Aníbal Carmelo Troilo (11 July 1914 – 18 May 1975), also known as Pichuco, was an
Argentine tango
Argentine tango is a musical genre and accompanying social dance originating at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. It typically has a Time signature, or rhythmic time signature, and two or three parts repeating in pat ...
musician.
Troilo was a bandoneon player, composer, arranger, and bandleader in
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
social dance
Social dances are dances that have social functions and context. Social dances are intended for participation rather than Concert dance, performance. They are often danced merely to socialise and for entertainment, though they may have Ceremoni ...
rs during the golden age of tango (1940–1955), but he changed to a concert sound by the late 1950s.
Troilo's orchestra is best known for its
instrumental
An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...
s, though he also recorded with many well-known
vocalist
Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...
s such as Roberto Goyeneche, Edmundo Rivero and Francisco Fiorentino. His rhythmic instrumentals and the recordings he made with vocalist Francisco Fiorentino from 1941 to 1943, known as milongas, were some of the favourites in tango salons. The renowned bandoneonist Astor Piazzolla played in and arranged for Troilo's orquesta típica during the period of 1939–1944.
Biography
Aníbal Troilo was born on 11 July 1914, to Felisa Bagnoli and Aníbal Troilo, in the well-known
barrio
''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...
of Abasto.
His father nicknamed him "Pichuco", an alteration of the Neapolitan "picciuso", meaning "weepy", or "crybaby". He had one brother and one sister.
During his childhood, Troilo listened to the bandoneon in the bars of his neighbourhood. At the age of 10, he convinced his mother to buy him his first bandoneon. Troilo kept the instrument and played it for the rest of his life.
When he was 11, in 1925, Pichuco played his first performance in a bar. At the age of 14, he formed his first quintet.
He studied until his third year of high school at Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini, one of the most prestigious high schools in Argentina and the whole of Latin America.
In December 1930, Troilo was hired to be part of the famous Vardaro-Pugliese sextet of violinist Elvino Vardaro, pianist
Osvaldo Pugliese
Osvaldo Pedro Pugliese (December 2, 1905 – July 25, 1995) was an Argentine tango musician. He developed dramatic arrangements that retained strong elements of the walking beat of salon tango but also heralded the development of concert-style ...
, violinist Alfredo Gobbi, bandoneon player Miguel Jurado (later replaced by Ciriaco Ortiz), and double bass player Luis Addesso.
Following this, Troilo played in numerous orchestras, including those of Juan "Pacho" Maglio, Julio de Caro, Juan d'Arienzo, Angel D'Agostino, and Juan Carlos Cobián.
With his own orchestra, (whose members varied greatly), he played almost continuously, both live and in the studio, until 1975, the year of his death. From 1953 until the mid-60s, Troilo also played with guitarist Roberto Grela as a duo, which later became the Troilo-Grela Quartet. In 1968, having distanced himself from Grela, he formed his own ensemble, the Aníbal Troilo Quartet, which additionally consisted of Ubaldo de Lío on electric guitar, Osvaldo Berlingieri on piano, and Rafael del Bagno on double bass. Berlingieri was later replaced by José Colángelo, who also played in the Aníbal Troilo Orchestra during its final years. In addition to this, Troilo recorded two songs ("El motivo" and "Volver") as a bandoneon duo with Astor Piazzolla.
The death of Troilo's best friend, the poet Homero Manzi (1907–1951), caused him to go into a deep depression that lasted for more than a year. In the poet's memory, he composed the tango ''Responso''.
The " Supreme Bandoneón of Buenos Aires" died on 18 May 1975, at the Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires, from a stroke and subsequent cardiac arrest; he is buried in the "Rincón de los Notables" (Famous corner) of the
La Chacarita cemetery
The La Chacarita Cemetery (, also known as "Cementerio del Oeste") is a cemetery located in the Chacarita neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Occupying an area of 95 hectare, it is the largest in the country.Agustín Magaldi and Roberto Goyeneche.
Bandoneón Day
In 2005, the
National Congress of Argentina
The National Congress of Argentina () is the legislature, legislative branch of the government of Argentina. Its composition is bicameralism, bicameral, constituted by a 72-seat Argentine Senate, Senate and a 257-seat Argentine Chamber of Deputie ...
declared 11 July (Troilo's birthday) National Bandoneón Day, to commemorate one of the nation's most celebrated musicians.
Compositions
Partial list of original tangos composed by Aníbal Troilo:
* ''Toda mi vida'' (lyrics by Jose Maria Contursi) (1941)
* ''Con toda la voz que tengo'' (1941)
* ''Total pa’ qué sirvo'' (1941)
* ''Barrio de tango'' (lyrics by Homero Manzi) (1942)
* ''Pa’ que bailen los muchachos'' (lyrics by Enrique Cadicamo) (1942)
* ''Acordándome de vos'' (1942)
* ''Valsecito amigo'' (1942)
* ''Garúa'' (lyrics by Enrique Cadicamo) (1943)
* ''Media noche'' (lyrics by Hector Gagliardi (1944)
* ''Naipe'' (1944)
* ''Garras'' (1945)
* ''María'' (lyrics by Cátulo Castillo) (1945)
* ''Tres y dos'' (1946)
* ''Con mi perro'' (1946)
* ''Mi tango triste'' (1946)
* ''Romance de barrio'' (1947)
* '' Sur'' (lyrics by Homero Manzi) (1948)
* ''Che, bandoneón'' (lyrics by Homero Manzi) (1950)
* ''La trampera'' (1951)
* ''Discepolín'' (lyrics by Homero Manzi) (1951)
* ''Responso'' (dedicated to his closest friend, the poet Homero Manzi) (1951)
* ''A Pedro Maffia'' (with guitarist Roberto Grela) (1953)
* ''Vuelve la serenata'' (1953)
* ''Una canción'' (lyrics by Cátulo Castillo) (1953)
* ''Patio mío'' (1953)
* ''Milonga del mayoral'' (1953)
* ''La cantina'' (1954)
* ''A la guardia nueva'' (1955)
* ''La última curda'' (lyrics by Cátulo Castillo) (1956)
* ''Te llaman Malevo'' (lyrics by Homero Aldo Exposito) (1957)
* ''A Homero'' (lyrics by Cátulo Castillo) (1961)
* ''¿Y a mí qué?'' (1962)
* ''Desencuentro'' (1962)
* ''Coplas'' (1962)
* ''Yo soy del treinta'' (lyrics by Hector Mendez) (1964)
* ''Milonguero triste'' (1965)
* ''Dale tango'' (1966)
* ''Nocturno a mi barrio'' (1969)
* ''Milonga de La Parda'' (1969)
* ''El último farol'' (1969)
* ''Fechoría'' (1970)
* ''Una canción'' (1971)
* ''La patraña'' (1972)
* ''Tu penúltimo tango'' (1975)
Discography
Aníbal Troilo y su Orquesta Típica
78 rpm
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The g ...
* ''Pichuco y sus cantores'' (1959)
* ''Con toda la voz que tengo'' (with Francisco Fiorentino) (1959)
* ''Cuando tallan los recuerdos'' (with Alberto Marino) (1959)
* ''Tristezas de la calle Corrientes'' (1959)
* ''Haunting! The Authentic Argentine Tango'' (1959)
* ''Tango recio'' (with Edmundo Rivero) (1963)
* ''Café de los Angelitos'' (with Alberto Marino) (1964)
* ''Aníbal Troilo – Floreal Ruiz'' (with Floreal Ruiz) (1964)
* ''El bulín de la calle Ayacucho'' (1964)
* ''Bien milonga'' (1965)
* ''Aníbal Troilo – Floreal Ruiz'' (with Floreal Ruiz) (1965)
* ''Pichuco sin palabras'' (1965)
* ''Troilo – Marino (vol. 3)'' (with Alberto Marino) (1965)
* ''Soy un porteño'' (1966)
* ''Aníbal Troilo y Roberto Grela'' (with Roberto Grela) (1966)
* ''La historia de Aníbal Troilo (vol. 1–3)'' (1966)
* ''Otra vez Pichuco'' 1966)
* ''Homenaje a Fiorentino'' (1966)
* ''Troilo for export'' (1966)
* ''Milongueando en el ’40'' (1966)
* ''Tangos de hoy y de siempre'' (with
Osvaldo Pugliese
Osvaldo Pedro Pugliese (December 2, 1905 – July 25, 1995) was an Argentine tango musician. He developed dramatic arrangements that retained strong elements of the walking beat of salon tango but also heralded the development of concert-style ...
) (1966)
* ''Troilo – Rivero'' (with Edmundo Rivero) (1966)
* ''Lo mejor de Aníbal Troilo'' (1967)
* ''Aníbal Troilo for export (vol. 2)'' (1967)
* ''Pichuco sin palabras (vol. 2)'' (1967)
* ''Ni más ni menos'' (1968)
* ''Nuestro Buenos Aires'' (1968)
* ''Nocturno a mi barrio'' (1969)
* ''El Polaco y yo'' (with Roberto Goyeneche) (1969)
* ''Che Buenos Aires'' (1969)
* ''Las grandes estaciones de Aníbal Troilo'' (1969)
* ''For export (vol. 3)'' (1970)
* ''¿Te acordás... Polaco?'' (1970)
* ''A mí me llaman Juan Tango'' (with Juan D'Arienzo) (1970)
* ''Tango en Caño 14'' (with Atilio Stampone and Roberto Goyeneche) (1972)
* ''Para vos, Homero'' (1972)
* ''De vuelta a Salta'' (with Dino Saluzzi) (1973)
* ''Pichuco y sus cantores'' (1973)
* ''Raúl Berón y la orquesta de Aníbal Troilo'' (withRaúl Berón) (1973)
* ''Quejas de bandoneón'' (1974)
* ''Bandoneón tierra adentro'' (1975)
* ''Tiempo de Aníbal Troilo'' (1975)
* ''Ayer, hoy y siempre'' (1975)
* ''Recordando a Aníbal Troilo y su orquesta'' (1975)
* ''Latitud de Buenos Aires'' (1975)
* ''Bandoneón mayor de Buenos Aires'' (1975)
* ''Bandoneón mayor de Buenos Aires (vol. 2)'' (1975)
* ''Discepolín'' (1975)
* ''Troilo en stéreo'' (1975)
* ''El conventillo'' (1977)
* ''Recuerdos de bohemia'' (con el cantor Alberto Marino) (1978)
* ''Troilo en el ’40'' (1979)
* ''Tango fran Argentina'' (1983)
CD
* ''El inmortal Pichuco'' (1989)
* ''Del tiempo guapo'' (with Francisco Fiorentino) (1994)
* ''Cuando tallan los recuerdos'' (with Alberto Marino) (1994)
* ''Romance de barrio'' (with Floreal Ruiz) (1994)
* ''Sur'' (with Edmundo Rivero) (1994)
* ''Medianoche'' (with Jorge Casal and Raúl Berón) (1994)
* ''Quejas de bandoneón'' (1994)
* ''40 grandes éxitos'' (1999)