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La cumparsita

La cumparsita is a Tango written by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez and recorded by Carlos di Sarli in 1942. Carlos di Sarli has recorded La cumparsita as an instrumental Tango.
“La cumparsita,” or “The Little Parade” in English, evokes a vivid procession of life through its evocative tango rhythms. In this timeless piece, each note seems to capture the bittersweet dance between joy and sorrow, as if life itself were parading by. The melody weaves through emotions, painting a picture of fleeting moments that, though small, leave a lasting impression.

Tango

Style

Carlos di Sarli

Orchestra

Instrumental

Singer

Gerardo Matos Rodriguez

Author

Gerardo Matos Rodriguez

Composer

1942/11/12

Date

Instrumental
Instrumental
Carlos di Sarli
Carlos di Sarli

Discover Other Orchestras

Enrique Rodríguez – Mantón – 1971/4/7
Enrique Rodríguez – Quién sos vos (Decime quién sos vos) – 1942/6/10
Enrique Rodríguez – Adelita – 1959/1/30
Enrique Rodríguez – La gayola – 1941/6/9
Enrique Rodríguez – Con tu mirar – 1941/9/24
Ricardo Malerba – Qué tarde que has venido – 1956/9/13
Ricardo Malerba – Noches de Montmartre – 1941/9/25
Ricardo Malerba – Mamita – 1943/4/12
Ricardo Malerba – Mariana (2) – 1942/10/5
Ricardo Malerba – Palais de glace – 1944/9/8
Ángel d’Agostino – Llora vida mia – 1942/11/17
Ángel d’Agostino – Pero yo sé – 1942/9/2
Ángel d’Agostino – La nueva vecina – 1944/9/13
Ángel d’Agostino – Madre hay una sola – 1943/4/30
Ángel d’Agostino – Cómo querés que te quiera – 1954/2/19
Juan D’Arienzo – Justo un año – 1958/11/12
Juan D’Arienzo – El huracán – 1944/7/7
Juan D’Arienzo – Ataniche – 1936/11/27
Juan D’Arienzo – Tierrita – 1941/6/9
Juan D’Arienzo – La clavada – 1940/10/9

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.

La cumparsita recorded by other Orchestras

La cumparsita recorded by other Orchestras

1942/11/12 – Va a cantar un ruisenor – Carlos di Sarli
1942/11/12 – Mi desventura – Osvaldo Fresedo
1942/11/12 – Ronda de ases – Osvaldo Fresedo
1942/11/10 – Sorbos amargos – Lucio Demare
1942/11/10 – Cancion de rango (Pa- que se callen) – Lucio Demare
La cumparsita – 1943/11/5 – Anibal Troilo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1942/11/12 – Carlos di Sarli – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1951/7/16 – Carlos di Sarli – Instrumental
La cumparsita – (unknown date) – Anibal Troilo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1955/6/20 – Carlos di Sarli – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1963/4/9 – Anibal Troilo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1937/12/14 – Juan D-Arienzo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1951/9/12 – Juan D-Arienzo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1943/11/23 – Juan D-Arienzo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1968/9/11 – Cuarteto Anibal TROILO – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1963/12/10 – Juan D-Arienzo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1971/12/7 – Juan D-Arienzo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 2015/1/1 – Juan D-Arienzo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1946/2/8 – Angel d-Agostino – Angel Vargas
La cumparsita – 1964/4/24 – Miguel Calo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1927/5/3 – Osvaldo Fresedo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1943/6/28 – Osvaldo Fresedo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1979/10/30 – Osvaldo Fresedo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1926/11/7 – Pedro Laurenz – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1953/9/22 – Pedro Laurenz – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1942/9/10 – Rodolfo Biagi – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1940/11/18 – Ricardo Tanturi – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1935/5/6 – Edgardo Donato – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1944/6/3 – Alfredo De Angelis – Nestor Rodi
La cumparsita – 1961/8/29 – Alfredo De Angelis – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1953/1/22 – Enrique Rodriguez – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1955/9/16 – Jose Basso – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1956/7/26 – Jose Basso – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1961/4/28 – Jose Basso – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1983/1/1 – Jose Basso –
La cumparsita – 1968/5/2 – Hector Varela – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1956/11/29 – Hector Varela – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1954/11/25 – Hector Varela – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1966/3/21 – Florindo Sassone – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1973/1/1 – Florindo Sassone – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1968/5/30 – Florindo Sassone – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1957/1/1 – Astor Piazzolla – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1951/1/1 – Astor Piazzolla – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1950/5/17 – Osmar Maderna – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1977/1/1 – Enrique Francini – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1928/1/11 – Roberto Firpo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1917/1/1 – Roberto Firpo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1937/7/4 – Cuarteto Tipico Roberto Firpo – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1973/1/1 – Francini-Pontier – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1946/12/16 – Francini-Pontier – Alberto Podesta
La cumparsita – 1955/9/13 – Armando Pontier – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 211/12/1 – Horacio Salgan – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1987/1/1 – Nuevo Quinteto Real (Horacio Salgan) – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1930/1/1 – Julio De Caro – Instrumental
La cumparsita – 1926/5/12 – Orquesta Tipica Victor – Instrumental

Letra del Tango La cumparsita

La cumparsa
De miserias sin fin
Desfila
En torno de aquel ser
Enfermo
Que pronto ha de morir
De pena.
Por eso es que en su lecho
Solloza acongojado
Recordando el pasado
Que lo hace padecer…

Abandonó a su viejita
Que quedó desamparada,
Y loco de pasión
Ciego de amor
Corrió tras de su amada,
Que era linda, era hechicera
De lujuria era una flor,
Que burló su querer
Hasta que se cansó
Y por otro lo dejó…

Largo tiempo después
Cayó al hogar materno,
Para poder curar su enfermo
Y herido corazón…
Y supo
Que su viejita santa,
La que él había dejado
El invierno pasado
De frío se murió…

Hoy ya solo, abandonado
A lo triste de su suerte,
Ansioso espera a la muerte
Que bien pronto ha de llegar,
Y entre la triste frialdad
Que lenta invade el corazón,
Sintió la cruda sensación
De su maldad…

Entre sombras
Se le oye respirar
Sufriente,
Al que antes de morir
Sonríe
Porque una dulce paz
Le llega…
Sintió que desde el cielo
Su madrecita buena,
Mitigando sus penas
Sus culpas perdonó…!

English lyrics of the Tango "La cumparsita"

The parade
Of endless miseries
Marches
Around that being
Ill
Who soon will die
Of sorrow.
That’s why in his bed
He sobs distressed
Remembering the past
That causes him to suffer…

He left his old mother
Who was left helpless,
And mad with passion
Blind with love
He ran after his beloved,
Who was beautiful, was enchanting,
A lustful flower,
Who mocked his love
Until she tired
And left him for another…

Long time later
He returned to his mother’s home,
To heal his sick
And wounded heart…
And he found out
That his holy little mother,
Whom he had left
Last winter
Died of cold…

Now alone, forsaken
By the sadness of his fate,
He eagerly awaits death
That soon will arrive,
And amidst the cold bleakness
That slowly invades the heart,
He felt the harsh sensation
Of his evilness…

Among shadows
You can hear him breathe
Suffering,
To whom before dying
Smiles
Because a sweet peace
Reaches him…
He felt that from heaven
His good little mother,
Easing his pains
Forgave his sins…!

La cumparsita by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez

La cumparsita is a Tango written by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez and composed by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez.

Story behind the Tango La cumparsita

The lyrics of “La cumparsita” reveal a poignant narrative of regret and redemption. The protagonist recounts his life marked by passionate but reckless choices which led to sorrow and despair. Having abandoned his elderly mother for a fleeting love affair, he faces the consequences of his actions—illness, loneliness, and eventual death. His story unfolds as a parade (cumparsa) of endless miseries, a theme which resonates deeply in the human condition, encapsulated by the unforgiving march of time and the inevitability of death.

Symbolism of La cumparsita

The song’s title, “La cumparsita,” which translates to “The little parade,” symbolizes the procession of life’s hardships and misfortunes that one must endure. Throughout the tango, the parade metaphor interlinks the episodes of the protagonist’s life, mirroring his journey from vibrance to demise. Phrases like “la cumparsa de miserias sin fin” (the parade of endless miseries) and the haunting image of his eventual solitary death, “espera a la muerte que bien pronto ha de llegar” (anxiously awaits the death that will soon arrive), underline a relentless predetermination and the stark reality of his fated dissolution.

La cumparsita in historic Context

Written in Argentina, a land deeply connected with the tango, “La cumparsita” was composed in 1942, during a period marked by global conflict and societal shifts. The essence of tango—an expression of deep-seated emotional turmoil, nostalgia, and the struggles of the lower classes—reflects in this masterful work. Further embedded into this context is the spiritual and cultural weight of family and moral accountability which deeply resonate in Argentinian society. The tragic tale is a mirror to the struggles faced by individuals in an era where loss and despair were omnipresent, yet it also offers a narrative of atonement and peace through the spiritual forgiveness from the protagonist’s mother, even if in death.

Gerardo Matos Rodriguez

Gerardo Matos Rodriguez was a Uruguayan musician, remembered primarily for composing the world-renowned tango, “La cumparsita.”