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.
Madreselva (La polla) is a Tango written by Luis César Amadori and composed by Francisco Canaro.
The lyrics of “Madreselva (La polla)” evoke a deep sense of nostalgia and longing, intertwined with a backdrop of personal growth and the often painful lessons learned through life’s experiences. The song opens with the narrator recalling the old wall of a neighborhood (arrabal), which served as a companion during their unremarkable childhood. This wall, overgrown with honeysuckle (madreselva), becomes a symbol of innocence and the listener’s confidant during their first love.
As the song progresses, the themes of disillusionment and the harsh realities of adulthood contrast with the innocence of yesteryears. The narrator expresses a learned need to “pretend” to live decently, indicating a departure from the truth and simplicity experienced in youth. The return to the old wall and the enduring honeysuckle serves as a poignant reminder of their first, undying love, which never returned despite the annual reblooming of the flowers.
The “madreselva” or honeysuckle symbolizes the sweet, climbing nature of love that grows and persists against the backdrop of an old wall—a steadfast, if not aging, witness to the narrator’s deepest, most personal emotions. Key phrases such as “tu humilde caricia es como el cariño primero y querido que siento por él” (your humble caress is like the first and beloved affection I feel for him) amplify this symbolism, connecting the honeysuckle’s embrace to first love’s enduring impact.
This connection is strengthened further by the repetition of the line “Madreselvas en flor que me vieron nacer” (Honeysuckles in bloom that saw me born), suggesting that the growth and life cycle of the honeysuckle mirrors that of the narrator’s own experiences from birth to the present struggles.
Recorded in 1944 in Argentina, “Madreselva” reflects a period of emotional introspection and cultural expression during a tense global atmosphere—World War II raged on, and Argentina itself would soon face significant political changes. The tango, a dance of intimacy and complex emotions, serves as the perfect medium to explore themes of love, loss, and the passage of time against such a historical backdrop. It’s possible that the societal pressures and the harsh reality of the time influenced the song’s themes of disillusionment and the facade one must maintain (“que hay que fingir para vivir decentemente”).
Luis César Amadori was an Argentine theatre director, screenwriter, and lyricist, well-known for his significant contributions to the Argentine cultural scene, particularly during the mid-20th century.