Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ

Ropa blanca

Ropa blanca is a Milonga written by Alfredo Malerba and recorded by Ricardo Malerba in 1943. The Milonga Ropa blanca is written by Alfredo Malerba, Ricardo Malerba has recorded Ropa blanca with the singer Orlando Medina.
“Ropa blanca,” which translates to “White Clothes,” evokes a fresh canvas where every aspiration and purity intertwine. The piece elegantly captures the essence of untarnished beginnings and the gentle flutter of innocence in the dance of life. Each note resonates with the pristine allure of unblemished promises and dreams, painting a world unclouded by life’s wear.

Milonga

Style

Ricardo Malerba

Orchestra

Orlando Medina

Singer

Homero Manzi

Author

Alfredo Malerba

Composer

1943/4/12

Date

Orlando Medina
Orlando Medina
Ricardo Malerba
Ricardo Malerba

Discover Other Orchestras

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Francisco Canaro – Tierrita – 1922/1/1
Francisco Canaro – La carona – 1918/1/1
Francisco Canaro – Llanto de amor – 1924/1/1
Francisco Canaro – El palomo ladrón – 1922/1/1
Miguel Caló – Después – 1944/1/10
Miguel Caló – Cuando me entrés a fallar – 1952/3/10
Miguel Caló – Caballo de calesita – 1936/3/14
Miguel Caló – Soñar y nada mas – 1965/1/1
Miguel Caló – Uno – 1965/1/1
José De Alto (Dir. José Basso) – Milonguita (Esthercita) – 1959/9/14
José De Alto (Dir. José Basso) – Nunca tuvo novio – 1959/9/14
José De Alto (Dir. José Basso) – Rosicler – 1959/9/14
José De Alto (Dir. José Basso) – Yo no sé por qué te quiero – 1959/9/14
Carlos Gardel – Pobre mi gaucha – 1928/12/22
Carlos Gardel – Pobre mi madre querida – 1912/1/1
Carlos Gardel – Muchachos silencio – 1930/12/1
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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.

Ropa blanca recorded by other Orchestras

Ropa blanca recorded by other Orchestras

1943/4/12 – Mamita – Ricardo Malerba
1943/4/9 – Este viejo corazon – Osvaldo Fresedo
1943/4/9 – Fui testigo – Osvaldo Fresedo
1943/4/16 – Nunca tuvo novio – Pedro Laurenz
1943/4/16 – 24 de Agosto – Pedro Laurenz
Ropa blanca – 1943/5/3 – Anibal Troilo – Alberto Marino
Ropa blanca – 1943/6/10 – Lucio Demare – Raul Beron
Ropa blanca – 1943/4/12 – Ricardo Malerba – Orlando Medina

Lyrics Translation of the Milonga Ropa blanca

This is the translation of the Milonga “Ropa blanca” from Spanish to English. The English lyrics of the Milonga “Ropa blanca” have been done with AI.

Letra del Milonga Ropa blanca

Lava la ropa, mulata,
pena y amor.
La espuma por blanca
parece algodón.
Tus manos por negras,
betún y carbón.
Lava la ropa, mulata,
pena y amor.
Me dicen que por el río
al soplo del viento sur,
se fue tu negro Fanchico
en una barquita azul.
Estás lavando y llorando,
llorando por su traición,
que es triste seguir amando
después que se fue el amor.
Me dicen que por el agua,
y que por el cañadón,
y que por la calle larga
robaron tu corazón.

Lava la ropa, mulata,
pena y amor.
Lavando y fregando
con llanto y jabón,
quítale las manchas a tu corazón,
a tu corazón.
Lava la ropa, mulata,
pena y amor.

Lavando la ropa blanca
con tus manos de tizón,
piensas en aquel pañuelo
que tu cariño bordó.
Lavando ropa en la orilla
las olas te hacen pensar
en los amores que un día
igual que vienen se van.
No llores que por el río
y al soplo del viento sur,
tal vez retorne Fanchico
en una barquita azul.

La ropa baila en el aire,
el viento la hace bailar
tus ojos tristes y grandes
sólo saben lagrimear,
ay… ay… ¡quién será que en la tarde
los hace llorar, llorar!

Lava la ropa, mulata,
pena y amor,
la espuma por blanca
parece algodón.
Tus ojos por negros,
betún y carbón.
Lavando y fregando
con llanto y jabón,
quítale las manchas
a tu corazón.

English lyrics of the Milonga "Ropa blanca"

Wash the clothes, mulatto woman,
grief and love.
The foam so white,
it looks like cotton.
Your hands so black,
like polish and coal.
Wash the clothes, mulatto woman,
grief and love.
They tell me by the river,
to the south wind’s blow,
your Fancho, the black,
left on a little blue boat.
You’re washing and crying,
crying for his betrayal,
for it’s sad to keep loving
after love has gone away.
They say it was by the water,
and down the glen,
and along the long street
that they stole your heart.

Wash the clothes, mulatto woman,
grief and love.
Washing and scrubbing
with tears and soap,
remove the stains from your heart,
from your heart.
Wash the clothes, mulatto woman,
grief and love.

Washing the white clothes
with your soot-black hands,
you think of that handkerchief
which your love embroidered.
Washing clothes on the shore
the waves make you think
of loves that one day
come and go just the same.
Don’t cry for by the river
and to the south wind’s blow,
perhaps Fancho will return
in a little blue boat.

The clothes dance in the air,
the wind makes them dance
your sad and big eyes
know only how to weep,
oh… oh… who makes them in the evening
weep, weep!

Wash the clothes, mulatto woman,
grief and love,
the foam so white
it looks like cotton.
Your eyes so black,
like polish and coal.
Washing and scrubbing
with tears and soap,
remove the stains
from your heart.

Ropa blanca by Homero Manzi

Ropa blanca is a Tango written by Homero Manzi and composed by Alfredo Malerba.



Story behind the Tango Ropa blanca

The song “Ropa blanca” (translated to English as “White Clothes”) tells the poignant story of a heartbroken mulatta woman dealing with her lover’s betrayal. As she washes clothes by the river, her manual labor mirrors her emotional turmoil: the arduous task of trying to cleanse her heart of sorrow and betrayal. This task is intertwined with her hopes and reminiscences, reflecting a deep longing for her beloved to return, though his departure has scarred her deeply.



Symbolism of Ropa blanca

The white clothes in the song symbolize purity and innocence, juxtaposed with the woman’s hands blackened by coal, reflecting a loss of innocence and the marks left by her hard life and broken heart. The recurring task of washing, which aims to remove stains, symbolizes her efforts to purge her heart of pain and betrayal, emphasized by the use of soap and tears in the process. The reference to the dried foam resembling cotton and her lover’s potential return in a “blue boat” fueled by southern wind adds layers of hope and deep nostalgia.



Ropa blanca in historic Context

Written in 1943, during a period of significant social changes in Argentina, “Ropa blanca” takes on additional layers of meaning. The portrayal of a mulatta woman handling domestic labor reflects broader social dynamics and racial attitudes of the time, highlighting issues of love, separation, and social class. Additionally, the song’s emotive power and its roots in the tango tradition—often expressing the melancholic sentiments of the marginalized—resonate with the struggles and resilience of everyday people in Argentina’s complex socio-political landscape of the 1940s.



Homero Manzi

Homero Manzi was a renowned Argentine lyricist and tango composer, celebrated for his ability to weave profound emotional depth into his lyrics, often reflecting the urban landscape and its myriad human stories.