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Malena

Malena is a Tango written by Lucio Demare and recorded by Lucio Demare in 1942. The Tango Malena is written by Lucio Demare, Lucio Demare has recorded Malena with the singer Juan Carlos Miranda.
“Malena,” translated into English as “Magdalene,” evokes the deep sorrow of a heart burdened by melancholic memories. This name carries the weight of a soulful lament, a tale of love lost and longed for. As each note of the tango weaves through the air, it speaks to the timeless dance between passion and heartache.

Tango

Style

Lucio Demare

Orchestra

Juan Carlos Miranda

Singer

Homero Manzi

Author

Lucio Demare

Composer

1942/1/23

Date

Juan Carlos Miranda
Juan Carlos Miranda
Lucio Demare
Lucio Demare

Discover Other Orchestras

Armando PONTIER – Verdemar – 1960/7/21
Ricardo Malerba – La morena de mi copla – 1961/1/1
Ricardo Malerba – Magdalena – 1943/8/10
Ricardo Malerba – Qué tarde que has venido – 1956/9/13
Ricardo Malerba – Sollozos – 1944/3/16
Ricardo Malerba – A bailar – 1943/11/8
Francini-Pontier – Prohibido – 1953/9/22
Francini-Pontier – Anoche – 1952/6/17
Francini-Pontier – Con ella en el mar – 1946/9/4
Francini-Pontier – Los despojos – 1947/6/11
Francini-Pontier – Manos adoradas – 1952/12/10
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – Tu romanza – 1971/1/1
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – Caravana – 1971/1/1
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – Zamba de Vargas – 1970/1/1
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – Añoranzas (3) – 1971/1/1
Horacio Salgán Y Dante Amicarelli – Malambo de las campanas – 1970/1/1

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

1942/1/23 – Tortazos – Lucio Demare
1942/1/23 – El mentiroso – Jose Garcia
1942/1/23 – Fea – Jose Garcia
1942/1/20 – Belgica – Rodolfo Biagi
1942/1/20 – El huerfano – Enrique Rodriguez
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

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Malena

This is the translation of the Tango “Malena” from Spanish to English. The English lyrics of the Tango “Malena” have been done with AI.

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 lays her heart bare.
With a suburban herb, her voice is perfumed,
Malena feels the sadness of a bandoneon.
Perhaps there, in her childhood, her lark’s voice
took on that dark tone of a back alley,
or perhaps that romance she only mentions
when she grows sad with alcohol.
Malena sings the tango with a shadowy voice,
Malena feels the sadness of a bandoneon.

Your song
has the chill of the last meeting.
Your song
turns bitter in the salt of memory.
I do not know
if your voice is the flower of sorrow,
I only know that by the murmur of your tangos, Malena,
I feel you are kinder,
kinder than I.

Your eyes are as dark as oblivion,
your lips clenched like spite,
your hands are two doves that feel cold,
your veins have the blood of a bandoneon.
Your tangos are abandoned creatures
that cross through 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 sadness of a bandoneon.

Malena by Homero Manzi

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



Story behind the Tango Malena

‘Malena’ tells the poignant story of a woman whose soul and heart are as deep and shadowed as the lyrics she sings in the tango. Malena, as described, sings the tango like no other, infusing every line with emotion derived from a mixture of personal sorrow and the rustic aesthetic of the urban outskirts where she resides. The origins of her voice, darkened by life’s hardships, reflect a backstory that only deepens under the influence of alcohol, hinting at past romantic endeavors and perhaps lost loves. She embodies the tango not just in her singing, but in her very being.



Symbolism of Malena

Malena herself is a rich symbol of the tango spirit—intense, haunting, and deeply connected to the urbano landscape. Her singing, described as bringing the scent of the suburban weeds (‘yuyo del suburbio’) and shadowy (‘voz de sombra’), evokes the darker, melancholic elements that tango often explores. The repeated comparison of Malena’s pain to that of a bandoneon accentuates tango’s intrinsic melancholy, suggesting her emotions are as complex and resonant as the music from this iconic tango instrument. The metaphorical imagery involving nature, such as her voice being like an alondra (lark), draws a stark contrast between her bright potential and the dark urban world she inhabits.



Malena in historic Context

The tango was written and recorded in Argentina in 1942, a time when the country was navigating the complexities of life during World War II, under the leadership of President Ramón Castillo. This period was marked by political unrest, economic instability, and a deepening sense of cultural introspection. These motifs are echoed in Malena’s painful remembrance and somber tones—the chilling ‘frio’ of last encounters and the bitter ‘sal’ (salt) of memories. It was a time when the Argentine people, much like Malena, might have felt the cold shadows of uncertainty and the harshness of reality, themes palpably woven through the lyrics.



Homero Manzi

Homero Manzi was a prominent Argentine lyricist, known for his poignant and evocative tango lyrics that capture the essence of urban life and human emotions.