Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ

Sueño malevo

Sueño malevo is a Tango written by Leo Lipesker and recorded by Osvaldo Pugliese in 1961. The Tango Sueño malevo is written by Leo Lipesker, Osvaldo Pugliese has recorded Sueño malevo with the singer Alfredo Belusi.
“Sueño malevo,” translated into English as “Ruffian’s Dream,” evokes a world where shadowy alleys pulse with the echoes of longing and defiance. This piece is a dance of contradictions, where tenderness and mischief entwine in the rhythm of the night. In its haunting melodies, a story of a dreamer unfolds, caught between the allure of mischief and the aching beauty of fleeting dreams.

Tango

Style

Osvaldo Pugliese

Orchestra

Alfredo Belusi

Singer

Abel Aznar

Author

Leo Lipesker

Composer

1961/7/1

Date

Alfredo Belusi
Alfredo Belusi
Osvaldo Pugliese
Osvaldo Pugliese

Discover Other Orchestras

Armando PONTIER – Verdemar – 1960/7/21
José Garcia – Felicita – 1942/11/4
José Garcia – Si alguna vez – 1943/12/11
José Garcia – Adiós adiós corazón – 1942/11/4
José Garcia – Hula la misteriosa – 1943/6/22
José Garcia – Fea – 1942/1/23
Horacio Salgán – Las mirlas – 1951/5/7
Horacio Salgán – Sueño querido – 1951/5/7
Horacio Salgán – Mi refugio – 1950/6/21
Horacio Salgán – Mala junta – 1950/11/8
Horacio Salgán – NP (No place) – 1951/12/17
Francisco Canaro – Juventud (3) – 1924/1/1
Francisco Canaro – Nueve puntos – 1920/1/1
Francisco Canaro – Reflejos – 1924/1/1
Francisco Canaro – Pato alegre – 1924/1/1
Francisco Canaro – La tristeza del bulín – 1926/1/1

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

1961/7/1 – Amigazo – Osvaldo Pugliese
1961/7/1 – Arrabal – Osvaldo Pugliese
1961/7/1 – Baldosa floja – Osvaldo Pugliese
1961/7/1 – La vieja vale mas – Osvaldo Pugliese
1961/7/1 – Malambeao – Osvaldo Pugliese
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 old habits,

bears deep inside his heart his old neighborhood,

without the sad little streetlamp to light it,

he lives in a dream of braids and percale.

A mask crosses his wrinkled face

and on the red trace of the scar,

which he sometimes caresses with a murky gaze,

lie two enchanting eyes of a dark shade.

He is an old tough guy,

a remnant of wreckage,

a man from other days

that shall not return.

Now, when he looks

at the moon in the alley,

his heart sighs

thinking of the past.

And it’s a stab,

fierce and merciless,

to know that he is nothing,

that he cries unwillingly.

He no longer uses leather nor keeps a dagger handy,

he’s no longer a tough guy of sash and knife.

He knows his years have been spent in drunkenness,

dying of rage in some doorway.

He knows there are no more toughs or braves,

but it’s a consolation for his heart,

the tangos of mud, of crickets and toads,

imitating the wheezy and sad accordion.

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

“Sueño malevo” translates to “Evil Dream” in English, and the lyrics narrate the pensive reflections of an older man reminiscing about his past life in Buenos Aires’ barrios. The character depicted feels a profound connection with his old neighbourhood, which holds his life’s memories and the sharper edges of his youthful experiences. He acknowledges through melancholic thoughts that the vibrant days of street honor and chaos have passed, hence the haunting, poignant tone of the Tango.



Symbolism of Sueño malevo

The lyrics use vivid imagery and symbols, such as “barbijo” (a mask) covering “cara arrugada” (a wrinkled face) and a “roja huella” (red trace of a scar), to portray the transformation of a one-time tough character who has weathered through violence and life’s hardships. The song blends physical imagery with emotional aspects, as it speaks of looking back with “turbia mirada” (clouded gaze) suggesting introspection and regret. Key phrases like “Es un malevo viejo”, translate to “He is an old ruffian”, symbolizing not only the individual but a bygone era of chaotic street honor that has vastly faded.



Sueño malevo in historic Context

Created in 1961 in Argentina, “Sueño malevo” reflects the changing face of Buenos Aires from a rugged, early 20th-century city to a more civilized and suburban metropolis by the 1960s. This transformation is evident in the nostalgia for the old way of life—a life full of “malevos” (street toughs), “taita” (braves) and gang rallies. The mention of tangos that mimic “old gangosy and sad bellows” highlights how tango music itself, often a reflection of daily life and feelings, shifts to memorialize and echo the sentiments of these fading figures and their legacies.



About Abel Aznar

Abel Aznar was a prominent Argentine lyricist known for his deep emotional insight and ability to convey complex human sentiments and societal aspects through his tangos.