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 madrugada is a Tango written by Cátulo Castillo and composed by Ángel Maffia.
La madrugada, which translates to “The Dawn” in English, explores the theme of a haunting, nocturnal quest filled with nostalgia and melancholy. The lyrics convey a journey through the night, driven by an elusive quest for lost love and old friends. The protagonist appears to be searching for meaning and connection amidst the shadows of the night, symbolized by fog, the ghostly ambiance of a café, and the melancholic echo of a tram. The repetitive questioning and uncertainty highlight a deep existential crisis and longing for the past.
The lyrics are rich in imagery and symbols that enhance the emotional depth of the song. The recurring image of the night spinning “on the clock of the belfry” connotes the passage of time and an almost torturous wait. The “ghost of mist” enveloping the café in “fine twilight” symbolizes uncertainty and the blurred lines between past and present. Trams dressed in “blue melancholy” and streets wet with dawn evoke a sense of relentless, sorrowful search. Each symbol contributes to a dark, reflective atmosphere, illustrating the inner turmoil of the narrator who is lost between his memories and the present.
La madrugada was written in 1944, a period of significant historical and social changes in Argentina. The world was still engulfed in World War II, and Argentina was marked by political and economic shifts. This context of uncertainty and transformation is mirrored in the haunting and mournful tone of the Tango. The personal search for lost friends (“the defeated friend”) and lost loves (“Margot”) perhaps mirrors a broader societal longing for stability and the bittersweet embrace of the past during tumultuous times.
Cátulo Castillo was an influential Argentine poet and tango lyricist, known for his profound and emotive lyrics that often explore themes of love, memory, and existential longing within the urban landscape of Buenos Aires.