito. In the United States the melody was adapted in 1952 by Lester Allen and Robert Hill as Kiss of Fire; Louis Armstrong’s 1955 recording and Georgia Gibbs’s chart-topping version spread the tune worldwide. Argentine interpreters of the Discépolo lyrics include Libertad Lamarque and Tita Merello. Together with La Cumparsita, El Choclo ranks among the most widely performed tangos of the early repertoire.

Premiere and early history

The 1903 premiere date is attested by a contemporary program. Roncallo’s ensemble included piano, violin and other typical instruments of the period. The piece belongs to the Guardia Vieja generation and was among the first tangos to receive international recording attention, with early discs cut in Philadelphia and Paris.

Lyrics and adaptations

Villoldo supplied the initial modest verses. Discépolo’s 1947 lyric, premiered by Libertad Lamarque in the film Gran casino directed by Luis Buñuel, became the standard Spanish text. The American Kiss of Fire adaptation retains the core melody while altering the final bars and adding a flamenco-inflected cadence; original sheet music acknowledged the Villoldo source.