1162  Di Sarli [was: Why Students Stop Dancing]

Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 10:31:48 -0500
From: Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Di Sarli [was: Why Students Stop Dancing]

Dan Boccia wrote

>We keep reading from dancers, teachers and DJs about how "slow" Di Sarli

is.

>Let us all step into the light and realize that Di Sarli left remarkable

recordings

>from 1928 - 1931 and from 1939 - 1958. A major portion of his recordings

were

>most definitely not "slow" ...

Sad as it may be the instrumentals of the 1950s is the music synonomous
with Di Sarli for most people. Personally, I like to dance to this music,
but dancing to it does require a bit of body control and a willingness to
wait. It is not that these instrumentals are that much slower, but I find
that the way that the beat is delivered requires holding back some before
moving. Otherwise, the dancing does not express the music.

I also like Di Sarli with Roberto Rufino and Jorge Duran. Some of the
tangos that Di Sarli recorded with Rufino and Duran are among the best of
the lyrical tangos. The best of these are clearly a match for the best of
Calo with Beron and Troilo with Fiorentino. I particularly like Vieja
Luna by Di Sarli with Duran.

>In fact, his recordings from 1928 - 1931 (like Chau Pinela, Que Dios Te

Perdone)

>and especially 1939 - about 1942 (like Shusheta, El Retirao, Corazon) are
>decidedly rhythmic, some of them wickedly so.

Early in his career, Di Sarli recorded instrumental tangos that are more
highly rhythmic. Some of these tangos are pretty good, but the most
readily available recordings are of limited fidelity. I carry a tanda of
these tangos to milongas, but I usually find that other orchestras
dominate when I am reaching for the more highly rhythmic music.

What is more frequently overlooked are Di Sarli's valses and milongas. Di
Sarli recorded valses and milongas with Rufino, Duran and Alberto Podesta,
and Volpe as the vocalists. Di Sarli's valses and milongas are playful,
lyrical, relatively light and delightfully danceable, but they are rarely
played at milongas. The valses that I particularly like include Cortando
Camino (1941 w/ Rufino); Rosamel (1940 w/ Rufino); Ausencia (1940 w/
Volpe); De Vuelta (1947 w/ Podesta); Estampa Federal (1942 w/ Podesta);
Acuerdate de Mi (1946 w/ Duran). The milongas that I particularly likeare
Rosa Morena, Zorzal, La Mulateada, and Pena Mulata

What I will say is--though I have reservations about playing a steady diet
of Di Sarli instrumentals from the early 1950s for teaching--it is pretty
bad to blame Di Sarli for students that stop dancing. Successful teaching
involves a lot more than selecting the music. And for several decades, Di
Sarli was considered a "jetatore," a slang word of Italian origin that
means "person who brings bad luck." According to the January 2003 issue
of ReporTango, this reputation was started by a booking manager who Di
Sarli fired for cheating his orchestra on money.

With best regards,
Steve

Stephen Brown
Tango Argentino de Tejas
https://www.tejastango.com/