Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ
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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.
Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito) is a Tango written by Edmundo Bianchi and composed by Antonio Scatasso.
The tango “Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito)” captures the melancholic and changing reality of the Argentine pampas in 1928. Through the metaphor of a singing bird, the chingolo, that is silenced by the modern intrusion of railways and industry, Bianchi poignantly mourns the loss of traditional lifestyles and the cultural isolation felt by the rural gaucho. The lyrics tell of a time when the chingolo’s song, a sad echo of the heart, was a familiar part of the pampa landscape which has been irrevocably changed by progress.
The central symbol in this tango is the chingolo, also known as the rufous-collared sparrow, which traditionally symbolizes the common, everyday beauty and song of Argentina’s natural landscape. In Bianchi’s lyrics, the chingolo also represents the folkloric musician or ‘payador,’ whose art is likened to the natural and simple yet heartfelt song of the bird. Phrases like “Guitarrita del campo, pájaro payador,” directly link the bird to the rural music traditions, suggesting a deep connection between nature and cultural expression, both of which are threatened by invading modernity symbolized by “el jazz, el gringo y el Ford.”
The tango refers to the early 20th century, a period of significant industrialization and cultural shifts in Argentina. The year 1928 marks a poignant moment in Argentine history where traditional rural lifestyles began to rapidly give way to urbanization, symbolized in the tango by the ‘ferrocarril’ (train) which disrupts the natural life and silences the chingolo. This transformation is a metaphor for the broader cultural invasion by foreign elements like American cars (Ford) and music (jazz), highlighting a sense of loss and cultural displacement among the locals.
Edmundo Bianchi was an Argentine lyricist known for his works that often resonate with themes of cultural identity, tradition, and the impact of modernization.