Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ
Style
Orchestra
Singer
Author
Composer
Date
These Tangos, Valses, and Milongas were recorded around the same time. Take a look to discover what else this orchestra—or others—may have recorded during the same week or even on the exact same day.
Bajo un cielo de estrellas is a Tango written by José María Contursi and composed by Enrique Francini.
The tango “Bajo un cielo de estrellas” unfolds a poignant story of return and memory, where the protagonist revisits the neighborhood of his past. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person walking through familiar streets, reflecting on lost love and the passage of time. The protagonist’s encounter with the ‘quiet and dark night’ of the neighborhood evokes a deep yearning and nostalgia, expressed through the melancholic tone and the recurring theme of revisiting old haunts only to find them irrevocably changed.
The phrase “Bajo un cielo de estrellas” translates to “Under a Sky of Stars” in English, symbolizing the vast, unchanging nature of the sky contrasted with the transience of human affairs. Stars here may signify the permanence or the inevitable cycle of life and memories that outlast human frailty and fleeting relationships. Key phrases like “en la noche tranquila y oscura” (in the quiet and dark night) and “una sombra parezco al pasar” (I seem like a shadow as I pass) enhance the themes of isolation and the ephemeral nature of human existence. These elements together deepen the emotional impact of the tango, suggesting both the beauty and sadness of reflecting on one’s past.
Written in 1941, “Bajo un cielo de estrellas” emerged during a turbulent period in both world history and Argentine society. This era was marked by the onset of World War II and significant political changes in Argentina. The sense of nostalgia and loss reflected in the tango possibly mirrors a societal longing for stability and the melancholic remembrance of simpler times amidst the chaos and uncertainties of the period. This context likely influenced the mood and thematic concerns of Contursi’s work, highlighting themes of return, memory, and the inexorable passage of time.
José María Contursi was a prominent Argentine lyricist known for his deeply emotional and evocative tangos, often reflecting themes of love, loss, and nostalgia.