Ángel Vargas

Ángel Vargas was a tango singer whose career, as the sources describe it, ran from neighbourhood cinemas in the 1920s to a final recording session in June 1959 ^[1][3]. One source gives his date of birth as 22 October 1904 ^[12]. Another source summarises him as active from 1938 to 1959 ^[6], although other sources place his first public singing and first records earlier ^[1][2].

A large part of his documented career was spent with the orchestra of Ángel D'Agostino. He met D'Agostino in 1932 and made occasional appearances with him, then became the orchestra's singer in 1940 ^[2][4]. The partnership lasted until 1946 ^[5], when he left D'Agostino and started his own orchestra ^[2].

In 1947 the announcer Raúl Astor, on Radio Splendid, named him the "ruiseñor de las calles porteñas" ^[1]. He appeared in the film Su última pelea in 1949 ^[3] and, from 1951, recorded with Armando Lacava's orchestra, which one source describes as his most recorded accompaniment after D'Agostino ^[3]. According to one source, he died in Buenos Aires after lung surgery on 7 July 1959 ^[2]; another source gives a different date, and the sources therefore differ on his death date ^[6].

Early career

According to one source, Vargas began singing in neighbourhood cinemas in 1923 ^[1]. The same source states that in 1930 he made his debut at the café Marzotto, at Corrientes 1124, singing in the afternoons with the Lando-Mattino orchestra ^[1].

In 1932 he met Ángel D'Agostino and made occasional appearances with him ^[2]. In 1935 he made his first records, Brindemos compañero and Ñata linda, with José Luis Padula's orchestra for the Odeon label ^[2]. Sources differ on when his recording career began: one source places a debut recording for RCA Victor on 13 November 1940, citing the title "No aflojés" ^[7], and another summarises his active period as starting in 1938 ^[6].

In 1938 he recorded refrains with the Orquesta Típica Victor under the direction of Federico Scorticati ^[2].

With Ángel D'Agostino

In 1940 Vargas became the singer of Ángel D'Agostino's orchestra ^[2][4]. One source dates his period singing with the orchestra from 1940 to 1946 ^[5]. A source on the history of the orchestra singer records that he recorded "No aflojés" on 13 November 1940 ^[7].

Recording calendars list him with D'Agostino's orchestra on 24 July 1941 ^[8] and on 30 December 1942 ^[9]. A source on the tango "Camino del Tucumán" also links him with the orchestra on 10 September 1946 ^[10].

One source gives 10 September 1946 as the date he left D'Agostino's orchestra and identifies it as his last recording ^[5]. This last-recording claim is disputed, and it is not consistent with later recording sessions described elsewhere ^[3]. Another source states only that in 1946 he left D'Agostino and started his own orchestra ^[2].

Later career

After leaving D'Agostino in 1946, Vargas started his own orchestra ^[2]. In 1947, on Radio Splendid, announcer Raúl Astor named him the "ruiseñor de las calles porteñas" ^[1].

A recording calendar lists him singing with the orchestra of Eduardo Del Piano on 27 September 1948 ^[11]. In 1949 he appeared in the film Su última pelea ^[3].

In 1951 he began recording with Armando Lacava's orchestra, described by one source as his most recorded accompaniment after D'Agostino ^[3]. His final recording session took place on 16 June 1959 with José Libertella's orchestra, and produced La cieguita and La porteñita ^[3].

According to one source, Vargas died in Buenos Aires on 7 July 1959 after lung surgery ^[2]. Another source gives 22 October 1904 as his date of death ^[6], which is the same date a separate source gives for his birth ^[12]; the sources therefore differ on this point.

Recordings

Recordings and sessions named in the sources include the following ^[2][3][7]: - 1935: Brindemos compañero and Ñata linda, with José Luis Padula's orchestra, for Odeon ^[2] - 1938: refrains with the Orquesta Típica Victor under Federico Scorticati ^[2] - 13 November 1940: "No aflojés", described as a debut recording for RCA Victor ^[7] - 24 July 1941 and 30 December 1942: sessions with Ángel D'Agostino's orchestra ^[8][9] - 10 September 1946: a recording with D'Agostino's orchestra, linked to "Camino del Tucumán" and described by one source as his last recording (disputed) ^[5][10] - 27 September 1948: a session with Eduardo Del Piano's orchestra ^[11] - From 1951: recordings with Armando Lacava's orchestra ^[3] - 16 June 1959: La cieguita and La porteñita, with José Libertella's orchestra ^[3]

Related

Orchestras connected with Vargas in the sources include those of Ángel D'Agostino, with whom he sang from 1940 to 1946 ^[5]; the Orquesta Típica Victor, with which he recorded refrains in 1938 ^[2]; and Eduardo Del Piano, with whom he is listed in 1948 ^[11].