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Song

Cara sucia

Music by Francisco Canaro, lyrics by Juan Andrés Caruso. 7 recordings in our catalogue, 1917–1957.
1917: 1 · danced 0 times1931: 1 · danced 0 times1932: 1 · danced 0 times1937: 1 · danced 0 times1952: 1 · danced 0 times1955: 1 · danced 1 times1957: 1 · danced 69 times
1917’30’40’501957
records madedanced on film, by the record’s year· our catalogue

1917: 1, 0; 1931: 1, 0; 1932: 1, 0; 1937: 1, 0; 1952: 1, 0; 1955: 1, 1; 1957: 1, 69

  1. Carlos Di Sarli recorded it in 1952 and 1957. One other orchestra recorded it more than once.

    How we know

    Takes in our catalogue by the same orchestra in different years; the canon’s first orchestra is named.

Cara sucia was composed by Francisco Canaro.†† The lyrics of Cara sucia are by Juan Andrés Caruso.† Cara sucia: Cara sucia began life as a brothel tango with a bawdier title and lyric, which Canaro was already performing in the 1910s; the lyric heard in 1955 is a cleaned-up version. and A brothel tango from about 1870 by Casimiro Alcorta; Francisco Canaro published the score as 'arranged by' him, and Di Sarli's version is now the best known.††

Credit

Music
Francisco Canaro
Lyrics
Juan Andrés Caruso

Source: TangoCloud catalogue

Every recording

7 recordings · our catalogue, dances filmed on TangoTube · 7 more we know of

1910’20’30’40’50

Choose A and B on two recordings to hear them one after the other.

  1. Carlos Di SarliInstrumental · Music Hall · Sep 15
    Not danced on film yet
    1952
  2. Carlos Di SarliMost dancedInstrumental · RCA Victor · Jul 12
    69 dances
    1957
  3. Francisco CanaroEarliest we holdInstrumental · Atlanta
    Not danced on film yet
    1917
  4. Francisco CanaroAgustin Irusta · Odeon · Jun 8
    Not danced on film yet
    1932
  5. Francisco CanaroRoberto Maida · Odeon · Jul 6
    Not danced on film yet
    1937
  6. Francisco CanaroJuan Carlos Rolon · Odeon · Mar 8
    1 dance
    1955
  7. Juan CanaroErnesto Famá · Oct 5
    Not danced on film yet
    1931
  8. Vicente LoducaNot in our catalogueInstrumental1925
  9. Carlos Di SarliNot in our catalogueInstrumental1942
  10. Los señores del tangoNot in our catalogueInstrumental1956
  11. Los señores del tangoNot in our catalogueInstrumental1957
  12. Roberto FirpoNot in our catalogueInstrumental
  13. Vicente LoducaNot in our catalogueInstrumental
  14. Los señores del tangoNot in our catalogueInstrumental

Lyrics

Español

Cara sucia, cara sucia, cara sucia Te has venido con la cara sin lavar, Esa cara tan bonita y picarona Que refleja una pasión angelical. Si tu cara fuera espejo de tu alma Siempre sucia la debías de llevar Y mis labios tuvieran que ser la fuente Donde tu cara se tendría que lavar. Anda a lavarte la cara En la fuente del amor, Y que el brillo de tus ojos Igualen siempre a tus labios rojos... Andá a lavarte la cara Que deslumbra como el sol, Y hasta el mismo San Antonio pecaría Cara sucia, cara sucia, Confesándote su amor. Por tu audacia y tu figura de pillete Por tu modo coquetón de caminar, Por tu traza de traviesa pizpireta Por tu modo malicioso de mirar. Por tu rubia ensortijada cabellera Por tu modo encantador de conversar, Es motivo para que todos los mozos Cara sucia, te critiquen al pasar.

English · machine translation

Dirty face, dirty face, dirty face, dirty face You've come with your face unwashed, That pretty, naughty face That reflects an angelic passion. If your face were a mirror of your soul You should always wear it dirty And my lips would have to be the fountain Where your face would have to wash. Go wash your face In the fountain of love, And may the brightness of your eyes May they always match your red lips... Go wash your face That dazzles like the sun, And even Saint Anthony himself would sin Dirty face, dirty face, Confessing his love for you. For your audacity and your pileated figure For your flirtatious way of walking, For your mischievous, mischievous, mischievous way of walking. For your mischievous way of looking. For your blond curly hair For your charming way of conversing, It's a reason for all the waiters Dirty face, criticize you in passing.

Danced to it

Music from 1917–1957 · danced on film 2008–2025

20082025
By the year it was danced; each dance counts once, however many channels filmed it

2008: 2, 2009: 1, 2010: 6, 2011: 4, 2012: 2, 2013: 2, 2014: 5, 2015: 9, 2016: 7, 2017: 2, 2018: 2, 2019: 5, 2020: 5, 2021: 1, 2022: 5, 2023: 5, 2024: 5, 2025: 7

Where it is danced

The places our videos show it danced, by performances filmed there.

  1. Club Sin RumboVilla Urquiza
    1 performance

What we don't know yet3 of 4 known

The year it was written.

Data: recordings, facts and sources

Composer1

Composed by Francisco Canaro

Supported · 2

Dates1

Compuso1884

Single source

Eras and styles1

Belongs to habanera anónima titulada Dame más1884

Single source

In other catalogues2

tango.info · T0370008404

Single source

TodoTango · tema/4444

Single source

Lyricist1

Lyrics by Juan Andrés Caruso

Single source

Notes2

Cara sucia began life as a brothel tango with a bawdier title and lyric, which Canaro was already performing in the 1910s; the lyric heard in 1955 is a cleaned-up version.

Single source

A brothel tango from about 1870 by Casimiro Alcorta; Francisco Canaro published the score as 'arranged by' him, and Di Sarli's version is now the best known.

Single source

Listen

  1. Cara suciaFrancisco Canaro1917
  2. Cara suciaJuan Canaro · Ernesto Famá1931
  3. Cara suciaFrancisco Canaro · Agustín Irusta1932
  4. Cara suciaFrancisco Canaro · Roberto Maida1937
  5. Cara suciaCarlos Di Sarli1952
  6. Cara suciaFrancisco Canaro · Juan Carlos Rolon1955
  7. Cara suciaCarlos Di Sarli1957

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