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Champagne tango

Champagne tango is a Tango written by Manuel Aróztegui and recorded by Juan D’Arienzo in 1938. Juan D’Arienzo has recorded Champagne tango as an instrumental Tango.
“Champagne tango” translates to “Tango de Champán” in Spanish. The name suggests a dance that’s both effervescent and elegant, much like the celebratory drink it references. It conjures images of swirling dancers in shimmering attire, moving with a refined passion that sparkles and captivates, embodying the spirit of lively sophistication wrapped in every note.

Tango

Style

Juan D'Arienzo

Orchestra

Instrumental

Singer

Pascual Contursi

Author

Manuel Aróztegui

Composer

1938/6/22

Date

Instrumental
Instrumental
Juan D'Arienzo
Juan D’Arienzo

Discover Other Orchestras

Astor Piazzolla – Decarisimo – 1961/1/1
Astor Piazzolla – Tapera – 1947/10/23
Astor Piazzolla – Tierra querida – 1948/4/10
Astor Piazzolla – Verano porteño – 1987/1/1
Astor Piazzolla – Se armó – 1947/6/26
Francisco Rotundo – Mala suerte – 1954/7/8
Francisco Rotundo – Pa’ mí es igual (Siempre amigos) – 1954/9/21
Francisco Rotundo – Serenata de candombes – 1948/12/14
Francisco Rotundo – Un remordimiento – 1955/8/25
Francisco Rotundo – Levanta la frente – 1953/4/6
Pedro Laurenz – Amurado – 1940/7/29
Pedro Laurenz – Corazón que me maltratas – 1944/7/18
Pedro Laurenz – Chatero de aquel entonces – 1942/10/20
Pedro Laurenz – Quedate tranquilo – 1941/12/2
Pedro Laurenz – Nada más que un corazón – 1944/10/4
Orquesta Símbolo Osmar Maderna – Escalas en azul – 1959/6/17
Orquesta Símbolo Osmar Maderna – Mi poncho tucumano – 1959/8/18
Orquesta Símbolo Osmar Maderna – Fantasía en tango (Sobre motivos de Brahms) – 1958/9/24
Orquesta Símbolo Osmar Maderna – Brindis para la navidad – 1960/10/14
Orquesta Símbolo Osmar Maderna – La huella – 1959/9/29

Recommended

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.

Champagne tango recorded by other Orchestras

Champagne tango recorded by other Orchestras

1938/6/22 – Pensalo bien – Juan D-Arienzo
1938/6/18 – El temblor – Juan D-Arienzo
1938/6/27 – A la huacachina – Enrique Rodriguez
1938/6/27 – Siempre fiel – Enrique Rodriguez
1938/6/14 – Gitana hechicera – Orquesta Tipica Victor
Champagne tango – 1944/7/20 – Carlos di Sarli – Instrumental
Champagne tango – 1952/10/27 – Carlos di Sarli – Instrumental
Champagne tango – (unknown date) – Carlos di Sarli – Instrumental
Champagne tango – 1938/6/22 – Juan D-Arienzo – Instrumental
Champagne tango – 1952/9/19 – Hector Varela – Instrumental
Champagne tango – 1946/9/25 – Cuarteto Tipico Roberto Firpo – Instrumental

Letra del Tango Champagne tango

Esas minas veteranas
que siempre se conformaban,
que nunca la protestaban
aunque picara el buyón,
viviendo así en su cotorro
pasando vida pibera
en una pobre catrera
que le faltaba el colchón.

¡Cuántas veces a mate amargo
el estomago engrupía
y pasaban muchos días
sin tener para morfar!
La catrera era el consuelo
de esos ratos de amargura
que, culpa ‘e la mishiadura
no tenía pa’ morfar.

Se acabaron esas minas
que siempre se conformaban
con lo que el bacán les daba
si era bacán de verdad.
Hoy sólo quieren vestidos
y riquísimas alhajas,
coches de capota baja
pa’ pasear por la ciudad.

Nadie quiere conventillo
ni ser pobre costurera,
ni tampoco andar fulera…
Sólo quieren aparentar
ser amigo de fulano
y que tenga mucho vento
que alquile departamento
y que la lleve al Pigall.

Tener un coche,
tener mucama
y gran ‘chapó’
y pa’ las farras
un gigoló;
pieza alfombrada
de gran parada,
tener sirvienta
y… ¡qué se yo!
Y así…
de esta manera
en donde quiera
‘champán tangó’.

English lyrics of the Tango "Champagne tango"

Those seasoned women
who were always content,
who never complained
even if the stew was bad,
living like that in their small room,
passing their youthful life
on a poor, mattress-less cot.

How often with bitter mate
they tricked their stomachs,
and many days passed
without anything to eat!
The cot was the comfort
during those bitter moments
that, due to extreme poverty,
they had nothing to eat.

Gone are those women
who were always content
with what the rich man gave them
if he was truly rich.
Today they only want dresses
and exquisite jewels,
cars with lowered tops
for city rides.

No one wants a tenement
or to be a poor seamstress,
nor to look shabby…
They just want to seem
to be friends with someone important
and who has a lot of money,
who rents a fancy apartment
and takes them to the Pigall.

To have a car,
a maid,
and a big hat,
and for the parties
a gigolo;
a carpeted room
of great standing,
to have a servant
and… what do I know!
And so…
in this way,
wherever they go,
‘champagne tango’.

Champagne Tango by Pascual Contursi

“Champagne Tango” is a Tango written by Pascual Contursi and composed by Manuel Aróztegui.

Story behind the Tango “Champagne Tango”

Champagne Tango” paints a vivid picture of the transformation in the expectations and desires of women in the society of Buenos Aires in the late 1930s. The lyrics tell the story of women who, in the past, accepted their modest means and difficult lives without complaint. These women are contrasted with the modern women of Contursi’s then-contemporary society, who aspire to luxury, status, and a life filled with material pleasure represented by champagne, a symbol of opulence.

Symbolism of Champagne Tango

The recurring symbol throughout the lyrics is champagne—a luxury item that epitomizes the new aspirations for a glamorous lifestyle, contrasting sharply with the previous acceptance of a humble existence. Terms like “coches de capota baja” (low-top cars) and “riquísimas alhajas” (very rich jewels) further emphasize the materialistic cravings. The transformation from a “mate amargo” (bitter mate), representing humble beginnings, to a champagne-soaked lifestyle, is a powerful commentary on the changing societal values and the desire to transcend economic and social constraints of the era.

Champagne Tango in Historic Context

Created in 1938, during a turbulent era in Argentine history characterized by economic fluctuations and a societal shift towards urban cosmopolitanism, “Champagne Tango” reflects the socio-economic transitions of the time. The song critiques the emerging bourgeois behavior among those who previously lived in poverty, symbolizing wider social aspirations and the dramatic shift from traditional to modern values in urban Argentina.

Pascual Contursi

Pascual Contursi was a pioneering figure in the history of Tango, known for embedding complex narratives into his lyrics that often reflected the social issues of his time.