Francisco Rotundo

Francisco Rotundo was born on 4 November 1919 ^[3]. In 1944 he won an orchestra contest at the Palermo Palace salon ^[1]. The following year, 1945, he debuted his orchestra at the carnival dances of Club San José de Flores, where it was presented by the poet Carlos Waiss ^[1].

Through the late 1940s and early 1950s the orchestra hired a series of singers. These included Horacio Quintana and Aldo Calderón, Carlos Roldán from Montevideo, Mario Corrales, Floreal Ruiz from the orchestra of Aníbal Troilo, Enrique Campos, Julio Sosa and Jorge Durán ^[1]. Sources differ on whether Floreal Ruiz joined in 1948 or in 1949 ^[1][4][5].

The orchestra recorded for Odeon, beginning with Seguí mi consejo, sung by Carlos Roldán, in December 1948 ^[1]. In 1957 Rotundo disbanded the orchestra, barred for his Peronist views, and returned to the family paper business ^[2]. In the late 1960s he opened La Casa de Rotundo in Liniers with a new orchestra; the venue later moved to Villa Luro ^[1]. Rotundo died in Buenos Aires on 26 September 1997 ^[2].

History

### Formation (1944–1945)

In 1944 Rotundo won an orchestra contest at the Palermo Palace salon ^[1]. His orchestra debuted in 1945 at the carnival dances of Club San José de Flores, presented by the poet Carlos Waiss ^[1]. A 1945 claim from the same source records Rotundo as leader of the orchestra ^[1].

### Café Nacional and the late 1940s (1947–1949)

In 1947 the orchestra played a successful season at the Café Nacional on Corrientes, with Horacio Quintana and Aldo Calderón as singers ^[1]. In 1948 Rotundo brought the singer Carlos Roldán from Montevideo ^[1]. In October 1948 the orchestra was performing in what one biography calls "los mejores cabarets" ^[1].

The arrival of Floreal Ruiz, who came from the orchestra of Aníbal Troilo, is dated differently. One account places it in 1949, stating that Rotundo hired Mario Corrales in March of that year and Floreal Ruiz, who debuted in October ^[1]. Other claims place Ruiz's joining in October 1948 ^[1] or in 1948 ^[4], and a calendar records Ruiz singing with the orchestra on 14 December 1948 ^[5]. The sources therefore differ on the date, and this article does not resolve the question.

### The 1950s (1952–1957)

In 1952 Rotundo hired Enrique Campos, whose duet with Floreal Ruiz on El viejo vals sold strongly ^[1]. In 1953 Julio Sosa joined after leaving the Francini-Pontier orchestra and stayed about two years ^[1]. Jorge Durán joined at the end of 1955 and recorded two songs with the orchestra that December ^[1].

In 1957 Rotundo disbanded the orchestra. One source states that he had been barred for his Peronist views, and that he then returned to the family paper business ^[2].

### Later years

In the late 1960s Rotundo opened La Casa de Rotundo in the Liniers neighbourhood with a new orchestra; the venue later moved to Villa Luro ^[1]. He died in Buenos Aires on 26 September 1997 ^[2].

Singers

The singers documented with the orchestra, in the order the sources give, were ^[1]:

- Horacio Quintana and Aldo Calderón, at the Café Nacional in 1947 ^[1] - Carlos Roldán, brought from Montevideo in 1948 ^[1] - Mario Corrales, hired in March 1949 ^[1] - Floreal Ruiz, formerly with Aníbal Troilo, joining in 1948 or 1949 depending on the source ^[1][4][5] - Enrique Campos, hired in 1952 ^[1] - Julio Sosa, from 1953 for about two years, after leaving Francini-Pontier ^[1] - Jorge Durán, from the end of 1955 ^[1]

Recordings

The orchestra recorded for Odeon. Its documented first recording was Seguí mi consejo with Carlos Roldán, in December 1948 ^[1]. A calendar entry records Floreal Ruiz singing with the orchestra on 14 December 1948 ^[5].

In 1952 the duet of Enrique Campos and Floreal Ruiz on El viejo vals sold strongly ^[1]. In December 1955 Jorge Durán recorded two songs with the orchestra; the source does not name them ^[1].