Raúl Iriarte

Rafael Fiorentino, known professionally as Raúl Iriarte, was born on 15 October 1916 in the Barracas neighborhood of Buenos Aires. When he was three months old his parents moved the family to San Isidro. From an early age he was drawn to singing and the guitar. At seventeen he made his radio debut on Radio Prieto accompanied by the guitarists Disario, Durante, and Deluchi, later appearing on other stations as a soloist. He possessed a baritone range with a distinctive afflicted color, clear diction, and an attractive stage presence. In 1938 he was called by the neighborhood orchestra of Mario Azzerboni (also spelled Azerboni). After a brief period with Edgardo Donato he joined the violinist Enrique Forte. Because of the established fame of Francisco Fiorentino he abandoned his real surname and adopted the artistic name Raúl Iriarte. ^[1][2][3]

In early 1943 Alberto Podestá left Miguel Caló to join Pedro Laurenz, creating an opening. Lyricist Oscar Rubens recommended Iriarte; Caló heard him and hired him. On 17 May 1943 Iriarte recorded his first side with the orchestra, Es en vano llorar (Oscar Rubens and Alberto Suárez Villanueva), coupled with De barro (Francisco De Caro / Homero Manzi) sung by Jorge Ortiz. The Caló lineup at the time included Osmar Maderna (piano), Enrique Mario Francini, Aquiles Aguilar, Antonio Bogas, and Mario Lalli (violins), Domingo Federico, Armando Pontier, José Cambareri, and Felipe Richiardi (bandoneons), and Armando Caló (double bass). On 10 August 1943 he recorded the two Carlos Bahr tangos Mañana iré temprano and Cada día te extraño más, both of which became public favorites. The following year Raúl Berón returned to Caló after a stint with Lucio Demare; the dual vocal front of Iriarte and Berón helped the orchestra maintain popularity comparable to the leading ensembles of Aníbal Troilo, Carlos Di Sarli, and Juan D’Arienzo. Between May 1943 and December 1945 the orchestra recorded forty-three numbers, of which only seven were instrumental; Iriarte was the most frequently featured singer. Other remembered titles from the period include Marión, Nada, Tabaco, and Trenzas. Late in 1945 key players Maderna, Federico, Francini, and Pontier left to form their own groups, yet the vocal partnership continued to sustain the orchestra. Luis Tolosa briefly replaced Berón; thereafter Iriarte shared duties with Roberto Arrieta. His last recording with Caló in this period was Óyeme (Homero Expósito / Enrique Francini) in late 1947. ^[1][4][5]

In late 1947 impresarios began requesting him as a soloist. He left Caló and debuted on Radio Belgrano in 1948 backed by the orchestra of bandoneonist and arranger Ismael Spitalnik (also spelled Spiltanik). In 1949 pianist Armando Lacava led his accompanying group on the same station. In 1950, riding high popularity, he toured Chile, Peru, Venezuela, and Mexico and ultimately settled in Colombia. In 1956 he undertook a major season in Mexico City that included a theater engagement alongside the Mexican actress Marga López and performances at the cabaret El Patio, where, accompanied by the group of bandoneonist Luis Álvarez, he recorded Prohibido and Noche de locura (both Manuel Sucher and Carlos Bahr). The Mexican engagement continued into 1957; he then traveled to Cuba for television, radio, and cabaret work. Upon returning to Bogotá he purchased a large bar and restaurant in the city center in partnership with his bandoneonist Luis Pérez Álvarez. His polished Caló recordings, including La vi llegar and Me duele el corazón, circulated widely on Latin American radio programs that specialized in tango, often alongside those of Gardel; he became one of the most requested Argentine voices on the continent. ^[1][2][6]

In February 1972 Iriarte returned to Buenos Aires and recorded again with Caló: La mentirosa, Nubes de humo, Un lugar para los dos, and, in duo with Roberto Arrieta, Mis flores negras and Todos vuelven. Caló died of a heart attack on 24 May 1972. Iriarte returned to Colombia and continued occasional performances, sometimes accompanied by a group led by pianist Osvaldo Berlingieri. By 1977 he largely ceased singing and turned to entrepreneurial activity, organizing tours for other tango artists (including Juan Carlos Godoy, Armando Moreno, and Roberto Mancini) and promoting homages to Gardel in Medellín that featured major figures of the genre. He died in Bogotá on 24 August 1982 after a serious illness, shortly before his sixty-sixth birthday. ^[1][3][7]

Early career and name change

After radio work from age seventeen and brief orchestral tenures with Mario Azzerboni, Edgardo Donato, and Enrique Forte, Fiorentino adopted the name Raúl Iriarte to avoid confusion with the better-known Francisco Fiorentino. The change coincided with the period immediately preceding his successful audition for Miguel Caló. ^[1][2]

Miguel Caló years (1943–1947)

Hired on the recommendation of Oscar Rubens after Alberto Podestá’s departure, Iriarte recorded his first side on 17 May 1943. The 10 August 1943 Bahr pair and subsequent titles such as Nada, Tabaco, and Trenzas established him as a central voice of the orchestra. He recorded more sides with Caló than any other singer during the peak years; the dual presence with Raúl Berón was commercially important. The period ended with Óyeme in late 1947. ^[1][4]

Solo career, Latin American tours, and Colombia

Radio Belgrano work with Ismael Spitalnik (1948) and Armando Lacava (1949) preceded the 1950 multi-country tour that led to permanent residence in Colombia. The 1956–1957 Mexican season, including the El Patio recordings with Luis Álvarez, and the subsequent Cuban engagement marked a high point of international visibility. He later operated a Bogotá bar-restaurant with Luis Pérez Álvarez. ^[1][6]

1972 return and later activity

The February 1972 sessions with Caló produced five titles, including two duets with Roberto Arrieta; Caló died three months later. Iriarte thereafter performed only sporadically in Colombia before shifting to tour organization and Gardel tributes until his death in 1982. ^[1][3]