893  Tita of All

Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 11:24:10 -0300
From: SMC Administracion <adm@SMCAR.COM.AR>
Subject: Tita of All

Dear Friends of Tango List
On Xmas eve , Tita Merello , a charismatic tango singer and actress,
peacefully passed away . She was 98 years old , and up to the last moment ,
keep her stamina and strong personality.

Her real name was Laura Ana Merello,and was born in San Telmo
neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, on october 11 ,1904.
Being orphan from her first years , she suffered a difficult life almost
from the beginning . However she reacted with her very special character to
cope with this situation. His father was a driver of horse carriage , and
died almost at her birth. The first reference to her mother, is an entry at
a Registration Office in 1908 , mentioning an uruguayan woman named Ana
Ganelli, stating the motherhood of Tita.

On 1920, she started as dancer of a chorus line at the Theatre Bataclan ,
which was in an area of bordello houses , near the Buenos Aires port.
Two years later, she was already a vedette at the Maipo theatre, where she
intervene in the "Pedime lo que queres" , from Canaro and Caruso, making a
starting point as singer and actress .

She became a great actress, fighting for her place with his hot temper and
strong attitude, but also with a talented gift for the screen .

She also sang . It was a voice that made the audience to be still , to
suspend all other activity and pay attention. Her special way to "tell" the
scripts , her way to look to the audience , and to act the Tango as well as
singing , was unique.

Her first selection of tangos , that she recorded by the end of the 20´s ,
were a mixture of burlesque themes ,such as "Mi papito" & La viuda
misteriosa" , and also some sad ones such as "No salgas del barrio " .

Almost thirty years passed until Tita made new recordings . Not until
1954 she recorded some new tangos , usually with humoristic scripts, and
most of the times , with the orchestra of Canaro.

Out of this selection of recordings , there was a tango milonga that produce
an inmediate success "Se dice de mi" from Canaro y Pelay, her most well
known song, also appearing at the movie "El Abasto" with Pepe Arias .

This song was so popular, that in the 90´s was introduced, singed by another
woman, as the curtain for a soap opera , "Betty la fea" , made in Colombia
but transmitted afterwards in other countries, including Argentina, where
had a massive audience too.

Tita worked as singer for Canaro orchestra, during several years, at the
theatre venues . She also sang another musical style, the rancheras, like "
¿Donde hay un mango?" .

Her work on stage at the theatre was constant. She liked to work in popular
styles like the sainete , which was suitable for her style and spirit. One
of this sainetes , "El conventillo de la paloma" was a huge success,
picturing the everyday life at a tenant house in Buenos Aires, as it was on
the beginning. of XX century ,when inmigrants arrived from Europe , and
mixed together at this lodging houses.

Also she acted on stage in "Buenos Aires de ayer y de hoy " , from Canaro
and Pelay , first presented on 1943, and there she sang another "hit" :
"Tranquilo, vieja, tranquilo".

She acted also in some of the first argentine pictures , without sound, and
with sound . One of the first pictures with sound was "Tango" from Luis
Moglia Barth , where several other great singers and acrtress intervene,
such as the late Libertad Lamarque.

At another ´picture "Historia del tango " , she sang "El choclo", with the
last script made by Discepolo , that previously Libertad Lamarque sung at
the theatre.

She also wrote Tango scripts such as "Llamarada Pasional" with lyrics from
H. Stamponi and "Decime Dios, dónde estás", with M. Sucher.

She was forbidden for some years , by the political government. Afterwards,
around 1957 , she returned to the country and her carerr , introducing a new
role at the just born TV .

She was also a permanent figure of the radio broadcasts, with many programs,
as actress but also as anchor of programs oriented to the woman . Her hard
childhood left in her a permanent concern about young women , single
mothers, and other social problems. She made silent supports for charities,
that are being known just this days by close friends and relatives .

She will be remembered as "La morocha argentina " , a witty person and with
a sharp mind , even in her last years

Alberto Gesualdi
Buenos Aires