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La barranca

La barranca is a Tango written by Charlo and recorded by Ángel d’Agostino in 1959. The Tango La barranca is written by Charlo, Ángel d’Agostino has recorded La barranca with the singer Tino Garcia.
The Spanish name “La Barranca” translates to “The Ravine” in English. This evocative piece of music captures the depths and echoes of a hidden gorge, where passion and mystery intertwine like shadows in the fading light. The melody weaves through the rugged landscape, whispering secrets carried by the winds of a timeless, untamed heart.

Tango

Style

Ángel d'Agostino

Orchestra

Tino Garcia

Singer

Enrique Cadícamo

Author

Charlo

Composer

1959/4/24

Date

Tino Garcia
Tino Garcia
Ángel d'Agostino
Ángel d’Agostino

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Lyrics Translation of the Tango La barranca

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

Letra del Tango La barranca

Con corralera cortona
Y pañuelo volador,
Pantalones de cambrona
Clavel en la oreja y boina punzó.
Viene cuartiando el tranvía
Hasta el repecho nomás,
Son treinta metros de trecho
Y al grito de: ¡Zaino!, ya quedan atrás.

La barranca de Patricios
Tiene una esquina rosada,
Donde se ha quedao clavada
Su triste y negra mirada
Como quien mira de vicio.

Y en su pena de compadre
Viene tantiando su daga,
Pero apurao por la madre
Por ella, tan sólo
La va a perdonar.

También su vida es barranca
Y está cansao de cinchar,
Lleva una pena en el anca
Y un triste recuerdo que lo hace aflojar.
Y como dicen que el tiempo
Es el remedio mejor,
Deja sus penas al tiempo
Y al grito de: ¡Zaino!, cuartea el dolor.

English lyrics of the Tango "La barranca"

With a short riding skirt
And a flying handkerchief,
Rough cloth trousers
Carnation in the ear and a red beret.
He cuts across the tram’s path
Just until the slope,
It’s a stretch of thirty meters
And at the cry of: “Dark bay!”, they’re left behind.

The ravine of Patricios
Has a pink corner,
Where his sad, dark gaze
Is firmly stuck
As if watching out of habit.

And in his sorrowful swagger
He feels for his dagger,
But rushed by his mother,
For her, just for her,
He will forgive.

His life too is a ravine
And he’s tired of the struggle,
Carries a pain on his flank
And a sad memory that makes him falter.
And as they say that time
Is the best healer,
He leaves his sorrows to time
And at the shout of: “Dark bay!”, he dulls the pain.

La barranca by Enrique Cadícamo

La barranca is a Tango written by Enrique Cadícamo and composed by Charlo.



Story behind the Tango La barranca

La barranca, which translates to “The Ravine” in English, carries a sense of both literal and metaphorical fall or decline, portrayed through the life of a gaucho living on the fringes in Buenos Aires’ neighborhood of Parque Patricios. The character, adorned in traditional gaucho attire, struggles with personal losses and memories, embodying themes of resignation, nostalgia, and existential pain. The song contrasts his tough exterior with his internal struggle against an inevitable march towards emotional despair.



Symbolism of La barranca

The symbolism in “La barranca” radiates largely from its title and setting. The ravine (barranca) can be interpreted as a metaphorical descent into emotional depth or a harsh landscape where one’s struggles and failures become evident. Key phrases such as “Con corralera cortona / Y pañuelo volador” symbolize the gaucho’s traditional identity and pride, yet “También su vida es barranca” reflects his overwhelming internal struggles, conveying how his life parallels the steep sides of a ravine, marked by gradual yet significant descent. The repeated phrase “al grito de: ¡Zaino!”, which can mean yelling for the dark horse, possibly symbolizes a cry for help or a release of pain.



La barranca in historic Context

The song, recorded in 1959, hails from an era when tango was deeply infused with the sentiments of the urban working class of Buenos Aires. Enrique Cadícamo, using the backdrop of Parque Patricios, a neighborhood known for its industries and working-class populace, reflects the socio-economic struggles and the resulting emotional states that pervade such environments. By this time, Tango had become not just a dance but a medium of storytelling reflecting societal moods, personal anguish, and cultural identity.

Enrique Cadícamo

Enrique Cadícamo was a prolific Argentine tango lyricist and poet, known for his poignant and evocative lyrics that have become classics in the genre.