Hermenegildo Sábat
Encyclopedia
Early career in journalism
Hermenegildo Sábat was born in the oceanfront PocitosPocitos
Pocitos is an upscale beach barrio in Uruguay's capital city, Montevideo.This area is located along the banks of the Rio de la Plata. The barrio is known for its beach, Playa Pocitos, and the Rambla, or boulevard, that lies alongside it...
section of Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, in 1933. Named after a grandparent who had been a noted local artist in his day, Hermenegildo was known as "Menchi," from early childhood. Montevideo's leading newsdaily, El País
El País (Montevideo)
El País is a Uruguayan newspaper, published for the first time on September 14, 1918, and distributed nation-wide.Founded and published in Montevideo, El País was founded and directed by Leonel Aguirre, Eduardo Rodríguez Larreta and Washington Beltrán Barbat.Originally it was a political newspaper...
, first published a drawing of his - a portrait of Uruguayan national football team forward Juan Schiaffino - when the young artist was but 15 years old.
Sábat's first work experience in journalism began in 1955 as a graphist in Acción, returning to El País, in 1957. His career prospered in El País, and Sábat became an editor at the daily, as well as contributing work as a staff correspondent, photographer and illustrator. His byline was featured in other Uruguayan periodicals in subsequent years, such as Marcha, Lunes and Reporte, and he freelanced as a graphic designer.
He married Blanca Rodríguez, in 1961, and the couple had two children. A dispute with El País owners, however, led Sábat to emgirate to neighboring Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, in 1966. Following a stint at Editorial Abril, a Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
publishing house, his caricatures were soon included in Primera Plana and Crísis (then the leading Argentine newsmagazines), Clarín
Clarín (newspaper)
Clarín is the largest newspaper in Argentina, published by the Grupo Clarín media group. It was founded by Roberto Noble on 28 August 1945. It is politically centrist but popularly understood to oppose the Kirchner government...
, and La Opinión
La Opinión (Argentina)
La Opinión was an Argentine newspaper, founded by the journalist Jacobo Timerman in 1971. Its ideology was broadly centrist, inspired partly by the Paris daily Le Monde.-Development:...
, then an important Argentine daily, for which Sábat became the sole illustrator. La Opinión 's closure by the new dictatorship
National Reorganization Process
The National Reorganization Process was the name used by its leaders for the military government that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. In Argentina it is often known simply as la última junta militar or la última dictadura , because several of them existed throughout its history.The Argentine...
in 1977 led to Sábat's transfer to Clarín, where he would remain over the years.
Sábat's interest in jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and tango resulted in his writing numerous books on the genres, including: a biography of tango vocalist Carlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel was a singer, songwriter and actor, and is perhaps the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was born in Toulouse, France, although he never acknowledged his birthplace publicly, and there are still claims of his birth in Uruguay. He lived in Argentina from the age of two...
- Al troesma con cariño (To the Maestro, with Love, 1971); of trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke
Bix Beiderbecke
Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke was an American jazz cornetist, jazz pianist, and composer.With Louis Armstrong, Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s...
- Yo Bix, Tú Bix, Él Bix (1972); and Scat: una interpretación gráfica del jazz (1974).
A humorist's point of view
Becoming a naturalized Argentine citizen in 1980, Sábat continued his commission with Clarín while contributing occasionally to other dailies, such as the Buenos Aires HeraldBuenos Aires Herald
The Buenos Aires Herald is an English language daily newspaper from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Their slogan is A World of Information in a few words.-History:...
. He became a fixture in Clarín with his illustrations of political commentator Eduardo van der Kooy's weekly columns. His prescient caricatures made him increasingly well-known, and his portrayals of Argentines leaders with histories of reprisals against opponents were often daring: some of the most memorable include his portrayal of the aging populist leader Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
as a mummy being unwrapped ahead of his 1973 return to the presidency
Argentine general election, September 1973
The second Argentine general election of 1973 was held on 23 September. Turnout was 85.5%, and it produced the following results:-Background:...
, or as a weathervane; and members of the repressive dictatorship disguised as grieving mothers of the disappeared.
Nor did his barbed pen rest after Argentina's return to democracy
Argentine general election, 1983
The Argentine general election of 1983 was held on 30 October and marked the return of Democracy after the 1976's dictatorship self-known as National Reorganization Process...
, in 1983. President Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín was an Argentine lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the President of Argentina from December 10, 1983, to July 8, 1989. Alfonsín was the first democratically-elected president of Argentina following the military government known as the National Reorganization...
's ineffective handling of the foreign debt crisis and military demands earned him Sábat's portrayals as a ballet dancer straining to impress stone-faced generals, or, at best, a tightrope walker struggling to retain balance. Political or military figures known to be especially close to the powerful Catholic Church included a small halo, and CGT
General Confederation of Labour (Argentina)
The General Confederation of Labour of the Argentine Republic is a national trade union centre of Argentina founded on September 27, 1930, as the result of the merge of the USA and the COA trade union centres...
labor union leader Saúl Ubaldini
Saúl Ubaldini
Saúl Edólver Ubaldini was an Argentine labor leader and parliamentarian for the Peronist Justicialist Party....
(Alfonsín's most vocal opponent) paid for his frequent on-camera theatrics with Sábat's portrayal of his tearful breakdowns and use of the elbow
Bras d'honneur
A bras d'honneur is an obscene gesture. To form the gesture, an arm is bent to make an L-shape, while the other hand then grips the inner side of the bent arm's elbow, and the bent forearm is then raised vertically in a gesturing motion...
(a typically Italian insult). His dauntless approach to humor helped earn him the prestigious Maria Moors Cabot prize
Maria Moors Cabot prize
The Maria Moors Cabot Prizes are the oldest international awards in the field of journalism. They pick what the Trustees of Columbia University see as journalistic contributions to inter-American understanding.-Award:...
, in 1988 (among his numerous other recognititons).
Alfonsín's successor, Carlos Menem
Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
, proved particularly useful as fodder Argentina's many humorists. The flamboyant Menem's prominent sideburns and ongoing push to extend constitutional term limit
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
s lent itself easily to Sábat's portrayal of him as a man fused to his presidential chair (which doubled as a burden, of course).
His caricatures portrayed political figures, as well as artists and other personalities. The death of well-known Argentine cultural icons were infallibly followed by Sábat's homage in the form of an angel (see Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music...
's portrait, above).
A 2008 portrayal of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner , commonly known as Cristina Fernández or Cristina Kirchner is the 55th and current President of Argentina and the widow of former President Néstor Kirchner. She is Argentina's first elected female president, and the second female president ever to serve...
with tape over her mouth published in Clarín during the 2008 agrarian lockout
2008 Argentine government conflict with the agricultural sector
The 2008 Argentine government conflict with the agricultural sector started in March 2008, which then extended into a prolonged period of turbulent politics...
earned Sábat her labeling the portrayal on April 2 as a "quasi-mafioso message."
Sábat continues to contribute his weekly takes on Argentina's political stage, and to oversee "Fundación Artes Visuales," a San Telmo
San Telmo
San Telmo is the oldest barrio of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is a well-preserved area of the Argentine metropolis and is characterized by its colonial buildings. Cafes, tango parlors and antique shops line the cobblestone streets, which are often filled with artists and dancers.San Telmo's...
-neighborhood foundation and atelier he opened in 1982 for the purpose of encouraging young illustrators and engravers. Sábat also continues to nourish his love for jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, playing the clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
in a New Orleans-style group.
Books
- Al troesma con cariño (1971), about Carlos GardelCarlos GardelCarlos Gardel was a singer, songwriter and actor, and is perhaps the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was born in Toulouse, France, although he never acknowledged his birthplace publicly, and there are still claims of his birth in Uruguay. He lived in Argentina from the age of two...
- Yo Bix, Tú Bix, Él Bix (1972), about Bix BeiderbeckeBix BeiderbeckeLeon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke was an American jazz cornetist, jazz pianist, and composer.With Louis Armstrong, Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s...
- Scat: una interpretación gráfica del jazz (1974)
- Una selección de dibujos públicados entre los años 1971 y 1975 (1975)
- Galería personal (1975)
- Dogor (1979), about Aníbal TroiloAníbal TroiloAníbal Carmelo Troilo was an Argentine tango musician.Anibal Troilo was a bandoneon player, composer, and bandleader in Argentina. His orquesta típica was among the most popular with social dancers during the golden age of tango , but he changed to a concert sound by the late 1950s...
- Monsieur Lautrec (1980), with Julio CortázarJulio CortázarJulio Cortázar, born Jules Florencio Cortázar, was an Argentine writer. Cortázar, known as one of the founders of the Latin American Boom, influenced an entire generation of Spanish speaking readers and writers in the Americas and Europe.-Early life:Cortázar's parents, Julio José Cortázar and...
, about Henri de Toulouse-LautrecHenri de Toulouse-LautrecHenri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa or simply Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, and illustrator, whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of fin de siècle Paris yielded an œuvre of exciting, elegant and provocative images of the modern... - Tango Mío (1981)
- Sentido pésame (1984)
- Una satisfacción tras otra (1990)
- Haberlo sabido antes (1992)
- Fotos (1996)
- Jazz a la carte (1996)
- Carta a Torres García (1996)
- Crónicas del Ángel Gris (1996), illustrations for book by Alejandro DolinaAlejandro DolinaAlejandro Ricardo Dolina is an Argentine broadcaster, who also achieved renown as a musician and a writer.-External links:* at AlejandroDolina.com.ar * : listen to La venganza será terrible online...
- Adioses tardíos (1998)
- La casa sigue en orden: cuatro décadas de historia en dibujos (1999)
- Georgie Dear (1999), about Jorge Luis BorgesJorge Luis BorgesJorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
- Imágenes latentes (2001)
- Dos dedos: una interpretación de Django ReinhardtDjango ReinhardtDjango Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
(2004) - Siguen las firmas: inventario apócrifo de falsedades, mentiras y algunas certidumbres (2006)
- El pájaro murió de risa (2007), about Charlie ParkerCharlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
- Anónimo Transparente (2007), about Fernando PessoaFernando PessoaFernando Pessoa, born Fernando António Nogueira de Seabra Pessoa , was a Portuguese poet, writer, literary critic and translator described as one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century and one of the greatest poets in the Portuguese language.-Early years in Durban:On 13 July...
- Que no se entere Piazzolla (2008), about Ástor PiazzollaÁstor PiazzollaÁstor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music...