Osvaldo Fresedo
Brief
bio written by: Joe Yang
Osvaldo Fresedo (May 5, 1897 - November 18, 1984) was born in Buenos Aires
to a wealthy family, but grew up in a more humble neighborhood called
La Paternal.
There, he learned how to play the bandoneón and at age 16, formed a trio with his brother and another friend. Earning the nickname "El pibe de la Paternal" (The kid from la Paternal), his trio became popular at local parties and cafes.
As
his name got around, he gained more success and joined more prominent
music groups, and eventually garnered the attention of recording companies.
In 1917, he played bandoneón in Francisco
Canaro's orchestra, and shortly after, organized his own group.
One of his biggest breaks came in 1925 when he recorded two songs with
the legendary Carlos
Gardel .
Eventually, he became so successful to the point where he was in charge
of five different orchestras (in five different locations), and often
had to shuttle around to all of them. One of his orchestras, which played
at a movie theater (silent movies were common back then), was conducted
from the piano by a then unknown Carlos
Di Sarli.
Fresedo had the longest known tango career
of any composer, having made over 1,200 recordings over a 63 year period.
The tango music of Osvaldo Fresedo has a gentle, classy sound to it and
if you use youre imagination, you can probably picture hearing it in the
background of an old, black and white movie (or a classic Bugs Bunny cartoon).
Some regard him as superficial, but that's up to the listener. His style
isn't full of drama, but its mellow sound is easy on the ears and fun
to dance to.
Click the player below to hear a sample of Fresedo's tango music...