Carlos Gardel spent the last two New Year celebrations of his life in the US city.
The 9 from December to 1934, Carlos Gardel wrote to his friend Armando I define from New York: "Will soon begin a new year and I want to wish to you and your family the greatest happiness. Christmas Day will not forget to raise a glass of champagne blond your memory and that of your family, with the hope that soon we can do it together. To take advantage of the change, copper only paco (*) It will be replaced in national currency vento. I'll send tens, it is not a long thing telegraph wires panic. It will go well and place them producing a regular rentita up. With a big hug your mom, Adela and the few friends who deserve unconditional and all the affection of your friend Carlos. "
The 7 November 1933 Gardel had left Buenos Aires at the Conte Biancamano accompanied by Alberto Castilian, Horacio Pettorossi and Armando I define, who at the insistence of his friend, He decided to take a few weeks of leave so that he and his wife Adela could enjoy a short vacation in Europe at your company.
Armando I define never forget the month he spent in Paris before Gardel continue trip to New York, excited about what most interested him at that time: radio broadcasts will soon take place in New York.
Mrs. Wakefield entertained the singer for her birthday with a lavish farewell dinner in a private room of the Cafe de Paris. Several friends of the lady were there along with the group of Argentines.
Manuel Sofovich she remembered: "We were thirteen diners. Of which only six Argentine: Carlitos, the Pera, Gardel manager, Armando Delfino; the Castilian maestro -Director prestigious Radio El Mundo, now outstanding musical composer and performer guitar, Petorossi and modest journalist this memory ... "
Caviar, exquisite delicacies, bottles of the best champagne ... Gardel sang some songs in French; It was danced; He was repeatedly toasted their success, all they considered unquestionable. It was agreed from the outset that Castilian and Pettorossi travel with Gardel to New York. Le Pera would stay in Paris to await news.
I define went to the station to bid farewell to passengers when they boarded the train to Cherbourg. There was one last, hasty conversation and a warm hug goodbye, but the separation was not very painful because I neither knew they would not be.
I define depart that night to Barcelona and then return to Argentina. Long before he got there, his friend Carlos, Champlain embarked on, after spending Christmas at sea, It would meet in New York installed.
Unusual cold it is ravaging the city in the evening of Thursday 28 from December to 1933, when a small welcoming committee met in the waiting room of the Dock 57 (Fourteenth street) to await the arrival of Champlain. Presiding the Uruguayan Hugo Mariani, primarily responsible for Gardel's visit to New York. There was also an Argentine musician, Terig Tucci who, installed there in mid 20, worked as an arranger, violinist and adviser on Latin American music for NBC and was nervous at the prospect of working with the famous star. His testimony provides vivid glimpses of those few days they shared before the end of the year.
"We were in the last days of 1933. It was unseasonably cold. Usually, December is not extremely cold in New York. While the icy breezes of northern Canada are beginning to be felt in these latitudes, low temperatures do not appear until January, to continue then almost without respite until late spring.
The last week of the year-from New- Year Christmas is everywhere a week shopping, gifts, festive preparations ... and the festive spirit that dominates the atmosphere, excited ... but also depresses.
Perhaps in no other corner of the world the characteristics of these traditional celebration days are as pronounced as in this New York City. The vast city, with his hasty pace of life, cobra striking animation, exceptional: its many underground jaws spewing an uninterrupted stream of humanity, invades stores clamorous cacophony, from early morning until late at night.
With the same generosity with which trains throw the crowd into the streets, the voracity of her womb again engulfs them to disperse back to every corner of the city, whereby the pulse of the big city acquires once again its normal rhythm and readjusted to the miraculous balance of the rush of life flowing through your arteries.
For us this week was particularly hard. we participated, like all, in feverish preparations for the holidays; also, in those days came Carlos Gardel, Creole Thrush who had traced the flight to northern skies to seduce the people of the United States with the spell of his art and beauty beating her songbook ".
It was dark when the ship giant French (had 28.124 tons, and it was famous for its vast dining) She berthed at the dock.
The gray afternoon was dissolved before the advance of the night mantle, erasing the massive forms of the great port. Lights, lit throughout the day and overcast brief, They became conspicuous, infusing the ambient atmosphere melancholic. For the speakers of the room a voice announcing the arrival of the ship. People crowded at the windows to watch the maneuvers of the tugboat, that helped the giant ship to dock at the pier. They ironed placed.
Tucci continues:
"We climbed on board. We search the hubbub of the crowd the familiar faces of our travelers. Finally we find them and we welcome, cordial and effusive, but with that certain composure of people who just met. If it were not that we knew so we have seen in countless movies and photographs, to the view today, with his air timid and distrustful, we had asked somewhat incredulously: It is this Carlos Gardel?”
Travelers are installed immediately at the Gran Hotel Waldorf Astoria, where you comfortable quarters reserved for them.
The next day was the coldest in New York in fourteen years. Gardel's arrival was front-page of La Prensa, New York daily Spanish-speaking. In the morning, in the music room of the building, the singer and his companions meet with Terig Tucci and Hugo Mariani, conductor of N.B.C. and lead manager of recruitment.
The object is to combine the first program and review the issues with piano to be presenting singer. Among the works chosen include the song "El Carretero" and tangos "Silence". "Cowardice", and "Buenos Aires", which it is to be used as closing all the auditions.
Once I agreed with the works and set some details, Tucci parts of piano and singing brings home to devote himself to preparing the respective orchestrations.
while Gardel, without much hurry, He went to lunch at the Ritz-Carlton, a welcome prepared by the Argentine consulate (and other Latin American countries) from the city.
At 22.30 hours of New Year's Eve, It is carried out the first broadcast. Gardel had spent most of that day at the NBC Studios on Fifth Avenue, rehearsing their songs, first with the piano and then, after lunch, It is supported by an integrated orchestra 19 instrumentalists (discussed by the singer himself in one of his letters sent to Defino).
In the all-important station must meet an advantageous contract, that provides a gain of 315 dollars a week.
About, says Hugo Mariani ("Clarion", June of 1949):
"She Never until then had been paid both in the United States to a foreign artist, virtually unknown beyond. His performance fell within the category of large exclusive programs of the most popular of US broadcastings.
To calculate roughly what cost the N.B.C. the presentation of Gardel, should be added, that the salaries of this, It was also the musical directors, orchestra. propaganda, musical arrangements, etc."
The emission itself proved quite successful. Gardel's first song was broadcast on NBC he had chosen as a central theme of the series, the noble tango "Buenos Aires":
"Buenos Aires, Queen of the Silver, Buenos Aires, my dear Earth, Listen to my song, that it's my life ... "
The fact is remembered by Terig Tucci. in his book "Gardel in New York" (Year 1969):
"The time of the test. Teachers sat at their easels: Gardel, completely self-possessed, He examined his songs; from the bench, Hugo Mariani getting ready to start the trial and clattering the baton, order called the orchestra.
The first tested part was 'Buenos Aires', the song that was to serve as section. Faced with an orchestra of this size, Gardel fearing that too intruding and so would impede his work as an interpreter, hear the accompaniment very carefully and some suspicion, lyrics while singing softly. I not tolerate anything could encroach on its edge, and occasionally threw furious glances toward the musicians. It was obvious that the artist considered the orchestra as the opposition group ... "
Fortunately, all I was not lost. Gardel seemed pleased with a couple of versions of Tucci, and he expressed approval with a typical expression porteña: “¡Macanudo, viejo, macanudo!”…
That same night, the triumphant voice of Carlos Gardel, Criollo Thrush coming to win new laurels for northern skies, It was heard in countless millions of Americans skies. …”
The new year came filled with excellent omens ...
Bibliography
Carlos Gardel, the truth of a life - Armando I define - Company General Fabril Editora S. A., 1968
Gardel in New York - Terig Tucci - Webb Press, New York, 1969
Carlos Gardel His life, its music, his time - Simon Collier - Editorial Sudamericana: June of 1988
News Charts, 24 March 1960
Clarion, 24 June of 1949, courtesy of Matthias rubs
Champlain Manifest, December of 1933, courtesy of Clara Koser
Source: Martina Iñiguez for Carlos Gardel Foundation International
