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Organito de la tarde

Organito de la tarde is a Tango written by Cátulo Castillo and recorded by Quinteto Real (Horacio Salgán) in 1960. Quinteto Real (Horacio Salgán) has recorded Organito de la tarde as an instrumental Tango.
“Organito de la Tarde,” or “Little Evening Organ,” is a captivating piece that evokes the gentle melodies sung by a street organ during the twilight hours. As the sun dips below the horizon, the wistful notes resonate through the air, painting the sky with a nostalgic serenade. The organ’s tune whispers stories of yesteryears, weaving memories into the falling dusk.

Tango

Style

Quinteto Real (Horacio Salgán)

Orchestra

Instrumental

Singer

José González Castillo

Author

Cátulo Castillo

Composer

1960/1/1

Date

Instrumental
Instrumental
Quinteto Real (Horacio Salgán)
Quinteto Real (Horacio Salgán)

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Organito de la tarde recorded by other Orchestras

Organito de la tarde recorded by other Orchestras

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

The suburb fills with notes,

With a concert of broken glass,

The twilight organ grinder.

Turning the handle

A limping man follows behind

While the harsh wooden leg

Keeps the beat of the tango.



In the notes of that little music

There’s something of a vague feeling

That the neighborhood seems

To be fully infused with emotion.

And it’s because there are so many memories

That it awakens as it passes by

That it fills the souls with a great desire to cry.



And to the sad sound

Of that song

The slow organ grinder continues

As if sowing along its path

More sorrow in the memory,

More warmth in the sunset.

And there it goes

To the sound of its tango

As if seeking the night

That will extinguish its song.



The old women who know everything

And gather around the little piano say

That the old man once had a daughter

Who was the glory of the suburb.

They say that the limping man was her boyfriend

And that in the dance he had no equal…

He knew how to reign with her, and at the milongas,

With that tango.

But one day a stranger came,

A dancer, handsome and a fighter

Who at a milonga

Stole his partner and his place.

Since then, the father and the boyfriend

Have been searching through the suburb

For the ungrateful girl

To the beat of that fatal tango.

Organito de la tarde by José González Castillo

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



Story behind the Tango Organito de la tarde

In “Organito de la tarde,” the story centers around an old man and his disabled companion who traverse the suburban streets with a street organ, filling the air with melancholic music. The lyrics reflect on the emotional resonance of the music played, evoking a community-wide feeling of nostalgia and sorrow tied to the shared memories of a time gone by. Among these memories is a poignant story involving the old man’s daughter, who is implied to have left under distressing circumstances following an altercation involving her and a charming newcomer.



Symbolism of Organito de la tarde

The street organ (“Organito”) symbolizes the inescapable call of the past, a tool through which the performers awaken the collective memory of the neighborhood. Each note and melody played carries a dual sentiment—both of the joy once had and the sorrow of its passing. The lyrics, “como sembrando a su paso más pesar en el recuerdo, más calor en el ocaso,” suggest a deeper symbolism of spreading sorrow and intensifying emotions as the day ends, further emphasizing the themes of loss and melancholy.



Organito de la tarde in historic Context

Written in Argentina in 1960, “Organito de la tarde” reflects the socio-cultural backdrop of Argentine society during this period—an era marked by rapid modernization and social changes post the populist era of Juan Domingo Perón. This tango could be perceived as an ode to the disappearing old ways, represented by the characters of the old man and the disabled companion, clinging to remnants of the past as symbolized through their music, which stirs up memories of a faded glory and simpler times.



José González Castillo

José González Castillo was an influential Argentine playwright, poet, and lyricist, celebrated for his contributions to the cultural tapestry of tango music.