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La cumparsita

La cumparsita is a Tango written by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez and recorded by Osmar Maderna in 1950. Osmar Maderna has recorded La cumparsita as an instrumental Tango.
“La Cumparsita,” meaning “The Little Parade,” is a mesmerizing tango that captures the essence of fleeting moments. The title evokes a vision of life’s transient processions, each step a dance of emotions and unspoken stories. As the music unfolds, it conjures images of wistful nostalgia, echoing the rhythm of hearts intertwined in a timeless embrace.

Tango

Style

Osmar Maderna

Orchestra

Instrumental

Singer

Gerardo Matos Rodriguez

Author

Gerardo Matos Rodriguez

Composer

1950/5/17

Date

Instrumental
Instrumental
Osmar Maderna
Osmar Maderna

Discover Other Orchestras

Adolfo Carabelli – Remembrance – 1929/1/1
Adolfo Carabelli – El mundo sigue al revés – 1934/1/1
Adolfo Carabelli – El puñal sevillano – 1932/5/24
Adolfo Carabelli – Rodríguez Peña – 1932/6/24
Adolfo Carabelli – Florida de 6 a 8 – 1934/4/25
Rodolfo Biagi – La huella – 1946/8/16
Rodolfo Biagi – Marcas – 1940/10/15
Rodolfo Biagi – Viejo portón – 1938/10/17
Rodolfo Biagi – Matala – 1950/4/13
Rodolfo Biagi – Bar Exposición – 1961/10/4
Carlos di Sarli – Acuérdate de mi – 1946/8/29
Carlos di Sarli – La baguala – 1931/6/23
Carlos di Sarli – Siempre más – 1953/3/5
Carlos di Sarli – Para qué te quiero tanto – 1946/5/3
Carlos di Sarli – El ciruja – 1951/12/6
Alfredo Gobbi – Porque soy reo – 1949/10/13
Alfredo Gobbi – Adoración – 1947/11/4
Alfredo Gobbi – Adiós corazón – 1958/4/17
Alfredo Gobbi – Chuzas (2) – 1949/12/21
Alfredo Gobbi – Lágrimas y sonrisas – 1954/12/14

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

1950/5/17 – Escalas en azul – Osmar Maderna
1950/5/15 – El cisne – Juan D-Arienzo
1950/5/15 – Me llamo como me llamo – Juan D-Arienzo
1950/5/15 – La parrillada – Juan D-Arienzo
1950/5/15 – Pituca – Juan D-Arienzo
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 procession

Of endless misery

Parades around

That sick being

Who will soon die

Of sorrow.

That is why in his bed

He sobs distressed,

Recalling a past

That causes him to suffer…

He left his old mother

Who was left defenceless,

And mad with passion,

Blind with love,

He ran after his beloved,

Who was beautiful, enchanting,

A flower of lust,

She mocked his love

Until she grew tired

And left him for another…

Long after

He returned to his maternal home,

To heal his sick

And wounded heart…

And he learned

That his saintly little mother,

Whom he had left

Last winter,

Died of the cold…

Now alone, abandoned

To the sadness of his fate,

He anxiously awaits death

That will soon arrive,

And amid the sad coldness

Slowly seizing his heart,

He felt the raw sensation

Of his evil…

Among shadows

He is heard breathing,

Suffering,

The one who before dying

Smiles

Because a sweet peace

Reaches him…

He felt that from heaven

His good little mother,

Easing his sorrows,

Forgave his faults…!

La cumparsita by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez

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



Story behind the Tango La cumparsita

“La cumparsita,” meaning “The little parade,” is deeply entrenched in a narrative of regret and sorrow. It revolves around the life of a man reflecting on his decisions and their painful outcomes, particularly the neglect and abandonment of his mother, which ultimately leads him into solitude and despair. His story concludes with his anticipation of death, encapsulating a journey overshadowed by guilt and remorse for his past actions.



Symbolism of La cumparsita

The lyrics of “La cumparsita” are rich with symbolism that paints a poignant picture of human suffering and redemption. Terms like “miserias sin fin” (endless miseries) and “enfermo de pena” (sick with sorrow) underscore the profound agony experienced by the protagonist. The repeated reference to his mother as “su viejita santa” (his saintly little old lady) enhances the emotional weight of his guilt. The transition from physical descriptions of suffering to the mention of spiritual relief, signifying peace from heavenly forgiveness, symbolizes a final reconciliation with his past, echoed in the calm after his mother’s perceived forgiveness.



La cumparsita in Historic Context

Set in the mid-20th century Argentina, “La cumparsita” was written in a time when Tango music was not only a form of entertainment but also a means of narrative storytelling reflecting social realities. The period was marked by rapid transformation and often associated with feelings of displacement and nostalgia. The character’s realization and repentance is a reflection of the broader societal call for remembrance and moral reevaluation, prevalent in post-war Argentina.



Gerardo Matos Rodríguez

Gerardo Matos Rodríguez was a notable Uruguayan composer, best known for his classic tango tunes which have left a lasting imprint on Latin American music.