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Malva

Malva is a Tango written by Enrique Delfino and recorded by Osmar Maderna in 1946. The Tango Malva is written by Enrique Delfino, Osmar Maderna has recorded Malva with the singer Orlando Verri.
“Malva,” in Spanish, translates to “Mallow” in English. This piece, a tender tango, evokes the subtle beauty of the mallow flower, with its soft, lilac hues painting the soul’s canvas. The music sways like a gentle whisper in the wind, capturing the essence of fleeting moments and emotions that bloom and fade with a quiet elegance.

Tango

Style

Osmar Maderna

Orchestra

Orlando Verri

Singer

Cátulo Castillo

Author

Enrique Delfino

Composer

1946/6/19

Date

Orlando Verri
Orlando Verri
Osmar Maderna
Osmar Maderna

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Astor Piazzolla – Villeguita – 1948/12/14
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Astor Piazzolla – Chau París – 1955/1/1
Adolfo Carabelli – Cuando canta mi guitarra – 1933/1/1
Adolfo Carabelli – Recordar – 1931/6/15
Adolfo Carabelli – Mar adentro (Navega mi velero) – 1933/1/1
Adolfo Carabelli – Por qué – 1931/11/2
Adolfo Carabelli – Rodríguez Peña – 1932/6/24
Osmar Maderna – Malva – 1946/6/19
Osmar Maderna – Escalas en azul – 1950/5/17
Osmar Maderna – Plomo – 1947/5/30
Osmar Maderna – Volvió a llover – 1947/7/2
Osmar Maderna – Títere – 1948/4/5

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.

1946/6/19 – Chique – Osmar Maderna
1946/6/20 – Adios pampa mia – Osvaldo Fresedo
1946/6/20 – Eras el amor – Osvaldo Fresedo
1946/6/18 – El irresistible – Rodolfo Biagi
1946/6/18 – Gracias – Rodolfo Biagi

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Malva

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

Letra del Tango Malva

Nunca fue feliz, jamás le habló de amor

su pobre vida gris sin luz ni flor.

Tras el ventanal Malvaloca sueña igual,

presa en la quimera de la espera.

Pálida su tez tal vez se marchitó

detrás del delantal de su niñez.

Y en una claridad de luna

ninguna le igualó su palidez.



Malva… ya nace el alba

con un tango trasnochado.

Malva… tu roja boca

Malvaloca te ha pintado.

Triste ya te dormiste

sobre la calle pobre.

Malva de luna y alba,

desteñida en el balcón.



Planta sin amor, dolor de ser sin ser,

miró por un querer que no llegó.

Tímida y feliz, Malvaloca, duende gris,

juega en la neblina de la esquina.

Torna en el rodar de un silbo que tal vez

devuelve por las calles su niñez.

Y en una claridad de luna

¡qué luna igualará su palidez!

English lyrics of the Tango "Malva"

He was never happy, he never spoke of love,
his poor grey life, without light or flower.
Behind the glass, Malvaloca dreams the same,
caught in the mirage of waiting.
Pale her complexion, perhaps withered away
behind the apron of her childhood.
And in the clarity of the moon,
no other matched her paleness.

Malva… dawn is breaking
with an overnight tango.
Malva… your red lips,
Malvaloca has painted you.
Sad, you have fallen asleep
on the impoverished street.
Malva of moon and dawn,
faded on the balcony.

Plant without love, the pain of being without being,
she looked for a love that never came.
Timid and happy, Malvaloca, grey sprite,
plays in the corner’s fog.
Returning in the swirl of a whistle that maybe
brings back the streets of her childhood.
And in the clarity of the moon,
what moon will match her paleness!

Malva by Cátulo Castillo

Malva is a Tango written by Cátulo Castillo and composed by Enrique Delfino.



Story behind the Tango Malva

Malva tells the poignant tale of a woman named Malvaloca, whose life entails sadness and unfulfilled love. The lyrics paint a portrait of a woman who has never been happy or spoken of love, suggesting a life marked by emotional deprivation and solitude. The imagery of her looking through the window, dreaming and trapped in her longing, intensifies the sense of hopelessness. It captures Malvaloca’s quiet suffering and the faded aspects of her existence, symbolized by her life’s monotone colors lacking vibrance.



Symbolism of Malva

The name Malva, translating to ‘Mallow’ in English—a flowering plant—carries symbolic weight. In nature, mallow can flourish in harsh conditions, which parallels Malvaloca’s resilience in her bleak environment. This symbolism extends to her being depicted behind a window and enveloped by the shadows, reinforcing her life’s limited vibrancy and confinement. The references to her appearance and the dusk (‘pálida tez’ and ‘alba’) underscore themes of fading and melancholy, underscoring the dual images of withering and the breaking dawn as symbols of both end and a bleak new day.



Malva in historic Context

Recorded in Buenos Aires in 1946, Malva reflects the urban melancholy common in post-World War II Argentina. The tango, emerging from neighborhoods steeped in economic hardships and social upheavals, often mirrored the collective sentiments of loss, nostalgia, and resilience. Cátulo Castillo, with his profound connection to the streets of Buenos Aires, uses specific urban imagery to ground Malva’s personal story in a broader socio-cultural landscape, reflecting universal themes of longing and existential desolation prevalent in that era.



Cátulo Castillo

Cátulo Castillo was a renowned Argentine tango poet and musician, celebrated for his deeply evocative lyrics and contributions to the golden age of Argentine Tango.