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La cumparsita

La cumparsita is a Tango written by Gerardo Matos Rodriguez and recorded by Astor Piazzolla in 1951. Astor Piazzolla has recorded La cumparsita as an instrumental Tango.
“La cumparsita,” translated into English as “The Little Parade,” evokes a sense of vivid imagery and nostalgia. This title conjures up the image of a small, intimate procession, perhaps a blend of melancholy and celebration weaving through the fabric of life. It suggests the passage of time, capturing fleeting moments with a tango’s bittersweet embrace, telling stories of love, loss, and longing.

Tango

Style

Astor Piazzolla

Orchestra

Instrumental

Singer

Gerardo Matos Rodriguez

Author

Gerardo Matos Rodriguez

Composer

1951/1/1

Date

Instrumental
Instrumental
Astor Piazzolla
Astor Piazzolla

Discover Other Orchestras

Enrique Rodríguez – Tamboriles – 1956/10/30
Enrique Rodríguez – Esto es puro compas – 1941/5/12
Enrique Rodríguez – Falsa moneda – 1940/8/20
Enrique Rodríguez – En un bosque de la China – 1969/3/21
Enrique Rodríguez – El polichinela – 1969/2/27
Miguel Caló – Bien criolla y bien porteña – 1945/3/9
Miguel Caló – Marina – 1959/1/1
Miguel Caló – Mientras vuelva el amor – 1972/1/1
Miguel Caló – Tú – 1949/7/20
Miguel Caló – Gloria – 1956/7/23
Ricardo Malerba – Remembranza (Remembranzas) – 1943/2/12
Ricardo Malerba – La morena de mi copla – 1961/1/1
Ricardo Malerba – Sali del paso Manolo – 1941/9/25
Ricardo Malerba – Tres amigos – 1944/4/18
Ricardo Malerba – Ropa blanca – 1943/4/12
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – La cumparsita – 1968/9/11
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – La última curda – 1969/7/30
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Milonguero triste – 1969/7/30
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Sobre el pucho (Un callejón en Pompeya) – 1968/9/11
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Pablo – 1968/8/5

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

1951/1/1 – Dede – Astor Piazzolla
1950/12/29 – Bien pulenta – Francisco Rotundo
1950/12/29 – Esclavas blancas – Francisco Rotundo
1950/12/29 – Gallo ciego – Horacio Salgan
1950/12/29 – Don Agustin Bardi – Horacio Salgan
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 is soon to die
Of sorrow.

That’s why in his bed
He sobs distressed,
Remembering the past
That makes him suffer…

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

Long after,
He returned to his mother’s home,
To heal his sick
And wounded heart…
And he learned
That his holy old mother,
Whom he had left
Last winter,
Died of cold…

Now alone, abandoned
To the sadness of his fate,
He anxiously awaits death
That is sure to come soon,
And amidst the cold sadness
That slowly invades the heart,
He felt the harsh sensation
Of his wickedness…

Among shadows,
You can hear him breathe,
Suffering,
Who before dying
Smiles
Because a sweet peace
Arrives…

He felt that from heaven
his good little mother,
Easing his pain,
Had forgiven 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

“La cumparsita,” meaning “The Little Street Parade” or “The Little Parade,” tells a sorrowful story full of remorse and reflectiveness. It portrays the tragic life of an individual haunted by past decisions, primarily his abandonment of his mother for the love of a woman who eventually deceives him. This tango treads through his emotional struggle, his return to a now desolate home, and his final moments of life imbued with repentance and the eventual calmness of forgiveness from his departed mother.



Symbolism of La cumparsita

The lyrics of “La cumparsita” utilize symbolic elements to deepen the emotional impact. For instance, the “cumparsa,” or parade of miseries, symbolizes the endless sequence of hardships and pain the protagonist encounters. The parade metaphor enriches the narrative by displaying the ongoing, almost cyclical nature of his suffering. The cold described in the lyrics acts as a symbol for loneliness and abandonment, further boosting the somber tone of the song. Lastly, his mother’s description as a “santa” (saint) elevates her as a symbol of pure, unconditional love and forgiveness.



La cumparsita in historic Context

The tango was recorded in 1951, a culturally rich period for tango in Argentina, where it symbolized deep emotional expressions through its melodies and lyrics. “La cumparsita,” composed by Rodriguez, adheres to the traditional themes of love, loss, betrayal, and redemption that are commonly explored in tango music. The story it tells offers a reflective view on personal moral struggles and tragedies that resonate with the existential queries and emotional depth characteristic of mid-20th-century Argentine society.



Gerardo Matos Rodriguez

Gerardo Matos Rodríguez was a Uruguayan musician and composer, esteemed primarily for his timeless contribution to the world of tango.