El Flete

El Flete stands as a classic example of the early twentieth-century tango that bridged the Guardia Vieja and the more structured orchestral era. Composed by the bandoneonist and leader Vicente Greco, the piece entered the repertoire around 1916 and quickly found favor both in sheet-music sales and in the dance halls of Buenos Aires.^[1][2] Greco, born in Buenos Aires on 3 February 1888 (some sources list 1886), was among the first musicians to move tango from the outskirts into the center of the city and is credited with coining the term “orquesta típica.”^[3][4] His death from uremia on 5 October 1924 cut short a career that produced several enduring titles, including Rodríguez Peña, La viruta, and El flete itself.^[3]

The title draws on lunfardo. “Flete” can mean a horse or any fast means of transport, and by extension “to give someone the flete” means to dismiss or send them packing. Two distinct sets of lyrics exist, and sources disagree on authorship. One version, preserved on Todo Tango under the 1916 entry, is attributed to Pascual Contursi and describes the end of the old toughs: the “pesaos,” “patoteros,” and knife-wielding figures who once dominated the streets are now caught and given the flete to “la otra población.”^[5] A second set, listed by tango.info and on a separate Todo Tango page dated 1941, is credited to Gerónimo Gradito and treats the flete as a racehorse—a zaino escarceador whose heart is hard to match and who carries the narrator’s hopes on the track.^[6][7] The Contursi lyrics appear never to have been widely recorded, while the Gradito text is the one heard on the 1930 Orquesta Típica Porteña recording with Ernesto Famá.^[8] Contemporary accounts and SADAIC registrations have not resolved the discrepancy; both attributions continue to circulate.^[5][6]

Early instrumental versions appeared almost immediately. Roberto Firpo is listed with a 1914 performance on tango.info, followed by further Firpo sides around 1916.^[2] Francisco Canaro recorded the piece on 7 March 1928, and his later Quinteto Don Pancho returned to it on 30 March 1939.^[2] The 16 September 1930 Orquesta Típica Porteña side with Famá remains one of the few vocal versions from the period.^[2][8] Juan D’Arienzo’s 3 April 1936 recording, made with Rodolfo Biagi at the piano, became a reference point for dancers; its driving pulse and crisp accents exemplify the “rey del compás” style that would define the late 1930s.^[2][9] Later readings include Héctor Varela’s 1950 and 1952 sides and Osvaldo Fresedo’s 1966 version, each preserving the original’s rhythmic clarity while adding the polish of their respective eras.^[2]

Sheet-music sales figures from Greco’s lifetime give a sense of its early popularity: an interview preserved in Todo Tango states that El flete sold 6,000 copies in three months, a substantial number for the period.^[4] The piece continued to appear in the repertoires of orquestas típicas throughout the Golden Age and remains a regular choice at milongas, valued for its clear 2/4 pulse and opportunities for crisp walking and turns. Its dual lyric traditions and the range of orchestral treatments—from Firpo’s early acoustic sides to D’Arienzo’s 1936 classic—illustrate how a single early tango could be reinterpreted across decades without losing its identity.

Authorship and Lyrics

The music is universally attributed to Vicente Greco and dated 1916 on both tango.info and Todo Tango.^[1][2] The lyricist question is unresolved. Todo Tango’s primary entry lists Pascual Contursi and reproduces verses beginning “Se acabaron los pesaos, patoteros y mentaos.”^[5] A second Todo Tango page and tango.info credit Gerónimo Gradito with the racehorse text that begins “Parejero; zaino escarceador.”^[6][7] An independent site notes that Contursi’s lines were recalled by Víctor Soliño as having been written for Greco’s already-composed melody, yet SADAIC records list Gradito.^[10] No definitive contemporary contract or registration has settled the matter.

Key Recordings

The earliest documented sides are those of Roberto Firpo (listed as 1914 and 1916).^[2] Canaro’s 7 March 1928 recording and the 1939 Quinteto Don Pancho version kept the piece in the commercial catalog.^[2] The 16 September 1930 Orquesta Típica Porteña recording with Ernesto Famá is the principal early vocal interpretation of the Gradito text.^[2][8] D’Arienzo’s 3 April 1936 instrumental remains the most frequently cited for dance, its Biagi piano and tight rhythm section providing the model later copied by many orchestras.^[2][9] Varela’s 1952 side and Fresedo’s 1966 recording demonstrate the piece’s longevity into the post-Golden Age period.^[2]

Style and Legacy

El Flete is typically played in a bright, rhythmic style suited to walking and clear changes of direction. D’Arienzo’s 1936 version is frequently cited as an exemplar of the driving 1930s sound.^[9] The piece’s continued presence in contemporary milonga playlists, from Varela reissues to modern ensembles, shows how Greco’s early composition adapted to successive orchestral aesthetics while retaining its original character.