Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ

Sueño malevo

Sueño malevo is a Tango written by Leo Lipesker and recorded by José Basso in 1960. The Tango Sueño malevo is written by Leo Lipesker, José Basso has recorded Sueño malevo with the singer Alfredo Belusi.
“Sueño Malevo,” translated into English as “Roguish Dream,” whispers the lure of untamed nights. It conjures visions of dimly lit streets where shadows dance with mischief and longing. This piece embodies the tension between desire and danger, inviting listeners into a world where dreams defy the ordinary and embrace the thrill of the unexpected.

Tango

Style

José Basso

Orchestra

Alfredo Belusi

Singer

Abel Aznar

Author

Leo Lipesker

Composer

1960/4/26

Date

Alfredo Belusi
Alfredo Belusi
José Basso
José Basso

Discover Other Orchestras

Julio De Caro – No quiero pensar más – 1940/5/30
Julio De Caro – Esta noche – 1953/8/5
Julio De Caro – Mala jugada – 1926/10/6
Julio De Caro – Ja ja ja – 1951/6/1
Julio De Caro – Vengan muchachos – 1928/10/10
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Toda mi vida – 1968/8/5
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – La última curda – 1969/7/30
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – Nocturno a mi barrio – 1969/7/30
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – La tablada – 1968/8/5
Cuarteto Aníbal TROILO – La trampera – 1969/7/30
Carlos di Sarli – Siempre más – 1953/3/5
Carlos di Sarli – El pollo Ricardo – 1940/9/23
Carlos di Sarli – A la luz del candil – 1952/9/15
Carlos di Sarli – Si nos queremos todavía – (unknown date)
Carlos di Sarli – Al compás del corazón (Late un corazón) – 1953/12/18
José Basso – Tierra querida – 1961/4/21
José Basso – Re fa si – 1955/9/16
José Basso – El cencerro – 1965/1/1
José Basso – De diez
siete – 1964/1/1
José Basso – Doble A – 1986/1/1

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.

Sueño malevo recorded by other Orchestras

Sueño malevo recorded by other Orchestras

1960/4/26 – Cuerpo y alma – Jose Basso
1960/4/26 – No tengo la culpa – Jose Basso
1960/4/28 – Araca Paris – Armando Pontier
1960/4/28 – La ultima lagrima – Armando Pontier
1960/5/16 – Bonita – Alfredo De Angelis
Sueno malevo – 1961/7/1 – Osvaldo Pugliese – Alfredo Belusi
Sueno malevo – 1960/4/26 – Jose Basso – Alfredo Belusi

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Sueño malevo

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

Letra del Tango Sueño malevo

Tiene todavía las mismas costumbres,
lleva tan adentro su viejo arrabal,
sin el farolito tristón que lo alumbre
vive en un ensueño de trenzas y percal.
Un barbijo cruza su cara arrugada
y en la roja huella de la cicatriz,
que acaricia a veces con turbia mirada,
hay dos ojos brujos de oscuro matiz.

Es un malevo viejo
un resto de avería,
un hombre de otros días
que ya no han de volver.
Que ahora, cuando mira
la luna en la cortada,
su corazón suspira
pensando en el ayer.
Y es una puñalada
feroz y despiadada,
saber que ya no es nada,
que llora sin querer.

Ya no usa lengue ni zarzo en la zurda,
él ya no es un taita de faja y puñal.
Sabe que sus años se fueron en curda
a morir de bronca en algún zaguán.
Sabe que no quedan malevos ni guapos,
pero es un consuelo pa’ su corazón,
los tangos de barro, de grillos y sapos,
imitando al fuelle gangoso y tristón.

English lyrics of the Tango "Sueño malevo"

He still has the same habits,
carries deep inside his old neighborhood,
without the sad little lantern to light his way,
he lives in a dream of braids and percale.
A mask crosses his wrinkled face
and on the red trace of a scar,
which he sometimes caresses with a murky gaze,
there are two bewitching eyes of a dark shade.

He’s an old tough guy,
a remnant of wreckage,
a man from other days
that will no longer return.
Now, when he looks
at the moon in the alley,
his heart sighs
thinking of yesterday.
And it’s a stab,
ferocious and ruthless,
to know that he is now nothing,
that he cries unwillingly.

He no longer uses slang or carries a blade in his left hand,
he is no longer a taita with a sash and dagger.
He knows his years have been spent in drunken bouts
to die of anger in some hallway.
He knows there are no tough guys or handsome men left,
but it is a consolation for his heart,
the tangos of mud, of crickets and frogs,
imitating the nasal and sad squeezebox.

Sueño malevo by Abel Aznar

Sueño malevo is a Tango written by Abel Aznar and composed by Leo Lipesker.

Story behind the Tango Sueño malevo

The lyrics of “Sueño malevo” narrate the poignant reflection of an old malevo (a term typically associated with street toughs or swaggering figures from older Argentine neighborhoods) grappling with the passage of time and changes that rendered his earlier life virtually unrecognizable. Set in a context where the protagonist reminisces about his past — marked by the traditional customs of the arrabal (neighborhood) and his own once-feared persona — the song echoes themes of nostalgia and the inevitable decay of time. Resigned to his current obscurity, the character reflects on a life that is no longer relevant in the modern world, filled with regrets and memories of a youth spent in reckless bravado.

Symbolism of Sueño malevo

In “Sueño malevo,” several symbols enhance the nostalgic and melancholic tone. The mention of “el farolito tristón” (the sad little streetlight) and communal settings like “cortada” (a cut, referring to a street end or alley) evoke the quintessential scenes of old Buenos Aires, serving as metaphors for light and pathways now dimmed or ended. Furthermore, the “luna en la cortada” (moon in the alley) could symbolize the cyclic nature of life and the passage of time, shining light onto the past. The protagonist’s physical appearance, marked by the scars of his former life, signifies the indelible impact of his earlier violent lifestyle, and his change over time as the scars fade like his past glories.

Sueño malevo in historic Context

“Sueño malevo” was written and recorded during a period in Argentine history where the nation was experiencing significant social and economic transformations. By the 1960s, Argentina was grappling with the modernization of society and lingering cultural elements from earlier decades were disappearing. The malaise experienced by the protagonist who reminisces about a time when the figure of the malevo was more prominent and revered can be seen as a metaphor for a society struggling to reconcile its romantic, albeit violent, past with a rapidly changing modern identity.

Abel Aznar

Abel Aznar was an Argentine lyricist renowned for his contributions to the genre of Tango, capturing the essence and emotional landscape of traditional Argentine culture.