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Malena

Malena is a Tango written by Lucio Demare and recorded by Horacio Salgán in 211. Horacio Salgán has recorded Malena as an instrumental Tango.
“Malena,” meaning “dark” or “black” in English, is the heart of this soulful tango. Her notes weave stories of longing and mystery, echoing ancient whispers that dance through moonlit nights. In each chord, a shadowy elegance unfolds, telling tales of love lost and found in the sultry embrace of her melancholic melody.

Tango

Style

Horacio Salgán

Orchestra

Instrumental

Singer

Homero Manzi

Author

Lucio Demare

Composer

211/12/1

Date

Instrumental
Instrumental
Horacio Salgán
Horacio Salgán

Discover Other Orchestras

Alfredo De Angelis – Orgullo tanguero – 1959/8/18
Alfredo De Angelis – No le digas que la quiero – 1955/12/13
Alfredo De Angelis – Carro viejo – 1949/12/13
Alfredo De Angelis – Sigan tomando muchachos – 1947/5/8
Alfredo De Angelis – Victoria – 1964/5/1
Pedro Laurenz – Naranjo en flor – 1944/7/18
Pedro Laurenz – Chatero de aquel entonces – 1942/10/20
Pedro Laurenz – Mas solo que nunca – 1944/4/26
Pedro Laurenz – Improvisando – 1940/7/29
Pedro Laurenz – A mi dejame en mi barrio – 1942/10/20
Aníbal Troilo – Milonga que peina canas – (unknown date)
Aníbal Troilo – Tinta roja – 1941/10/23
Aníbal Troilo – Bien milonga – (unknown date)
Aníbal Troilo – Medianoche – (unknown date)
Aníbal Troilo – Melancólico – 1963/4/16
Carlos Gardel – Los ojazos de mi negra – 1923/1/1
Carlos Gardel – Te fuiste ja ja – 1929/6/21
Carlos Gardel – El ramito – 1923/1/1
Carlos Gardel – Me enamoré una vez – 1933/1/23
Carlos Gardel – Victoria – 1929/9/20

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.

Malena recorded by other Orchestras

Malena recorded by other Orchestras

211/12/1 – Don Agustin Bardi – Horacio Salgan
211/12/1 – El entrerriano – Horacio Salgan
211/12/1 – Mano brava – Horacio Salgan
211/12/1 – Gran Hotel Victoria (Hotel Victoria) – Horacio Salgan
211/12/1 – Loca de amor (La loca de amor) – Horacio Salgan
Malena – 1942/1/8 – Anibal Troilo – Francisco Fiorentino
Malena – (unknown date) – Anibal Troilo – Raul Beron
Malena – 1974/12/11 – Osvaldo Pugliese – Instrumental
Malena – 1965/1/1 – Miguel Calo – Raul Del Mar
Malena – 1965/1/1 – Miguel Calo – Roberto Luque
Malena – 1942/1/23 – Lucio Demare – Juan Carlos Miranda
Malena – 1951/9/20 – Lucio Demare – Hector Alvarado
Malena – 1957/1/1 – Lucio Demare – Instrumental
Malena – 211/12/1 – Horacio Salgan – Instrumental

Letra del Tango Malena

Malena canta el tango como ninguna

y en cada verso pone su corazón.

A yuyo del suburbio su voz perfuma,

Malena tiene pena de bandoneón.

Tal vez allá en la infancia su voz de alondra

tomó ese tono oscuro de callejón,

o acaso aquel romance que sólo nombra

cuando se pone triste con el alcohol.

Malena canta el tango con voz de sombra,

Malena tiene pena de bandoneón.



Tu canción

tiene el frío del último encuentro.

Tu canción

se hace amarga en la sal del recuerdo.

Yo no sé

si tu voz es la flor de una pena,

sólo sé que al rumor de tus tangos, Malena,

te siento más buena,

más buena que yo.



Tus ojos son oscuros como el olvido,

tus labios apretados como el rencor,

tus manos dos palomas que sienten frío,

tus venas tienen sangre de bandoneón.

Tus tangos son criaturas abandonadas

que cruzan sobre el barro del callejón,

cuando todas las puertas están cerradas

y ladran los fantasmas de la canción.

Malena canta el tango con voz quebrada,

Malena tiene pena de bandoneón.

English lyrics of the Tango "Malena"

Malena sings the tango like no other
and in each verse, she places her heart.
Her voice perfumes the suburban weeds,
Malena feels the sorrow of the bandoneón.

Perhaps there in her childhood, her lark-like voice
took on that dark tone of a back alley,
or maybe that romance she only mentions
when she grows sad with alcohol.

Malena sings the tango with a shadowy voice,
Malena feels the sorrow of the bandoneón.

Your song
has the coldness of the last meeting.
Your song
turns bitter in the salt of memory.
I don’t know
if your voice is the flower of a sorrow,
I only know that to the murmur of your tangos, Malena,
I feel you are kinder,
kinder than me.

Your eyes are as dark as forgetting,
your lips are tight as spite,
your hands are two doves that feel the cold,
your veins have the blood of the bandoneón.
Your tangos are abandoned creatures
that cross the mud of the alley,
when all the doors are closed
and the ghosts of the song bark.
Malena sings the tango with a broken voice,
Malena feels the sorrow of the bandoneón.

Malena by Homero Manzi

Malena is a Tango written by Homero Manzi and composed by Lucio Demare.

Story behind the Tango Malena

“Malena” is a poignant tango that uses the figure of a woman named Malena to express deep emotions and the cultural ambiance of Buenos Aires. The lyrics detail Malena’s unique talent for singing tango, imbuing every verse with her soul. The tango suggests a background of sorrow and nostalgia that defines her life and music, both steeped in the urbanness of Buenos Aires – the suburbs and bandoneon, a musical instrument intrinsic to tango.

Symbolism of Malena

Malena herself is a compelling symbol in the tango, representing not only a person but perhaps the spirit of tango itself. Her voice “perfuming the suburb with herbage” and her pain resembling a bandoneon, suggest a deep connection with the blue-collar roots and emotional depth of tango. Phrases like “voice of shadow” and “blood of bandoneon” poetically signify her embodiment of the classic tango’s soulful and melancholic tones. The reference to her song bringing the ‘cold of the last meeting’ and becoming ‘bitter in the salt of memory’ evokes the reflection on past loves and unforgettable heartaches.

Malena in Historic Context

When “Malena” was written in 1941, the world was engulfed in the turmoil of World War II, although Argentina remained neutral until the later stages. Buenos Aires, the heart of tango culture, was a city rich with history and a melting pot of immigrants, mainly from Europe. The era deeply influenced the tango scene, as the music began reflecting the more somber truths of life, hardship, and nostalgia, which resonates in the lyric’s expression of deep-seated pain and melancholic longing.

Homero Manzi

Homero Manzi was an influential Argentine tango lyricist and author, famous for his introspective and poignant lyrics that often reflect the socio-cultural fabric of Buenos Aires.