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Sentencia

Sentencia is a Tango written by Pedro Maffia and recorded by Julio De Caro in 1926. Julio De Caro has recorded Sentencia as an instrumental Tango.
“Sentencia,” meaning “Sentence” in English, is a haunting dance of fate unraveled through melody. The music weaves a narrative of inescapable destiny, each note a verdict rendering its subtle decree. Through its rhythm, we feel the weight of inevitable judgment, as if a whispered truth echoes in the heart’s deepest chambers.

Tango

Style

Julio De Caro

Orchestra

Instrumental

Singer

Celedonio Flores

Author

Pedro Maffia

Composer

1926/11/15

Date

Instrumental
Instrumental
Julio De Caro
Julio De Caro

Discover Other Orchestras

Juan MAGLIO – Milonguero viejo – 1928/4/2
Carlos di Sarli – La cumparsita – 1951/7/16
Carlos di Sarli – El Cachafaz – 1954/1/26
Carlos di Sarli – Los treinta y tres orientales – 1955/6/28
Carlos di Sarli – Pena mulata – 1941/2/18
Carlos di Sarli – Che bacana – 1929/10/28
Lucio Demare – Mañana zarpa un barco
Dandy – 1952/1/18
Lucio Demare – Divina – 1957/1/1
Lucio Demare – Dos palabras por favor – 1943/10/13
Lucio Demare – La calle sin sueño – 1957/1/1
Lucio Demare – Ropa blanca – 1943/6/10
Ricardo Malerba – Cuando florezcan las rosas – 1943/6/10
Ricardo Malerba – Quejas de Montmartre – 1956/3/16
Ricardo Malerba – En los jardines de Granada – 1961/1/1
Ricardo Malerba – La piba de los jazmines – 1943/1/18
Ricardo Malerba – Embrujamiento – 1943/2/12

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.

Sentencia recorded by other Orchestras

Sentencia recorded by other Orchestras

1926/11/15 – A media luz – Francisco Canaro
1926/11/15 – Anoche a las dos – Francisco Canaro
1926/11/15 – El que diran – Francisco Canaro
1926/11/15 – Oiga – Francisco Canaro
1926/11/15 – Toda mia – Francisco Canaro
Sentencia – 1959/7/24 – Osvaldo Pugliese – Ricardo Medina
Sentencia – 1947/8/20 – Alfredo De Angelis – Carlos Dante
Sentencia – 1926/11/15 – Julio De Caro – Instrumental

Letra del Tango Sentencia

La audiencia, de pronto se quedó en silencio:
de pie, como un roble,
con acento claro
hablaba el malevo.

Yo nací, señor juez, en el suburbio,
suburbio triste de la enorme pena,
en el fango social donde una noche
asentara su rancho la miseria.

De muchacho, no más, hurgué en el cieno
donde van a podrirse las grandezas…
¡Hay que ver, señor juez, cómo se vive
para saber después por qué se pena!

Un farol en una calle tristemente desolada
pone con la luz del foco su motivo de color…
El cariño de mi madre, mi viejecita adorada,
que por santa merecía, señor juez, ser venerada,
en la calle de mi vida fue como luz de farol.

Y piense si aquella noche, cuando oí que aquel malvado
escupió sobre sus canas el concepto bajo y cruel,
hombre a hombre, sin ventaja, por el cariño cegado,
por mi cariño de hijo, por mi cariño sagrado,
sin pensar, loco de rabia, como a un hombre lo maté.

Olvide usted un momento sus deberes
y deje hablar la voz de la conciencia…
Deme después, como hombre y como hijo,
los años de presidio que usted quiera…

Y si va a sentenciarme por las leyes,
aquí estoy pa’aguantarme la sentencia…
pero cuando oiga maldecir a su vieja,
¡es fácil, señor juez, que se arrepienta!

La audiencia, señores,
se ahogaba en silencio…
¡Llorando el malevo,
lloraba su pena
el alma del pueblo!

English lyrics of the Tango "Sentencia"

The audience suddenly fell silent:
standing tall, like an oak,
with clear accent,
the tough spoke.

I was born, Your Honor, in the suburbs,
sad suburbs of enormous sorrow,
in the social mud where one night
misery set up its shack.

As a boy, I delved into the mire
where greatness rots away…
You must see, Your Honor, how one lives
to later understand why one suffers!

A lamp in a sadly desolate street
casts its colored light with a spotlight…
The love of my mother, my cherished old lady,
who deserved, Your Honor, to be venerated as a saint,
was like a street lamp in the road of my life.

And think of that night, when I heard that villain
spit on her gray hair his low and cruel words,
man to man, without advantage, blinded by affection,
by my filial love, my sacred affection,
without thinking, mad with rage, I killed him like a man.

Forget for a moment your duties
and let the voice of conscience speak…
Then give me, as a man and as a son,
the years in prison that you want…

And if you are to sentence me by the laws,
here I am to endure the sentence…
but when you hear someone curse your mother,
it’s easy, Your Honor, to regret!

The audience, gentlemen,
was choking in silence…
Crying, the tough guy,
wept his sorrow—
the soul of the people!

Sentencia by Celedonio Flores

Sentencia is a Tango written by Celedonio Flores and composed by Pedro Maffia.

Story behind the Tango Sentencia

“Sentencia” is a profound testament interwoven with personal despair and societal critique, chronicling the narrator’s outcry in a court setting. The narrative arches through the life of a man raised in a dismal suburb, who faces tribulation and mire from an early age. His transformation from a destitute youth to a punishable offender is not just a personal saga but an indictment of societal neglect and decay. The climax unfolds in a heart-wrenching avowal of a son defending his mother’s honor, leading to a fatal altercation and his subsequent trial for murder. This tragic tale is culminated in his stoic acceptance of whatever judgment may be deemed fit, albeit with a final poignant reminder of the emotional triggers behind his violent act.



Symbolism of Sentencia

The symbolisms in “Sentencia” are poignant and multifaceted, highlighted by the recurring imagery of light and darkness. The “farol” (streetlamp) serves as a symbol of his mother’s guidance amidst his life’s darkness, a beacon that shapes his moral landscape but tragically dims with his act of violence. The narrative contrasts the external light with the internal darkness harbored within societal neglect and personal despair. Additionally, the courtroom itself transforms into a stage where the larger societal failures are brought to trial, not just the narrator’s personal grievances.



Sentencia in historic Context

Set in the politically charged and socially fragmented Argentina of the 1920s, “Sentencia” reflects the pervasive inequalities and the burgeoning gap between the social strata. Post World War I Argentina grappled with rapid urbanization that saw a flux of impoverished rural inhabitants to cities like Buenos Aires, where they often ended up in squalid outskirts. These settings became fertile grounds for the tango culture, at once a reflection of despair and a defiant celebration of survival. Thus, “Sentencia” also comes across as a broader social commentary on those left behind socioeconomically and criminally stigmatized, resonating deeply in a court of law which metaphorically stands to judge not just the man, but the societal construct that fashioned him.



Celedonio Flores

Celedonio Flores was a renowned Argentine poet and tango lyricist known for his vivid portrayals of life and culture in Buenos Aires during the early 20th century.