Recuerdo by Eduardo Moreno

Recuerdo is a Tango written by Eduardo Moreno and composed by Osvaldo Pugliese.

Story behind the Tango Recuerdo

The lyrics of “Recuerdo” evoke a deep sense of nostalgia and loss, intertwined with the vibrance of youth and the heartache of unfulfilled love. The tango tells the story of a place where poets sang and orchestras wept, a venue of pleasure where bohemian youths and fragile beauty converged, only to wither away. Highlighting a central figure, a woman who never reciprocated the narrator’s love, the tango explores themes of heartbreak and the ephemeral nature of life and glory.

Symbolism of Recuerdo

Recuerdo, meaning ‘memory’ or ‘remembrance’ in Spanish, is filled with symbolic language that accentuates the emotional landscape of the lyrics. The “old café in the south district,” serves as a symbol of a place where memories and ghosts of the past linger. The mention of “Mimí,” a character possibly evoking the frail and tragic heroine of Puccini’s opera, “La Bohème,” who also followed a path of falling from grace after leaving Paris, enhances the motif of lost glory and romanticized past.

Recuerdo in historic Context

Recorded in 1942, during a period of immense transformation in Argentina and the world, “Recuerdo” reflects a nostalgic longing for the past that resonates with the broader uncertainties of the era. The tango’s remembrance of a more glamorous, albeit sorrowful time at the “café del barrio sud” mirrors societal changes and the grief for a world that was rapidly evolving amidst global conflict and national shifts.

Eduardo Moreno

Eduardo Moreno, the lyricist, captures the essence of Argentine tango’s dramatic emotionality and characteristic melancholy, utilizing his poignant narrative skills to sketch scenes that resonate deeply with the listener.