Susana Rinaldi returned to the stage with a repertoire that intertwines classic and lesser known songs. Talks about his voice, her show on the radio and Mirtha Legrand. Remember Julio Cortázar and Astor Piazzolla.

Two passions define it: music and theater. Every tango he sings he interprets. During March he will continue with his last show, Susana Rinaldi: the voice of Buenos Aires on Saturdays, at El Picadero always at 22.15. With the musical direction of Juan Carlos Cuacci he goes through several classics such as Desencuentro or Naranjo en flor, to name just two. And it can also be heard on a new radio program, Susy's tales, Fridays at 21 by the National Radio Folkloric FM.

"I feel that in recent times," he confessed, "that the voice helps me more than ever. People reiterate their coming to the theater, because she is as surprised as me. In the middle of last year I was sick and had no desire to go on stage. I went a long time without singing a note and I rediscovered myself humming three or four months ago. Now I have security ".

—The first passion was music before theater?
-Yes, chamber music, that transports me to other worlds and atmospheres, that's why I studied at the Conservatory. It was my first trend, nobody expected that from me. The only one who knew how to appreciate it was my father, but he died very young. I had 16 years when I lost it. We had a piano and it was my godmother who brought me closer to music.

—What time does the performance appear?
-I had 18 years when I decided to add my studies in dramatic art. I had María Cristina Laurenz and Héctor Gióvine as companions. I received myself at the two Conservatories, both in Music and in Dramatic Arts. In those times the teachers took us to the first channel of Argentine television, there was a great community.

—In your show you point out that you were banned at the Teatro San Martín: why?
—For a long time I left my house and went to the San Martín Theater as an actress, integrating any of the casts. I liked this theater so much that I would come early before the show to bathe in the dressing room. There –for example–, I starred in Antígona Vélez de Marechal with the direction of Santángelo (1973). Surely I said something inconvenient and in 1978 the doors were closed to me. A long time later I found out I was on a blacklist.

—What decided your return?
—I owe it to Mirtha Legrand. Her husband, Daniel Tinayre, I was going to France a lot and one day I met him at the Théâtre de la Ville. He loved what he did and you can tell he was telling Mirtha. It was they who made me go back to work here. He put together a special lunchtime program with ... where I shared the table with my friend Sergio Renán and Susana Giménez, who was going for the first time.

—And your friendship with Julio Cortázar?
"I owe that man so much!"! It was unique and unexpected. One day, Pepe Fernández (N. de la R: contributor to Sur magazine, Borges's friend, Bioy Casares and Silvina Ocampo) He invited me to his house and there Julio Cortázar asked me to sign four of my records. Since then, every day we had a chocolate and chatted for hours.

—We always continue with blacklists or cracks?
—It's the easiest, that is done by those who believe that they can decide on others. It is very difficult to get rid of ignorance. I hope that history does not repeat itself. The media is sick. They get carried away by the habit of repeating what they shouldn't and they want to look good with the pattern that touches them at the moment. Luckily we have top writers and philosophers, but it is not enough for a country. People have to get used to thinking and not chasing anyone.
—From this month you will be on Radio Nacional (Folkloric FM 98.7)…
-Yes, Fridays at 21 we will go live with Susy's tales. I will look for tango to become noble. I will tell the story of each topic and I intend to make the new ones known. We have authors and composers, both notable men and women, that people do not know and are not heard anywhere. I greatly admired Mercedes Simone as an interpreter, she was a woman who never dressed as a man to sing and defend tango. She saw it as unnecessary and had a velvety voice.

—And Piazzolla?
—We never loved each other with Piazzolla. He hated women who sang tango. But one day in France she said that I was a great singer. I have a photo with him laughing. What a thing the Argentines! Here we did not look at each other and outside knowing that we represented Argentina changed everything! He was a genius, a creator.

Along with the poet Horacio Ferrer they came to see me at the theater in Paris. I will not forget. We have to recognize in time what the other does. Back to Tita Merello Rinaldi returned to the stage at the hands of the same musical director of recent years, his brother-in-law. "Juan Carlos Cuacci is the only musician who puts himself at my service, make arrangements for me –he assures–.

I never felt the desire to sing that I have now. Before it was a sacrifice and I wondered why I had left the theater. Today I have a better voice despite my age. curiously, according to my doctor, it does not coincide with my years and I have no waterfall ”.

In addition to Juan Carlos Cuacci, who also plays the guitar, are with her: Mariano Cigna, in the bandoneon, Aníbal Gluzmann, on the piano, Roberto Segret on the cello and, a woman in the orchestra, Marisa Hurtado, on the double bass.

He is happy and very excited about his participation in the radio: “The title of the program –Susy's Stories– is a tribute to my godmother, the only one who told me like this. I am going to talk about many creators who, in addition to admiring them, I was lucky to meet, such as Cátulo Castillo or Pedro Laurenz ”.

When asked about Tita Merello he does not hesitate: "You can't judge it, what he did is unrepeatable. No one can do what Tita did ”. End by saying: "I was worried and I am still worried about why Argentina votes as it votes and it is almost always wrong. Now luckily we are entering a wonderful streak, but evil always lurks. We have an unusual way of being Argentine. We had great thinkers, but it seems that we do not stick to them ".

Source: There's Seoane – https://www.perfil.com/ – 14 March 2020