More histories of old tangos: La Paloma, El Choclo, Caminito, La Payanca, El Irresitable

Do you know what jazz, European classical opera and Argentine tango has in common? Habanera! Listen to the story of the most famous habanera - La Paloma. It is also a brief overview how the genre of Afro-Cuban habanera influenced the musical world of the 20th century.

What do El Choclo and Kiss of Fire have in common? It is the same thing! Listen to the story of the great tango, its charming creator and its shameless knock-offs.

Caminito is the third most known tango in the world (after La Cumparsita and El Choclo). Its composer, J.D. Filiberto, has an unusually late and difficult career start, but his optimism and hard work overcame the obstacles. The lyrics, written by Coria Penaloza, is a very touching, auto-biographical sketch, which deserves to be told.

Sources

Robert Farris Thompson, Tango: The Art History of Love

ToDoTango - a comprehensive source of Argentine tango music, poetry and history

Simon Collier, Tango! - superbly illustrated history of Argentine tango in English

Tom Morgan, St. Louis Blues: An American Classic, found on internet

Habanera and Danzon

Wikipedia.com