Pascual Contursi
Encyclopedia
Pascual Contursi was an Argentine
poet, singer, and guitarist
. He composed lyrics for 33 tango compositions - many well-known.
, a pampas town, in 1888. His family relocated to Buenos Aires
, settling in the San Cristóbal
section of the city. He began writing lyrics for his own guitar improvisations while still in his teens, and he moved to nearby Montevideo
, Uruguay
, a few years later. There, he debuted Mi noche triste
, and befriended the som of the cabaret's owner, tango composer Gerardo Matos Rodríguez
. Matos Rodríguez went on to write what became perhaps the best-known tango composition, La Cumparsita
- though his original lyrics were replaced by Contursi's in a version known around 1924 as Si Supieras (If You Knew). Matos Rodríguez succeeded in popularizing La Cumparsita as the song's title, though Contursi's lyrics became the only popularly-recognized version following tango standard Carlos Gardel
's highly recognizable rendition.
Contursi returned to Buenos Aires, where he wrote a number of unsuccessful sainete
s (stage comedies). He moved to Europe
in 1927, residing in Madrid
and Paris
, where he wrote the wistful Bandoneón arrabalero. Contursi's health deteriorated in Paris, and he eventually became destitute. Returned to Buenos Aires in 1932 at the expense of a grateful Gardel (who by then had become a top Paramount Studios box office draw), Contursi died a few days later at age 43.
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...
poet, singer, and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. He composed lyrics for 33 tango compositions - many well-known.
Life and work
Pascual Contursi was born in ChivilcoyChivilcoy
Chivilcoy is a city in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, the head town of the Chivilcoy Partido. It has 60,762 inhabitants according to the ....
, a pampas town, in 1888. His family relocated to 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...
, settling in the San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal, Buenos Aires
San Cristóbal is a barrio of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires.The Line E goes under the San Juan Avenue.- External links :*...
section of the city. He began writing lyrics for his own guitar improvisations while still in his teens, and he moved to nearby 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...
, a few years later. There, he debuted Mi noche triste
Mi noche triste
"Mi noche triste" was the first tango the singer Carlos Gardel recorded. Lyrics were written by Pascual Contursi and the music by Samuel Castriota. In 1951 it was the basis of a film; Mi noche triste.-History:...
, and befriended the som of the cabaret's owner, tango composer Gerardo Matos Rodríguez
Gerardo Matos Rodríguez
Gerardo Hernan Matos Rodríguez Montevideo, Uruguay, also known as Becho, was a Uruguayan musician, composer and journalist.-Background and early career:...
. Matos Rodríguez went on to write what became perhaps the best-known tango composition, La Cumparsita
La Cumparsita
"La cumparsita" is a musical piece written by Gerardo Matos Rodríguez, an Uruguayan musician, in 1916. It is among the most famous and recognizable tango songs of all time....
- though his original lyrics were replaced by Contursi's in a version known around 1924 as Si Supieras (If You Knew). Matos Rodríguez succeeded in popularizing La Cumparsita as the song's title, though Contursi's lyrics became the only popularly-recognized version following tango standard 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...
's highly recognizable rendition.
Contursi returned to Buenos Aires, where he wrote a number of unsuccessful sainete
Sainete
A sainete was a popular Spanish comic opera piece, a one-act dramatic vignette, with music. It was often placed at the end of entertainments, or between other types of performance. It was vernacular in style, and used scenes of low life. Active from the 18th to 20th centuries, it superseded the...
s (stage comedies). He moved to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1927, residing in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he wrote the wistful Bandoneón arrabalero. Contursi's health deteriorated in Paris, and he eventually became destitute. Returned to Buenos Aires in 1932 at the expense of a grateful Gardel (who by then had become a top Paramount Studios box office draw), Contursi died a few days later at age 43.