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El último organito

El último organito is a Tango written by Acho Manzi and recorded by Aníbal Troilo in 1949. The Tango El último organito is written by Acho Manzi, Aníbal Troilo has recorded El último organito with the singer Edmundo Rivero.
“El último organito,” or “The Last Organ Grinder,” evokes the fading echoes of a bygone era, where the street organ’s melodies once filled bustling plazas with life. It speaks to the nostalgic lament of a vanishing tradition, a gentle reminder of simpler times when music intertwined with the daily rhythms of the city. This haunting tune captures the wistful beauty of memories lingering in the twilight.

Tango

Style

Aníbal Troilo

Orchestra

Edmundo Rivero

Singer

Homero Manzi

Author

Acho Manzi

Composer

1949/3/31

Date

Edmundo Rivero
Edmundo Rivero
Aníbal Troilo
Aníbal Troilo

Discover Other Orchestras

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Rodolfo Biagi – Andrajos – 1961/6/7
Rodolfo Biagi – Indiferencia – 1942/9/10
Rodolfo Biagi – Solamente Dios y yo – 1957/5/24
Rodolfo Biagi – Y dicen que no te quiero – 1947/9/23
Domingo Federico – Voz de barrio – 1945/10/22
Domingo Federico – La carta que me dejaste – 1952/7/21
Domingo Federico – Canción desesperada – 1945/11/26
Domingo Federico – Candombe – 1953/4/16
Domingo Federico – Cómo nos cambian los años – 1965/1/1
Lucio Demare – Dos palabras por favor – 1943/10/13
Lucio Demare – Dónde – (unknown date)
Lucio Demare – No nos veremos más – 1943/2/11
Lucio Demare – Nostalgias – 1957/1/1
Lucio Demare – El chupete – 1942/10/9
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – En bateau – 1970/1/1
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – El ensueño de Bahia – 1971/1/1
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – Rumba de Jamaica (Jamaican rumba) – 1970/1/1
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – Juego de damas – 1971/1/1
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – Fuegos artificiales – 1970/1/1

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.

1949/3/31 – A unos ojos – Anibal Troilo
1949/3/31 – Cuando volveras – Anibal Troilo
1949/3/31 – Milonga en negro – Anibal Troilo
1949/3/30 – Patetico – Anibal Troilo
1949/3/30 – Una lagrima tuya – Anibal Troilo

Lyrics Translation of the Tango El último organito

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

Letra del Tango El último organito

Las ruedas embarradas del último organito
vendrán desde la tarde buscando el arrabal,
con un caballo flaco y un rengo y un monito
y un coro de muchachas vestidas de percal.

Con pasos apagados elegirá la esquina
donde se mezclan luces de luna y almacén
para que bailen valses detrás de la hornacina
la pálida marquesa y el pálido marqués.

El último organito irá de puerta en puerta
hasta encontrar la casa de la vecina muerta,
de la vecina aquella que se cansó de amar;
y allí molerá tangos para que llore el ciego,
el ciego inconsolable del verso de Carriego,
que fuma, fuma y fuma sentado en el umbral.

Tendrá una caja blanca el último organito
y el asma del otoño sacudirá su son,
y adornarán sus tablas cabezas de angelitos
y el eco de su piano será como un adiós.

Saludarán su ausencia las novias encerradas
abriendo las persianas detrás de su canción,
y el último organito se perderá en la nada
y el alma del suburbio se quedará sin voz.

English lyrics of the Tango "El último organito"

The muddy wheels of the last barrel organ
will come from the evening seeking the suburbs,
with a thin horse, a limping man, and a small monkey,
and a chorus of girls dressed in plain cotton.

With muffled steps, it will choose the corner
where the lights of the moon and the store mingle
so that waltzes may dance behind the shrine
the pale marquise and the pale marquis.

The last barrel organ will go from door to door
until it finds the house of the deceased neighbor,
that neighbor who grew tired of loving;
and there it will grind tangos so that the blind man weeps,
the inconsolable blind man from Carriego’s verses,
who smokes, smokes, and smokes seated at the threshold.

The last barrel organ will have a white box
and the asthma of autumn will shake its sound,
and its boards will be adorned with angel heads
and the echo of its piano will sound like a goodbye.

The absent one will be greeted by confined fiancées
opening their shutters behind its song,
and the last barrel organ will vanish into nothing,
and the soul of the suburb will be left voiceless.

El último organito by Homero Manzi

El último organito is a Tango written by Homero Manzi and composed by Acho Manzi.

Story behind the Tango El último organito

The lyrics of “El último organito” tell the poignant tale of an old barrel organ, a traditional street music instrument, as it passes through the working-class neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. This organ, accompanied by a lean horse, a limping man, and a little monkey, evokes a sense of nostalgia and melancholy as it plays its tunes from house to house. The song focuses particularly on one house where a tired woman who “got tired of loving” once lived. Through this narrative, Manzi artfully captures a moment of somber reflection in the streets of the Argentine suburbs.

Symbolism of El último organito

Homero Manzi imbues “El último organito” with rich symbolism. The barrel organ itself represents more than just an instrument; it symbolizes the fading cultural traditions of suburban Buenos Aires. Its music evokes memories of a bygone era, impacting everyone from the mourning blind man, reminiscent of the poet Evaristo Carriego, to the lonely women behind closed shutters. The pale figures dancing waltzes “behind the shrine” are symbolic of the ghostly remnants of the past, almost spectral in their presence. Each verse is laden with imagery that speaks of loss, remembrance, and the inevitable passage of time.

El último organito in historic Context

“El último organito” was composed in 1949, a time when Argentina was undergoing significant social and political changes. This period saw the rise of Peronism and a deep emphasis on Argentine national identity. In this context, Manzi’s tango can be seen as a nostalgic embrace of the traditional cultural elements at risk of being lost in rapidly modernizing society. The detailed evocation of local landmarks and cultural practices roots the song deeply in its Argentine context, serving both as a lament and a reminder of the enduring spirit of the local populace.

Homero Manzi

Homero Manzi was a renowned Argentine tango lyricist and filmmaker, known for his profound and evocative portraits of life in Buenos Aires.