Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ
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.
La cumparsita (Si supieras) is a Tango written by Pascual Contursi and composed by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez.
The song tells the story of a person lamenting their unreciprocated love and the deep loneliness they feel after their beloved has left. ‘Si supieras’ or ‘If you knew’ underlines a wishful yearning towards the beloved to understand, and perhaps respond to the depth of emotion left behind. The recurring thoughts of what was lost portrayed in this song give insight into nostalgic and unrecoverable past connections.
The lyric uses different symbols to deepen the emotional impression. “El cotorro abandonado” (the abandoned small apartment) symbolizes the lover’s deserted and empty state of life. The line y aquel perrito compañero, que por tu ausencia no comía (and the little companion dog, that wouldn’t eat in your absence) highlights the widespread impact of the absence, affecting even the household pets, amplifying a sense of desolation. The non-reappearance of the sun in the window underscores the coldness and the darkness that has settled into the protagonist’s life post-departure of the loved one.
The tango was recorded in 1970, a time when Argentina was experiencing significant political and social changes. This broader context of uncertainty and transformation perhaps mirrors the individual instability and emotional turmoil expressed in the song. Tango itself, deeply woven into Argentina’s culture, often serves as a reflective medium for its people’s collective sentiments, coping with and responding to the changing times through evocative performances and lyrics. Furthermore, since tango traditionally entwines narratives of loss, longing, and nostalgia, “La cumparsita (Si supieras)” resonates with the core essence of this musical genre.
Pascual Contursi was an influential figure in the history of tango, known for incorporating and popularizing the use of lunfardo (Buenos Aires slang) in tango lyrics, contributing significantly to the genre’s development into a form of musical storytelling.