“The greatest interpreter of our beloved songs”: who was Azucena Maizani, the queen of Argentine tango

Today’s date coincides with the birth of Azucena Maizania name that may sound unknown to many, but that for decades was the most revered by Argentines. The history of one of the most important voices of tango It is known by few.

The singer lived in Palermo until she was five years old, when she moved with her parents to the Martín García island, where she completed her primary studies. At 17 he began his return to Buenos Aires. In the early 1920s, Maizani went to see a show by Francisco Canaro, and he insisted so much on her to sing that he finally let her go on stage to perform two songs..

What seemed like a young woman’s whim was actually the first seed that would later germinate into a successful musical career. His appearance was a total surprise for the musical world, which I wasn’t used to receiving female voices.

The career of Azucena Maizani, a legend of Argentine tango

He July 23, 1923 marked the professional debut in the National theaterwhen Maizani played “Don’t talk to me about sorrows”a work that had no lyrics but was adapted to tango “Our Father”. The audience was so amazed by the young woman’s performance that they demanded the repetition of the same song five times.

His dizzying rise allowed him to leave his job as seamstressand began to be summoned for radio, plays and films. Furthermore, he was able to fulfill his dream of make a record. Everything about her surprised the public: his imposing attitude and personality, his strident voice and, most strikingly, his clothing. And Maizani dressed as a man when she went on stage, with a typical Creole gaucho costumewhich is why Libertad Lamarque baptized it “the gaucha ñata”.

His career was a total success. He worked alongside names like the brothers Simari, Hector and Camila QuirogaCanaro, Enrique Pedro Delfino and Manuel Parada, and he recorded more than 270 songsamong which stand out “Old booties”, “But I know” and “Life is gone”among others. Likewise, she was one of the first interpreters of Enrique Santos Discépolo’s tangos, such as “Tonight I’m getting drunk”, “Malevaje” and “I’m a harlequin”.

And that was not enough: together with his partner, the violinist Roberto Zerilloformed the Argentine Minor Art Company and undertook an extensive tour of Spain and Portugal.

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Although not all of them were good for Maizani. After her relationship with Zerillo ended, She began an affair with Rodolfo José María Caffaroknown under the pseudonym Ricardo Colombreswho knows committed suicide after being accused of having defrauded her. Maizani was questioned for having broken the marital relationship that Colombres had with his wife and for driving him to suicide.

However, the singer was able to recover and denied the entire situation. His image was not affected by this tragic event, and He continued his career with an extensive tour in the United States and Mexico.. But, as the years went by, “la ñata gaucha” began to lose its magic. In 1966 suffered a hemiplegia and his health began to deteriorate noticeably, until On January 15, 1970, he died almost forgotten.. Anyway, Carlos Gardel He recognized her with tremendous flattery: “She is the greatest interpreter of our beloved songs”.

The most famous tangos performed by Azucena Maizani

Malevaje

but i know

Old Boots

life goes away