1897, May 5 – BIRTH OF OSVALDO FRESEDO

Leader, Composer, Bandoneonist (Taurus) – Astor Piazzolla had a difficult time in Buenos Aires, he had grown up in New York and he was not entirely comfortable with the city of his roots; in fact he spoke both Spanish and English with a New York accent….his tango was different and it was rejected and criticized; one of the very few to accept, help and encourage Piazzolla was the legendary Osvaldo Fresedo…perhaps that was because Osvaldo Fresedo was himself different; unlike the others he came from a wealthy family, in fact when his father found out that he had secretly been studying the bandoneon instead of applying himself at business school, in a fit of rage, he threw him out of the house…but Osvaldo proved to be not only a great musician but also a good business manager…he had the longest career of any of the tango greats; he made over 1250 recordings over a sixty-three year-long career…his fame would spread around the globe; he recorded at NBC of New York and performed with Carlos Gardel at the mythical Paris Opera Theater.

***

He recorded with jazz legend Dizzie Gilespie ..at the age of sixteen he put together his first group; a friend, Eduardo Arolas, invited him to play at the Montmarte Cafe and from there, at the invitation of Roberto Firpo, at the Royal Pigall…he later formed a trio with Juan Carlos Cobian the composer of the classic “Los Mareados”…he was developing his fame along side another young bandoneonist Pedro Maffia who was two years yonger…by the age of thirty his success was such that he kept five orchestras with his name going at the same time; the one at the Fenix Cinema was directed from the piano by a young Carlos Di Sarli…he starred on the first sound film “Tango” in 1933…as a composer he had many hits but perhaps his most beloved is Vida Mia which has never been out of the public’s ear ..others include El Once, Siempre Es Carnaval, Sollozos, Sueno Azul…his last performance in front of his orchestra, at the age of 87 was in 1984 on the program “Tango A Tango” on Radio Belgrano

__________________

• CLICK HERE – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSZY161Xtz8 to hear one of Fresedo’s great hits “Sueno Azul” with the voice of Roberto Ray…the video includes the lyrics for sing along

2011

05/05

CATEGORY

Argentinean
Bandoneon
Composers
El Paternal
Films
Orchestras
Taurus

Write comment