Simón Bajour

Simón Bajour was born on 4 April 1928 ^[3]. In 1937 he moved with his family to Argentina ^[1]. His first tango work came in 1942, playing carnival dances with a sextet at a club in Villa Ballester ^[2].

During the 1940s and 1950s he played in several tango orchestras. He joined Roberto Dimas's orchestra at café Marzotto in 1945, won a place in the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional in 1949, and joined Carlos Di Sarli's orchestra in 1950 ^[2]. He later served as first violin of the Stampone-Federico orchestra, returned to Di Sarli, toured the Soviet Union and China with Osvaldo Pugliese's orchestra, and in 1961 became the original violinist of Astor Piazzolla's Quinteto Nuevo Tango ^[2].

He was later concertmaster of Cuba's national symphony orchestra in Havana ^[2]. From 1976 until 1980 he lived in exile in Mexico ^[1]. He died in Buenos Aires on 8 February 2005, and in 2009 he received a posthumous Konex award ^[1].

Early life

Bajour was born on 4 April 1928 ^[3]. In 1937 he moved with his family to Argentina ^[1]. The dossier does not record where he was born or how he trained as a musician ^[1][3].

His first tango job came in 1942, when he played carnival dances with a sextet at a club in Villa Ballester ^[2].

Career in the 1940s

In 1945 Bajour joined Roberto Dimas's orchestra, which was then playing at café Marzotto ^[2]. In 1949 he won a place in the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional ^[2].

With Carlos Di Sarli and Stampone-Federico

Bajour joined Carlos Di Sarli's orchestra in 1950 ^[2]. In that orchestra he played the solo of A la gran muñeca ^[2].

In 1952 he was first violin of the Stampone-Federico orchestra, which performed at the Tibidabo and on Radio Belgrano ^[2].

In 1955 he returned to Di Sarli, after members of Di Sarli's orchestra had left to form Los Señores del Tango ^[2]. In 1956 Di Sarli recorded Bajour's tango Duele más, which Bajour signed with the pen name Tito Simón ^[2].

With Osvaldo Pugliese and Astor Piazzolla

In 1959 Bajour toured the Soviet Union and China with Osvaldo Pugliese's orchestra ^[2].

In 1961 he was the original violinist of Astor Piazzolla's Quinteto Nuevo Tango ^[2]. He then became concertmaster of Cuba's national symphony orchestra in Havana ^[2].

Exile and later years

In 1976 Bajour went into exile in Mexico, where he remained until 1980 ^[1]. He died in Buenos Aires on 8 February 2005 ^[1].

Compositions

Bajour wrote the tango Duele más, which he signed with the pen name Tito Simón; Carlos Di Sarli recorded it in 1956 ^[2].

Recognition

In 2009 Bajour received a posthumous Konex award ^[1].