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Percal

Percal is a Tango written by Domingo Federico and recorded by Miguel Caló in 1965. The Tango Percal is written by Domingo Federico, Miguel Caló has recorded Percal with the singer Raúl Del Mar.
“Percal,” meaning “Percale” in English, evokes a fabric woven with both delicacy and strength, much like the poignant notes of a tango. The music entwines threads of passion and nostalgia, crafting a tapestry of emotion that dances through the air. It tells stories of elegance and yearning, capturing the essence of whispered silk on warm moonlit nights.

Tango

Style

Miguel Caló

Orchestra

Raúl Del Mar

Singer

Homero Expósito

Author

Domingo Federico

Composer

1965/1/1

Date

Raúl Del Mar
Raúl Del Mar
Miguel Caló
Miguel Caló

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Percal recorded by other Orchestras

Percal recorded by other Orchestras

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Percal

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

Letra del Tango Percal

Percal…

¿Te acuerdas del percal?

Tenias quince abriles,

anhelos de sufrir y amar,

de ir al centro, triunfar

y olvidar el percal.

Percal…

Camino del percal,

te fuiste de tu casa…

Tal vez nos enteramos mal.

Solo se que al final

te olvidaste el percal.



La juventud se fue…

Tu casa ya no está…

Y en el ayer tirados

se han quedado

acobardados

tu percal y mi pasado.

La juventud se fue…

Yo ya no espero más…

Mejor dejar perdidos

los anhelos que no han sido

y el vestido de percal.



Llorar…

¿Por qué vas a llorar?…

¿Acaso no has vivido,

acaso no aprendiste a amar,

a sufrir, a esperar,

y también a callar?

Percal…

Son cosas del percal…

Saber que estás sufriendo

saber que sufrirás aún más

y saber que al final

no olvidaste el percal.

Percal…

Tristezas del percal.

English lyrics of the Tango "Percal"

Percal…

Do you remember the percale?

You were just fifteen,

longing to suffer and love,

to go downtown, to succeed

and forget the percale.

Percal…

On the path of percale,

You left your home…

Maybe we got it wrong.

All I know is in the end

you forgot the percale.

Youth has gone away…

Your house is no more…

And thrown in yesterday

they’ve remained

cowardly

your percale and my past.
Youth has gone away…

I no longer wait…

Better to leave behind lost

the yearnings that were not,

and the percale dress.

Cry…

Why are you going to cry?…

Haven’t you lived enough,

haven’t you learned to love,

to suffer, to wait,

and also to keep quiet?
Percal…

It’s things of the percale…

To know that you are suffering

to know you will suffer even more

and to know that in the end

you did not forget the percale.

Percal…

Sadnesses of the percale.

Percal by Homero Expósito

Percal is a Tango written by Homero Expósito and composed by Domingo Federico.



Story behind the Tango Percal

“Percal” as a tango reveals an evocative story of youth, nostalgia, and the stark repercussions of life choices. The narrative within the lyrics reflects the journey of a young individual who leaves home in pursuit of dreams, symbolized through the metaphor of ‘percal,’ a type of cotton fabric representing innocence and youth. As the song progresses, reflection sets in, emphasizing that despite abandoning the physical representation of youth (the percal dress), the emotional ties to these early memories and decisions linger inescapably.



Symbolism of Percal

The repeated refrain “Percal” and the question “¿Te acuerdas del percal?” (Do you remember the percal?) spotlights the fabric as a central symbol tying to the youthful dreams and weariness of life’s stark realities. The fabric symbolizes the youth’s simplicity and the inevitable transformation by life’s complex experiences. “La juventud se fue…” (Youth has gone…) further underscores a universal truth of growing old and leaving behind the naïveté of youth, punctuated by a mention of a dress made from percal, which embodies innocence left in tatters by experiences of love and suffering.



Percal in Historic Context

Set in 1965 Argentina, “Percal” might also mirror the societal changes and personal aspirations during a time of significant political and social shifts in Argentina. The mention of leaving home invokes the vast migration from rural areas to cities like Buenos Aires, often fueled by dreams of success but leading to mixed outcomes. This tango, with its sombre melody and reflective lyrics, captures the melancholic essence and personal introspections of a generation encountering rapid transformation.



Homero Expósito

Homero Expósito was a renowned Argentine poet and tango lyricist known for his profound and eloquent compositions in the sphere of Argentinian music.