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Organito de la tarde

Organito de la tarde is a Tango written by Cátulo Castillo and recorded by Carlos di Sarli in 1951. Carlos di Sarli has recorded Organito de la tarde as an instrumental Tango.
“Organito de la tarde,” translated into English as “Little Evening Organ,” captures the wistful hum of twilight settling gently over the city. This evocative piece embodies the soulful dialogue of an old street organ, whispering tales of bygone days as the sun dips below the horizon. Through its melancholic melodies, it paints a vivid portrait of evening’s tender embrace, inviting listeners into a dance of fading light and shadow.

Tango

Style

Carlos di Sarli

Orchestra

Instrumental

Singer

José González Castillo

Author

Cátulo Castillo

Composer

1951/10/23

Date

Instrumental
Instrumental
Carlos di Sarli
Carlos di Sarli

Discover Other Orchestras

LOS SEÑORES DEL TANGO – Milonguero viejo – 1962/10/8
Francisco Canaro – El borracho – 1924/1/1
Francisco Canaro – Nueve puntos – 1920/1/1
Francisco Canaro – Clotildita – 1924/1/1
Francisco Canaro – El rocío – 1924/1/1
Francisco Canaro – La tristeza del bulín – 1926/1/1
Juan MAGLIO – Milonguero viejo – 1928/4/2
Alfredo De Angelis – Corazón encadenado – 1956/5/23
Alfredo De Angelis – Hacé bulín – 1968/5/22
Alfredo De Angelis – Selecciones de Enrique Delfino – 1950/11/10
Alfredo De Angelis – Sentencia – 1947/8/20
Alfredo De Angelis – No no me abandones – 1945/7/17

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.

Organito de la tarde recorded by other Orchestras

Organito de la tarde recorded by other Orchestras

1951/10/23 – Didi – Carlos di Sarli
1951/10/23 – El once (A divertirse) – Carlos di Sarli
1951/10/23 – El recodo – Carlos di Sarli
1951/10/23 – Almagro – Alfredo De Angelis
1951/10/23 – Entra nomas – Alfredo De Angelis
Organito de la tarde – 1942/11/30 – Carlos di Sarli – Instrumental
Organito de la tarde – 1951/10/23 – Carlos di Sarli – Instrumental
Organito de la tarde – 1954/8/31 – Carlos di Sarli – Instrumental
Organito de la tarde – 1967/7/27 – Juan D-Arienzo – Instrumental
Organito de la tarde – 1956/3/24 – Rodolfo Biagi – Instrumental
Organito de la tarde – 1970/1/1 – Jose Basso –
Organito de la tarde – 1959/10/8 – Florindo Sassone – Andres Peiro
Organito de la tarde – 1968/6/3 – Florindo Sassone – Instrumental
Organito de la tarde – 1960/1/1 – Quinteto Real (Horacio Salgan) – Instrumental

Letra del Tango Organito de la tarde

Al paso tardo de un pobre viejo
puebla de notas el arrabal,
con un concierto de vidrios rotos,
el organito crepuscular.
Dándole vueltas a la manija
un hombre rengo marcha detrás
mientras la dura pata de palo
marca del tango el compás.

En las notas de esa musiquita
hay no sé qué de vaga sensación
que el barrio parece
impregnarse todo de emoción.
Y es porque son tantos los recuerdos
que a su paso despertando va
que llena las almas con un gran deseo de llorar.

Y al triste son
de esa su canción
sigue el organito lerdo
como sembrando a su paso
más pesar en el recuerdo,
más calor en el ocaso.
Y allá se va
de su tango al son
como buscando la noche
que apagará su canción.

Cuentan las viejas que todo saben
y que el pianito junta a charlar
que aquel viejito tuvo una hija
que era la gloria del arrabal.
Cuentan que el rengo era su novio
y que en el corte no tuvo igual…
Supo con ella, y en las milongas,
con aquel tango reinar.

Pero vino un día un forastero,
bailarín, buen mozo y peleador
que en una milonga
compañera y pierna le quitó.
Desde entonces es que padre y novio
van buscando por el arrabal
la ingrata muchacha
al compás de aquel tango fatal.

English lyrics of the Tango "Organito de la tarde"

To the slow pace of a poor old man
filling the district with notes,
with a concert of broken glass,
the twilight organ plays.
Turning the handle,
a limping man marches behind,
while the hard wooden leg
marks the tango’s rhythm.

In the notes of that little music
there is something of a vague sensation
that the neighborhood seems
to be all filled with emotion.
And it is because there are so many memories
that awaken with its passage
that fill the souls with a great desire to weep.

And to the sad sound
of that song
the slow organ follows
as if sowing in its passage
more sorrow in the memory,
more heat in the sunset.
And there it goes
to the sound of its tango
as if looking for the night
that will silence its song.

The old ladies who know everything tell
as they gather to chat
that that little old man had a daughter
who was the glory of the district.
They say the limping man was her boyfriend
and that in the steps he had no equal…
He knew with her, and in the dances,
with that tango to rule.

But one day came a stranger,
dancer, handsome, and a fighter
who in a dance
took his partner and leg from him.
Since then, the father and the boyfriend
are searching through the district
for the ungrateful girl
to the rhythm of that fatal tango.

Organito de la tarde by Cátulo Castillo

Organito de la tarde is a Tango written by Cátulo Castillo and composed by Cátulo Castillo.

Story behind the Tango Organito de la tarde

The tango “Organito de la tarde” narrates a poignant tale of love, betrayal, and the passage of time in an urban neighborhood. Central to the story is an old man and a limping man who accompany the melancholic tunes of an organ grinder—a poignant allegory for the sorrows manifesting through their shared past. We are drawn into a narrative where nostalgia reigns, and the music evokes a deep, collective yearning to weep as memories are unravelled. Through the organ grinder’s song, the tragic story of a young woman, once the pride of the community but seduced away by a charming outsider, is revealed. Her disappearance leaves those who loved her—her father and suitor—endlessly searching, forever caught in the dance of that “tango fatal.”

Symbolism of Organito de la tarde

The organ and its music serve as the centerpiece of the song’s symbolism, representing both a physical instrument and an emotional trigger for the community’s lamentations and memories. The “organito crepuscular,” or “twilight organ,” suggests a dimming hope and an end of an era. The “concierto de vidrios rotos” (concert of broken glass) paints a vivid imagery of shattered past joys. The “dura pata de palo” (harsh wooden leg) emphasizes the weight of loss through its vigorous tango rhythm, a constant reminder of the neighborhood’s emotional scars. The language evokes a visceral sense of displacement and longing, with the “triste son” (sad tone) entwined with the somber journey of the searching pair.

Organito de la tarde in historic Context

Composed in 1951 in Buenos Aires, the tango reflects the socio-cultural circumstances of mid-20th century Argentina, where tango music itself emerged as an expression of communal identity and personal sorrow. The narrative hints at historical displacement of families and communities to the margins (‘arrabal’), dealing with themes like abandonment and loss of heritage. Tango served not only as a dance but a cultural conversation, encapsulating the woe and bemoaned hopes of the Porteños (residents of Buenos Aires). This was a time when the city was rapidly urbanizing, echoing the upheavals within the personal narratives captured in this piece.

Cátulo Castillo

Cátulo Castillo was an influential Argentine tango composer, known for his profound and evocative lyricism within the tango genre.