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.
Melodía gris is a Tango written by Ricardo Duggan and composed by Raúl Bruno.
The song “Melodía gris” narrates the poignant story of a singer who serenades under the balcony of his beloved, expressing his deep desires to win her love. Embedded in this narrative is an emotive journey, highlighted by the singer’s confession of love and his symbolic gesture of leaving behind the flower from a melancholic geranium on her balcony. This act encapsulates the song’s narrative, turning into a melody—a gray melody—that carries the weight of his yearnings and emotions.
The gray melody (“melodía gris”) symbolizes the nuanced mix of hope and sorrow in the singer’s tale. Gray, being neither black nor white, represents the ambiguity of unrequited or lost love. The singer’s memories and the ‘gray’ emotional landscape are interwoven with the plaintive sounds of the tango, aptly reflecting the complexity of his feelings. The term “gray” might also relate to the fading of memories over time, yet here it is recalled vividly through music.
Key phrases such as “en tu balcón yo dejé la flor de aquel malvón, tristón,” evoke the imagery and emotion, reflecting the singer’s sorrowful but earnest attempt to capture his beloved’s heart through the simplicity of leaving a flower, a gesture steeped in both hope and sadness.
“Melodía gris” was created in 1946, a period that followed the tumult of World War II, where Argentina remained officially neutral for much of the war, before joining the Allies in March 1945. The post-war era was a time of significant social and economic change worldwide, including in Argentina. Tango, deeply rooted in the Argentine cultural expression, often mirrored the general zeitgeist of the society. In 1946, Argentina was on the cusp of the first presidency of Juan Domingo Perón, a period that initiated significant social and industrial reforms in the country. These societal shifts possibly influenced Duggan’s portrayal of individual emotional experience against a backdrop of greater societal change. The sentimental longing and personal narrative in “Melodía gris” reflect the individual’s search for meaning in rapidly evolving times.
Ricardo Duggan was an Argentine lyricist known for creating evocative tangos that reflected the emotional and cultural climate of his time.