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Malena

Malena is a Tango written by Lucio Demare and recorded by Lucio Demare in 1957. Lucio Demare has recorded Malena as an instrumental Tango.
“Malena,” meaning “Melancholy” in English, envelops the soul with a haunting melody. This piece of music, whether played as an instrumental or sung with heartfelt passion, captures the bittersweet essence of longing and loss. Through its notes, it paints a portrait of loneliness and love remembered, echoing the timeless dance of emotions.

Tango

Style

Lucio Demare

Orchestra

Instrumental

Singer

Homero Manzi

Author

Lucio Demare

Composer

1957/1/1

Date

Instrumental
Instrumental
Lucio Demare
Lucio Demare

Discover Other Orchestras

Adolfo Carabelli – Por qué te obstinas en amar a otro si hoy es lunes – 1932/12/30
Adolfo Carabelli – Recordar – 1931/6/15
Adolfo Carabelli – Loco – 1932/9/9
Adolfo Carabelli – Milonga sentimental – 1932/1/1
Adolfo Carabelli – Olvidao – 1932/3/18
Astor Piazzolla – Prepárense – 1955/1/1
Astor Piazzolla – Che Bartolo – 1947/12/19
Astor Piazzolla – S.V.P. – 1955/1/1
Astor Piazzolla – Dedé – 1951/1/1
Astor Piazzolla – Inspiración – 1947/1/15
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – La trampera – 1969/7/30
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Pablo – 1968/8/5
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Los mareados – 1968/9/11
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Milonguero triste – 1969/7/30
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – La última curda – 1969/7/30
Quinteto Real (Horacio Salgán) – Corralera – 1960/1/1
Quinteto Real (Horacio Salgán) – Adiós muchachos – 1964/1/1
Quinteto Real (Horacio Salgán) – Ensueños – 1960/1/1
Quinteto Real (Horacio Salgán) – Mal de amores – 1960/1/1
Quinteto Real (Horacio Salgán) – De puro guapo – 1964/1/1

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

1957/1/1 – Dandy – Lucio Demare
1957/1/1 – La calle sin sueno – Lucio Demare
1957/1/1 – Luna – Lucio Demare
1957/1/1 – Manana zarpa un barco – Lucio Demare
1957/1/1 – Mananitas de Montmartre – Lucio Demare
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 every verse, she lays her heart bare.
Through the weed of the suburbs, her voice carries perfume,
Malena feels the sorrow of the bandoneon.
Perhaps back in her childhood, her lark-like voice
took that dark tone of a back alley,
or maybe that romance she only speaks of
when she gets sad with alcohol.
Malena sings the tango with a shadowy voice,
Malena feels the sorrow of the bandoneon.

Your song
carries the chill of the final meeting.
Your song
turns bitter in the salt of memory.
I don’t know
if your voice is the flower of sorrow,
I only know that to the murmur of your tangos, Malena,
you seem kinder,
kinder than I.

Your eyes are as dark as oblivion,
your lips tight with bitterness,
your hands are two doves that feel the cold,
your veins carry the blood of the bandoneon.
Your tangos are forsaken creatures
that cross the mud of the alley,
when all doors are closed
and the ghosts of the song howl.
Malena sings the tango with a broken voice,
Malena feels the sorrow of the bandoneon.

Malena by Homero Manzi

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

Story behind the Tango Malena

Malena narrates the tale of a woman who expresses her soul through the singing of tangos. Homero Manzi skillfully depicts her as a figure whose voice is not only a medium for music but also a vent for her profound and somber emotions. The lyrics hint at a backstory filled with nostalgia and perhaps lost love, which she recounts through her poignant performances. “Malena canta el tango como ninguna y en cada verso pone su corazón,” suggesting her unique ability to infuse each verse with deep emotion.



Symbolism of Malena

The figure of “Malena” is heavily symbolic in Manzi’s lyrics, representing both the individual and collective emotional landscape of those who found solace and expression in tango music. The repeated reference to “pena de bandoneón” emphasizes the sorrow expressed through this iconic tango instrument, linking Malena’s personal sadness with the deeper cultural sentiment inherent in tango music. Phrases like “Malena canta el tango con voz de sombra” and “tu canción se hace amarga en la sal del recuerdo” employ stark imagery to convey depth and the bitterness of memory, enhancing Malena’s emotional portrayal.



Malena in historic Context

When “Malena” was penned in 1942, Argentina and much of the world were going through dramatic societal changes due to the Second World War. Manzi captures a sense of this historic upheaval by imbuing his lyrics with a tone of nostalgia and loss — characteristics reflective of the era’s general sentiment. Situated in Buenos Aires, references to “suburbio” and “callejón” situate Malena within specific urban landscapes that connote marginalization and the everyday struggles of the lower classes, who often found their voice in the moody melodies of tango.



Homero Manzi

Homero Manzi was a prominent Argentine lyricist and writer, well known for his contributions to the tango genre that expressed the voice and soul of the urban landscape and its people.