1316 Simon Collier, historian of tango, born June 6 1938; died February 20 2003
Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 11:31:43 -0400
From: "Irwin L. Singer" <singer@NRL.NAVY.MIL>
Subject: Simon Collier, historian of tango, born June 6 1938; died February 20 2003
Many of you have probably heard of the late Simon Collier, the
Latin American scholar from Vanderbuilt University who is best known to
tangueros for three books: The Life, The Music And Times Of Carlos Gardel
(1986); Tango!: The Dance, the Song, the Story (1997); and Le Grand Tango:
the Life and Music of Astor Piazzolla (2000). He died February 20 2003, in
Nashville TN. Other information on Simon and his role as a historian of
Latin America, as well as tango, can be found with a web search on Google.
Maria Susana Azzi, a co-author on the latter two books, has sent
two messages for the tango community: obituaries in English and Spanish,
and an announcement that, on Friday 6 June 2003, a bronze plaque will be
placed near the Carlos Gardel s statue in the Abasto district of Buenos
Aires to honour Simon Collier. Here is an "abbreviated" version of her
messages, shortened to keep within the 200 line constraint of TANGO-L.
>From: Maria Susana Azzi <azzi at interlink.com.ar>
>Irwin,
> Thank you for your message. I am sending you two obituaries: one
> in English, the other one in Spanish. Thank you so much indeed for
> letting the tango community know about Simon's untimely death. With
> kindest personal regards, María Susana
>
> Obituary
>Simon Collier
>
>Warm-hearted expert on Latin America - from Chile to the tango
>Jan Fairley Saturday March 15, 2003 The Guardian
>
>The prime academic interest of Simon Collier, who has died aged 64,
>was Chilean political history, and he co-edited the groundbreaking
>Cambridge Encyclopaedia Of Latin America And The Caribbean (1985). Yet it
>is for his passion for Argentinian tango, and his The Life, The Music And
>Times Of Carlos Gardel (1986), and his biography of composer Astor
>Piazzolla (2000) that he will be best remembered. . . . (for the rest, see
>https://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/news/obituary/0,12723,914649,00.html )
>. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
>. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lunes 3
>de marzo de 2003 Año VII N° 2527
>
>MUSICA: MURIO SIMON COLLIER
>
>El biógrafo de Gardel y Piazzolla
>El historiador británico fue un estudioso e investigador del tango
>internacionalmente reconocido, y un gran amante del género. Irene
>Amuchástegui. DE LA REDACCION DE CLARIN.
>
> El historiador inglés Simon Collier, autor imprescindible en el
> campo del tango como exhaustivo biógrafo de dos de sus más significativos
> protagonistas de todos los tiempos, Carlos Gardel y Astor Piazzolla,
> murió en Tennessee, Estados Unidos, el 20 de febrero. Con el correr de
> estos días, la noticia de su fallecimiento fue difundida y recibida con
> enorme dolor entre sus amigos argentinos, que eran muchos. . . . (for
> more, see
>https://old.clarin.com/diario/2003/03/03/c-00401.htm)
Simon Collier / Invitation to the unveiling of a bronze plaque in his honour.
Dear Friends of Simon Collier,
A bronze plaque will be placed near the Carlos Gardel s statue in
the Abasto district of Buenos Aires to honour Simon Collier. The unveiling
of the plaque will take place on Friday 6 June 2003, at 12.30 p.m, the day
Simon would have become 65 years old. Simon loved Argentina and the tango
very dearly. Simon Collier was the first foreigner to open a wide door and
an avenue to the research and writing of our urban popular music: the
Argentine tango. Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla were his heroes. Simon
Collier was very much respected. His opinions, his work, his study of the
roots of old and modern tango, his insight into the history and culture of
our own urban popular music and dance were very well known and respected in
Argentina and Chile. We, Argentines and porteZos are grateful to his
legacy. We, his friends shall miss his visits to Buenos Aires. We shall
miss him forever.
With warm regards, María Susana Azzi
Dr. Simon Collier 1938 Nació en Harpenden, Inglaterra Falleció en
Nashville, EE.UU., 2003
Historiador, Tanguero Gardeliano, Piazzollista, Latinoamericano, Académico
Asociación LA REINA DEL PLATA Por amor a Buenos Aires
Tiene el agrado de invitar a Ud, Al descubrimiento de la placa que En honor
de Simon Collier se realizará el Viernes 6 de junio de 2003, a las 12:30 hs
Se servirá un vino de honor En la Esquina Carlos Gardel Pasaje Carlos
Gardel 3200 (esquina Anchorena). No se suspende por mal tiempo. Nos
acompaZarán los bandoneones de Pascual Mamone y Osvaldo Montes R.S.V.P.:
4931 0188 reinadelplata@infovia.com.ar
Dr. Irwin L. Singer office hours: 10am - 7pm
Tribology Section, Code 6176
Naval Research Lab
Washington, DC 20375-5342
tele: 202-767-2327; fax: 202-767-3321.
email: singer at nrl.navy.mil
https://stm2.nrl.navy.mil/~wahl/6176.htm "is wear it's @"
https://home.flash.net/~cooljazz/fotosite/myfamily/corsica.html (family
photo, for those interested).
