Guitarra de ausencia by Yaraví

Guitarra de ausencia is a Tango written by Yaraví and composed by Arturo Gallucci.

Story behind the Tango Guitarra de ausencia

The song “Guitarra de ausencia” captures the essence of loneliness and longing wrapped in the melancholic strums of a guitar. The lyrics speak of a journey, physical and emotional, as experienced by the narrator. The first stanza reveals how the harshness of life and unreciprocated love has toughened the soul of the narrator. A sense of enduring pain, highlighted by the reference to the hardships faced on this path and the scars left by a love that was not returned, set the thematic foundation of heartbreak and personal endurance.

Symbolism of Guitarra de ausencia

The guitar is employed as a powerful symbol throughout the tango. It represents both a companion and a medium through which the narrator expresses and mitigates his sorrow. The line “¡Guitarra! Sos la querencia Esperando con amor, Porque vos sabés de ausencia Llorás con mi corazón.” indicates that the guitar not only understands absence but also cries alongside the heart of the narrator, embodying empathy and shared suffering. Furthermore, the description of the narrator’s love as a “tapera,” meaning a deserted, dilapidated house, symbolizes the desolation and decay of his emotional state post-rejection.

Guitarra de ausencia in historic Context

Written in 1960 in Argentina, a period marked by political and social transformations, “Guitarra de ausencia” resonates with themes of nostalgia and change. The sense of loss and adaptation to the new realities is paralleled in the personal grief and adaptation to absence depicted in the lyrics. The historical backdrop might have influenced the tone of resignation and resilience, reflecting a broader sentiment of the Argentine society at the time.

Yaraví

Yaraví, the lyricist of “Guitarra de ausencia,” is recognized for his poignant and evocative lyrical contributions to the Argentine Tango genre.