Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ
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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.
Fantasma is a Tango written by Cátulo Castillo and composed by Enrique Delfino.
“Fantasma,” meaning “Ghost” in English, poetically narrates the haunting presence of a past love that continues to torment the speaker nightly. The lyrics describe the unshakeable vision of a former lover whose ghostly return stirs up a mixture of melancholy and nostalgia. The apparition bears the same eyes and voice, rekindling the sorrow of their farewell. This returning specter is not just a memory but an emotional pulse reverberating with the aching permanence of loss and longing.
The central figure of the ghost in “Fantasma” symbolizes unresolved grief and the inability to move on from past relationships. The recurring use of dark and light imagery—referenced through the ghost’s dimmed eyes and the shadows that linger—emphasizes the contrast between memory and present reality. The phrases “tu voz que va rodando entre sus goznes” and “Tus manos, también ya marchitas” evoke a sense of something once vibrant now fading, much like the voice echoing sadly and the withered hands no longer able to hold the song. These images enhance the haunting tone of the lyrics and deepen the sense of loss.
“Fantasma” was composed in Argentina in 1944, a period marked by political strife and social changes preceding Juan Perón’s rise to power. In this context, the tango could be seen reflecting a collective sentiment of disillusionment and nostalgia for better past times, mirroring the personal losses in the lyrics. The Ember of lingering sadness and disillusionment, as captured in the tango, may also resonate with the Argentine public’s weary sentiments about their changing societal landscape during that era.
Cátulo Castillo was a prolific Argentine tango lyricist and poet known for his intense and often melancholy themes.