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Malena

Malena is a Tango written by Lucio Demare and recorded by Aníbal Troilo in NaN. The Tango Malena is written by Lucio Demare, Aníbal Troilo has recorded Malena with the singer Raúl Berón.
“Malena,” which translates to “Madeline” in English, is a name that dances through the air like the delicate notes of a tango. It evokes the essence of longing and bittersweet passion, weaving stories of love lost and found. Through its melody, Malena captures the heart’s silent cries, embedding memories and emotions within each haunting phrase.

Tango

Style

Aníbal Troilo

Orchestra

Raúl Berón

Singer

Homero Manzi

Author

Lucio Demare

Composer

(unknown date)

Date

Raúl Berón
Raúl Berón
Aníbal Troilo
Aníbal Troilo

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Malena recorded by other Orchestras

Malena recorded by other Orchestras

(unknown date) – Mano brava – Anibal Troilo
(unknown date) – Medianoche – Anibal Troilo
(unknown date) – Orlando Goni – Anibal Troilo
(unknown date) – Quejas de bandoneon – Anibal Troilo
(unknown date) – Responso – Anibal Troilo
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 puts her heart.
Her voice perfumes like weeds from suburbia,
Malena has the sorrow of a bandoneon.
Perhaps in childhood her lark-like voice
took on that dark alleyway tone,
or maybe it was that romance she mentions
when she gets sad with alcohol.
Malena sings the tango with a shadowed voice,
Malena has the sorrow of a bandoneon.

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

Your eyes are dark like oblivion,
your lips pressed like resentment,
your hands two pigeons that feel cold,
your veins hold the blood of a bandoneon.
Your tangos are abandoned creatures
that cross over the alley’s mud,
when all the doors are closed
and the ghosts of the song bark.
Malena sings the tango with a broken voice,
Malena has the sorrow 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 story of a woman who sings tango with unmatched emotion. The lyrics portray Malena as a singer whose voice carries the weight of her sorrows, likening her pain to that expressed by the music of the bandoneón, a quintessential instrument in tango. Her voice is a concealed world of shadow and emotion, hinting at a past filled with melancholy and hardship. Through the tango, Malena channels the collective memory of loss, love, and longing, making her performance deeply authentic and poignant.

Symbolism of Malena

The lyrics are rich with symbolism. For example, the “pena de bandoneón” symbolizes deep sorrow expressed through the melancholic strains of the bandoneón, capturing the essence of tango music itself. Phrases like “su voz de alondra” suggest a once bright and carefree voice now tinged with the somber hues of experience. The language evokes a sense of bitterness and nostalgia, as seen in “tu canción se hace amarga en la sal del recuerdo,” implying memories seasoned with bitterness.

Malena in historic Context

Created in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the birthplace of tango, “Malena” reflects the urban landscape and cultural richness of a city steeped in the traditions of tango music. The mention of “callejón” (alleyway) situates the song within the working-class neighborhoods where tango evolved. The early 20th century context, marked by social and economic upheaval, lent itself to themes of loss and longing found in the song. Tango was a voice for the marginalized, echoing the struggles and heartache of immigrants and urban dwellers.

About Homero Manzi

Homero Manzi was an influential Argentine lyricist and playwright renowned for his contributions to the tango genre, infusing his works with profound emotion and cultural significance.