Héctor Varela
Encyclopedia
Salustiano Paco Varela was an Argentine tango
Bandoneon
ist, bandleader
and composer
.
Varela was born and raised in Avellaneda
in the Buenos Aires Province
of Argentina
, where he trained as an accountant
. He played in several bands from the age of 16, including those of Alberto Gambino and Juan D'Arienzo
. He went on to form his own tango orchestra, which performed on Argentine radio and television in the 1950s and 1960s. He worked with several singers, including Rodolfo Lesica, who he met in a taxi, and Argentino Ledesma.
Argentine tango
Argentine tango is a musical genre of simple quadruple metre and binary musical form, and the social dance that accompanies it. Its lyrics and music are marked by nostalgia, expressed through melodic instruments including the bandoneon. Originated at the ending of the 19th century in the suburbs of...
Bandoneon
Bandoneón
The bandoneón is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It plays an essential role in the orquesta típica, the tango orchestra...
ist, bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Varela was born and raised in Avellaneda
Avellaneda
Avellaneda is a port city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the seat of the Avellaneda Partido, whose population was 328,980 as per the ....
in the Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
of 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...
, where he trained as an accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
. He played in several bands from the age of 16, including those of Alberto Gambino and Juan D'Arienzo
Juan D'Arienzo
Juan d'Arienzo was an Argentine tango musician, also known as "El Rey del Compás" . Departing from other orchestras of the golden age, D'Arienzo returned to the 2x4 feel that characterized music of the old guard, but he used more modern arrangements and instrumentation...
. He went on to form his own tango orchestra, which performed on Argentine radio and television in the 1950s and 1960s. He worked with several singers, including Rodolfo Lesica, who he met in a taxi, and Argentino Ledesma.