The Cabeceo

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Tango By Year, the podcast

Miguel Caló

28 records across 19 episodes (17 play here), plus 3 chapters that mention them, in the order the music happened.

Records played, by recording year

19321960

0 of 28 heard

1932

  1. Amarguras

    Caló's first-ever recording, still firmly following Julio De Caro's complex style rather than the simplified sound he became known for in the 1940s.

1935

  1. Los años pasan

    Carlos Dante

    An early, De Caro-influenced Caló, still years from the simpler 'winning formula' of his 1940s band.

1936

  1. Las Campañas

    Alberto Morel

    Opens with bells; from Caló's still-complex, De Caro-influenced 1936 sound, before he simplified his style in the early 40s.

  2. Bailar, Soñar

    One of two nice 1936 Caló waltzes, chosen over a Shirley-Temple-dedicated one.

    Only in the episode

1938

  1. Dulce amargura

    Roberto Caló

    With his brother Roberto singing; Lavocah says it already sounds like Caló, with more drive than the 1940s version.

1940

  1. Title unclear (early Caló)

    Early Caló, with Enrique Francini, the star violinist, at the heart of the orchestra of the stars; romantic but with more body.

    Only in the episode

1941

  1. A record not yet identified

    One of only four sides Caló recorded in 1941 after years stuck in Odeon's contract limbo; Stenvoll played the vals from that session.

    Only in the episode

  2. A record not yet identified

    A well-known tango that Troilo also recorded the same year; Stenvoll chose to play Caló's version of it.

    Only in the episode

  3. Dos fracasos

    Alberto Podestá

    Chosen so that listeners can appreciate the biting violin of Raúl Kaplún, with Francini as second violin.

1942

  1. Al compás del corazón

    Raúl Berón

    Caló's big commercial breakthrough of the year, written by his own bandoneonist Domingo Federico.

  2. Milonga que peina canas

    A second Caló track Dag calls simply 'another milonga'; title never spoken, inferred from the lyrics about an old jockey.

  3. Al compás de tu corazón

    Raúl Berón

    Picked as a landmark of the new, more lyrical 1942 style, and of the crooner approach Berón brought that Caló initially disliked.

    Only in the episode

1943

  1. ChapterOrtiz and Caló: oil and water

    Six tracks and then he quit.

  2. Title unclear (about a wife leaving on a train)

    Jorge Ortiz

    A sad lyric about a man watching his sick wife leave on a train; Ortiz, known from Biagi, sings with Caló for only six tracks and the two did not get on.

    Only in the episode

  3. Mañana iré temprano

    Raúl Iriarte

    Chosen for its exquisite piano introduction; Iriarte is Caló's new singer after Berón left for Maderna.

1944

  1. ChapterThe Orchestra of the Stars, Breaking Up

    In 1944, Miguel Caló's dream team started walking out the door.

  2. Fantasma

    Raúl Iriarte

    Picked for its strange, unique mood; actually played before the next track despite being announced second.

  3. A record not yet identified

    Raúl Berón

    A tragic-love song recorded the same day as Tanturi's Campos version and also cut by Pugliese that year.

    Only in the episode

  4. Mulata

    A candombé-flavoured Caló milonga played right after Troilo's.

    Only in the episode

  5. La vi llegar

    Raúl Iriarte

    Framed as one of two very different, equally delicious versions of this tango, the other being Troilo's from the main show.

  6. Me duele el corazón

    Raúl Iriarte

    A sad-lyric Caló waltz with Iriarte and a chorus, traced back to a Peruvian original.

1945

  1. No te olvides de mi corazón

    Raúl Iriarte

    A waltz Dag believes is unique to Caló; played because Caló has lost many of his good musicians and usually loses when compared with Troilo.

1947

  1. Plomo

    Raúl Iriarte

    Dag's favourite Caló track of the year, chosen to set up a comparison with Osmar Maderna's own orchestra next.

  2. Rebeldía

    Raúl Iriarte

    By 1947 Caló has only Iriarte left and the songs have lost some earlier power, but it's still harmonious and pleasing.

1949

  1. ChapterThe first double poaching

    Caló lost both singers, then stole two back.

1950

  1. La trampera

    A charming milonga written by Troilo; Troilo, out of contract, did not record it until later.

1951

  1. Una Ficha

    Predates the better-known 1958 Di Sarli recording; 'ficha' is horse-racing slang for a sure winner. An old tango first recorded by Juan Maglio in 1912.

    Only in the episode

1954

  1. Un infierno

    Alberto Podestá

    The contrast to Muy suave: a hellish lyric, and Podestá's first recording with Caló since about 1943.

  2. Sueña

    Alberto Podestá

    After-party: a waltz with an amazing Podestá vocal, played for the Podestá-Caló pairing.

1960

  1. El valsonador

    Alberto Podestá

    A radio recording of a waltz Caló had recorded in the 40s with Raúl Berón; with poor sound.

    Only in the episode

  2. Hotel Victoria

    Lavocah's unexpected Caló opening: a 1960s arrangement of a tango he assumed no one would expect.

    Only in the episode

Tango By Year is Dag Stenvoll and Michael Lavocah's, published here with their permission. The audio plays from SoundCloud.