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El pollero

El pollero is a Tango written by Héctor Marcó and recorded by Francisco Rotundo in 1949. The Tango El pollero is written by Héctor Marcó, Francisco Rotundo has recorded El pollero with the singer Carlos Roldán.
“The Chicken Seller” is the English translation of “El Pollero.” This evocative title conjures images of bustling markets and vibrant trade, where the rhythm of life dances to the cadence of commerce. Here, the music captures the essence of lively negotiations and spirited exchanges, as the world spins around a humble purveyor of poultry.

Tango

Style

Francisco Rotundo

Orchestra

Carlos Roldán

Singer

Héctor Marcó

Author

Héctor Marcó

Composer

1949/5/23

Date

Carlos Roldán
Carlos Roldán
Francisco Rotundo
Francisco Rotundo

Discover Other Orchestras

Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Pablo – 1968/8/5
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Milonguero triste – 1969/7/30
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Los mareados – 1968/9/11
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – La cumparsita – 1968/9/11
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – La tablada – 1968/8/5
Miguel Caló – Dos fracasos – 1941/7/31
Miguel Caló – Caminito – 1965/1/1
Miguel Caló – Un infierno – 1954/5/5
Miguel Caló – Por una cabeza – 1953/4/8
Miguel Caló – Yo también soñé – 1972/1/1
Horacio Salgán – La casita de mis viejos – 1957/7/17
Horacio Salgán – La casita de mis viejos – 1969/1/1
Horacio Salgán – NP (No place) – 1951/12/17
Horacio Salgán – Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) – 1969/1/1
Horacio Salgán – Como abrazado a un rencor – 1950/6/21
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – Malambo de las campanas – 1970/1/1
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – Amarraditos – 1970/1/1
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – Scherzo – 1971/1/1
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – Bonita (2) – 1970/1/1
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – El ensueño de Bahia – 1971/1/1

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.

El pollero recorded by other Orchestras

El pollero recorded by other Orchestras

1949/5/23 – Aguelita que hora son – Francisco Rotundo
1949/5/27 – Tabernero (El tabernero) – Jose Basso
1949/5/27 – Una lagrima tuya – Jose Basso
1949/5/18 – De mi arrabal – Cuarteto Tipico Roberto Firpo
1949/5/31 – Malandraca – Osvaldo Pugliese
El pollero – 1949/5/23 – Francisco Rotundo – Carlos Roldan
El pollero – 1949/3/24 – Alfredo Gobbi – Jorge Maciel

Lyrics Translation of the Tango El pollero

This is the translation of the Tango “El pollero” from Spanish to English. The English lyrics of the Tango “El pollero” have been done with AI.

Letra del Tango El pollero

Canturreando en el pescante

de su carrito pintado

va Saturnino Taborda,

gritando a los cuatro vientos:

¡Hay pollo y gallinas gordas!

Y casi a ras de la llanta

escrito a pulso y prolijo,

lleva un letrero que dice:

‘Soy soltero y no me aflijo.’

Así recorre el pollero

las calles de mi arrabal.



¿De dónde viene? Nadie lo sabe.

Si tuvo amores, ¿Quién lo sabrá?

De sud a norte, de Hornos a Corrales,

es otro grito de mi ciudad.

Pero alguien dice que en una puerta

del conventillo llegó una vez,

y sin cobrarla dejó la yunta

a la obrerita del cuarto diez.

Al otro día, volvió de nuevo,

pero temblando con pena vio

que se llevaban a Margarita

ya para siempre camino a Dios.



(recitado)

Por eso, cuando las viejas

ven a Taborda llegar,

se juntan en el conventillo

para poderlo bichar.

Porque al llegar a esa puerta

siempre lo ven solllozar.



Canturreando en el pescante

de su carrito pintado,

allá se pierde Taborda

gritando a los cuatro vientos:

¡Hay pollo y gallinas gordas!

Y al morir la tardecita,

quién sabe, sufriendo el tranco,

pensando en su Margarita

sienta el amor en sus brazos.

Hasta que algún barquinazo

lo llama a la realidad.

English lyrics of the Tango "El pollero"

Humming on the driver’s seat

of his painted cart

goes Saturnino Taborda,

shouting to the four winds:

“There are chickens and fat hens!”

And just above the tire

neatly hand-written,

there’s a sign that reads:

“I’m single and I don’t worry.”

Thus travels the chicken vendor

through the streets of my suburb.

Where does he come from? No one knows.

Did he have loves? Who would know?

From south to north, from Hornos to Corrales,

he’s another cry of my city.

But someone says that at a door

of the tenement he once arrived,

and without charging, he left the pair

for the little worker from room ten.

The next day, he came back again,

but trembling with sorrow he saw

that they were taking Margarita away

forever on her way to God.

(spoken)

That’s why, when the old women

see Taborda arrive,

they gather in the tenement

to be able to watch him.

Because when he reaches that door

they always see him weep.

Humming on the driver’s seat

of his painted cart,

there goes Taborda

shouting to the four winds:

“There are chickens and fat hens!”

And as the evening dies,

who knows, enduring the pace,

thinking of his Margarita

he feels love in his arms.

Until some jolt

brings him back to reality.

El pollero by Héctor Marcó

El pollero is a Tango written by Héctor Marcó and composed by Héctor Marcó.



Story behind the Tango El pollero

“El pollero” tells the story of Saturnino Taborda, a street vendor who travels around a suburb, selling his poultry and professing his bachelor status through a sign on his cart. The lyrics delve into a poignant narrative beneath his routine, revealing his unspoken heartache over a lost love, Margarita, who passed away. His interactions with the neighborhood, especially the people gathered at the conventillo (tenement), suggest a shared communal memory and a profound personal grief muffled by his daily cry of poultry sales.



Symbolism of El pollero

The character of the pollero symbolizes the everyday common man, masking personal sorrows behind a facade of normalcy depicted through his work and the sing-song style of his shouts. The line “Soy soltero y no me aflijo” (I’m single and I’m not distressed), painted on his cart, contrasts sharply with deeper emotional currents, symbolizing a societal façade of independence versus inner solitude and loss. Themes of memory and loss are potently conducted through subtle symbolic references to the neighborhood and Margarita’s passing, enhancing the emotional undercurrents of urban life and individual resilience against personal tragedies.



El pollero in historic Context

This Tango was recorded in 1949, during a period when tango music often reflected the gritty reality of common people’s lives in Argentina. The historical context enriches the song’s narrative by setting it against a backdrop of post-World War II Argentina, where music often served as both a refuge and a commentary on societal norms and personal struggles. The narrative journey from Las Hornos to Corrales encompasses a geographical sweep through Buenos Aires, highlighting the city’s diverse setting, from bustling streets to quiet, emotional spaces of personal memory.



Héctor Marcó

Héctor Marcó was a noted Argentine tango lyricist and composer, whose works often told stories of everyday life and personal emotions within the cultural tapestry of Argentina.