Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ
Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ
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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.
Matasano is a Tango written by Pascual Contursi and composed by Francisco Canaro.
The song “Matasano,” which translates into English as “Healer,” is sung from the perspective of an iconic urban figure in Buenos Aires – a man of resilience and grit, known for his skillfulness and tact in navigating the city’s underbelly. The lyrics portray a life marked by hardship yet underscored by an undying zest for the highs that life offers. The protagonist boasts of his ability in tango and knife handling, asserting his dominance and respect amidst the local toughs, possibly reflecting the singer’s persona of overcoming adversities with dominance and tact.
The title “Matasano” or “Healer” symbolizes the protagonist’s ability to overcome and perhaps ‘cure’ his woes through the escapades and moments of joy he describes, such as dancing in the milongas (dance events) with his beloved. The recurring contrast between outward joy and inner pain is a poignant depiction of the human condition, especially in the socio-cultural fabric of Buenos Aires where tango often articulates unspoken emotional landscapes. The phrase “soy el taita porteñito” not only alludes to being a notable figure in Buenos Aires but also denotes a local swagger and a sense of belonging inherently tied to the narrator’s identity.
“Matasano” was recorded in 1937, a period when Argentina was experiencing significant political and social shifts. This era saw the rise of tango as not just a dance form, but as a cultural expression carrying the emotional and historical baggage of its people. The geographic references and colloquial terms like ‘taita,’ which implies a man of cunning and charm in Buenos Aires slang, root the song deeply in Argentine culture and social strata. It reflects the pride and the disguise of resilience among the porteños (people of Buenos Aires), perhaps as a response to the socio-economic conditions they navigated daily.
Pascual Contursi was an influential figure in the history of tango, known for incorporating narrative elements into the music, thereby playing a crucial role in the evolution of tango lyrics.