Roberto Arrieta

Roberto Arrieta was a tango singer whose birth date is given as 12 September 1915 ^[3]. According to a biographical sketch, he debuted at sixteen with Juan Maglio's orchestra in 1931 ^[1]. He then worked with Juan Canaro's orchestra, in a vocal quartet and as a radio soloist before making his first recording with Lucio Demare in 1942 ^[1].

His longest documented association was with the orchestra of Miguel Caló. He made his first recordings with that orchestra in 1945 and a farewell session in September 1948 ^[1][2]. He later returned to Caló in 1954, and in 1972 he took part in what the biography describes as the orchestra's last recordings ^[1]. Between these periods he sang with Leopoldo Federico, toured Brazil and Mexico with Juan Canaro, and appeared in a United States show with Astor Piazzolla, Juan Carlos Copes and María Nieves ^[1]. He died in Buenos Aires on 17 September 1978 ^[1].

Early career

Arrieta was born on 12 September 1915 ^[3]. In 1931 he debuted at the age of sixteen with the orchestra of Juan Maglio ^[1]. In 1933 he sang with Juan Canaro's orchestra ^[1].

In 1934 he joined the quartet Los Magos del Tango, which performed on Radio Ultra ^[1]. In 1939 he began a two-year period as a soloist on LR3 Radio Belgrano ^[1].

With Lucio Demare

Arrieta's first recording was the tango Un tango guapo, made with Lucio Demare on 14 April 1942 ^[1]. A recording catalogue lists an Odeon recording sung by Arrieta on that date ^[4]. The same catalogue lists a further Odeon recording sung by him dated 10 November 1942 ^[4]; the dossier does not state the title or accompanying orchestra of that later recording.

With Miguel Caló (1945–1948)

According to the biographical sketch, Arrieta's first recordings with Miguel Caló's orchestra took place on 7 August 1945 and comprised Quedó en venir a las nueve and Cimarrón de ausencia ^[1]. Sources differ on when his recordings of that year began: a recording catalogue lists an Odeon recording sung by Arrieta dated 8 July 1945, earlier than the date the biography gives for his first Caló recordings ^[1][4]. The catalogue does not name the orchestra for that recording ^[4].

The catalogue lists further Odeon recordings sung by Arrieta during this period ^[4]:

- 14 September 1945 ^[4] - 29 December 1945 ^[4] - 4 April 1946 ^[4] - 3 December 1946 ^[4] - 25 April 1947 ^[4] - two recordings dated 23 September 1948 ^[4]

A calendar of tango recordings lists Arrieta as singing with Miguel Caló on 5 January 1948 and on 23 September 1948 ^[2]. The biographical sketch describes the 23 September 1948 session as his farewell session with Caló, at which he recorded Nunca más and Corazón de papel ^[1].

Later career

Arrieta returned to Caló's orchestra and on 23 June 1954 recorded Boca Juniors ^[1]. A recording catalogue lists an Odeon recording sung by him on the same date ^[4].

In 1955 he sang with Leopoldo Federico's orchestra on Radio Argentina ^[1]. In 1957 he toured Brazil and Mexico with Juan Canaro's orchestra ^[1]. A recording catalogue lists an Odeon recording sung by Arrieta dated 18 June 1957, without naming the orchestra ^[4].

In 1959 he appeared in a show in the United States together with Astor Piazzolla and the dancers Juan Carlos Copes and María Nieves ^[1]. In 1972 he recorded an LP with Raúl Iriarte for Caló; the biography states that these were the orchestra's last recordings ^[1]. Arrieta died in Buenos Aires on 17 September 1978 ^[1].