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 violetera is a Tango written by Francisco García Jiménez and composed by Anselmo Aieta.
The tango “La violetera” presents a poignant narrative of a young flower seller, wrapping her daily struggles with a romantic and somewhat tragic backdrop. The lyrics sketch scenes where the flower girl, amidst the jovial and lively atmosphere of a café called ‘Concierto,’ sells her flowers while responding humorously to teasing. However, underlying her cheerful front is a story of love and betrayal, where she once gave her soul like the fragrant flowers she sells but was repaid with deceit.
Flowers serve a dual symbolic purpose in “La violetera.” On one level, they represent the ordinary beauty and transient nature of life, as depicted through the violetera’s daily existence and her fading romantic dreams. On another, they symbolize innocence and hope, particularly in the context of the violetera’s child, her reason for perseverance. Key phrases such as “mascotitas de fortuna” (little charms of fortune) or “han brotado en los jardines donde vagan los poetas” (have sprung up in the gardens where poets wander) evoke a deep connection between nature, poetry, and the human spirit, each petal laden with potential stories of love and loss.
The song, recorded in 1959 in Argentina, emerges out of a period marked by its complex socio-political shifts—a time when traditional values were increasingly interrogated by modern ideologies. This cultural flux is mirrored in how the song portrays traditional gender roles and social expectations, highlighting issues like male patronage and female economic independence through the defiant yet desperate calls of the violetera. Her plight magnifies the daily battles faced by many women during this era, who straddled the line between progress and tradition.
An esteemed Argentine lyricist, Francisco García Jiménez was effusively known for linking poetry and tango, creating vivid portraits of contemporary life in Buenos Aires through his compositions.