Francisco Canaro
Brief bio written by: Joe Yang
Francisco Canaro (November 26, 1888 - November 14, 1984) is a bold, legendary
figure in the realm of tango music and tango history.
Born into poverty in Uruguay, he became musically inclined at a young age and decided to focus on tango music at the age of twenty.
Highly
creative and full of business savvy, he was the first to assemble a tango
orchestra made up of 32 pieces in 1921. Up until then, it was unheard
of to have that many instruments in an orchestra. He played an important
role in fanning the flames of the tango craze in Paris, and would later
go on to make more orchestral recordings (3,000) than any other tango
composer.
He also travelled more than any other composer, and was known as the tango
ambassador to Europe and North America. His eclectic mix of instruments
helped pioneer new creative avenues for composers, and his new ideas did
much to define the Golden Age of Tango.
At Francisco Canaro's last big performance in the 1950s, a young tango dancer made his debut and shortly after, became a tango legend. That dancer was Juan Carlos Copes.
Click the players below to hear samples of Canaro's music
Desde el Alma
Vibraciones del Alma
El Llorón