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Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito)

Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito) is a Tango written by Antonio Scatasso and recorded by Osvaldo Fresedo in 1928. The Tango Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito) is written by Antonio Scatasso, Osvaldo Fresedo has recorded Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito) with the singer Ernesto Famá.
“Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito)” translates to “The sparrow no longer sings (Little Sparrow)” in English. This poignant title evokes a sense of longing, as if the vibrant melody of life has been stilled or silenced. The once joyful and lively tune now hangs in the air as a delicate whisper of memories that linger like an echo of the past.

Tango

Style

Osvaldo Fresedo

Orchestra

Ernesto Famá

Singer

Edmundo Bianchi

Author

Antonio Scatasso

Composer

1928/3/20

Date

Ernesto Famá
Ernesto Famá
Osvaldo Fresedo
Osvaldo Fresedo

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Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito) recorded by other Orchestras

Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito) recorded by other Orchestras

Lyrics Translation of the Tango Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito)

This is the translation of the Tango “Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito)” from Spanish to English. The English lyrics of the Tango “Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito)” have been done with AI.

Letra del Tango Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito)

Hubo en la pampa una vez
un pajarito cantor
que sobre un yuyo parao
entonaba una canción
tan triste que parecía
el llorar de un corazón.
A ese pájaro bagual
lo espantó el ferrocarril
y su canción sin igual
no se podrá más oír.
¡Pobre pajarito gaucho,
dónde habrá ido a morir!

¡Ya no cantas chingolo!…
¿Dónde fuiste a parar?
En algún lao, muy solo,
tu canción llorarás…
Guitarrita del campo,
pájaro payador,
te llevaste contigo
toda la tradición.

Como el ave, el payador,
sentado junto al ombú
también antes su canción
elevaba hacia el azul
donde brillaha de noche
la divina Cruz del Sur.
Ahora se calló el cantar
y el ave y el payador
fueron lejos a ocultar
su voz llena de emoción,
pues ya invadieron la pampa
el jazz, el gringo y el Ford.

¡Ya no cantas Chingolo!…
¿Dónde fuiste a parar?
En algún lao, muy solo,
despacito llorás…
Guitarrita del campo,
voz de la soledad,
desde que tú te fuiste
no sabemos cantar.

English lyrics of the Tango "Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito)"

Once on the pampa there was
a singing little bird
that on a plant stood still
and sang a song so filled
with sorrow it seemed like
the crying of a heart.
That wild bird was scared away
by the railroad’s loud dismay
and its unparalleled tune
will no longer be heard.
Poor native bird,
where have you gone to die?

You no longer sing, Sparrow!…
Where did you end up?
Somewhere alone, by yourself,
you weep your song…
Little guitar of the field,
bard of the plains,
you took with you
all tradition.

Like the bird, the troubadour,
sitting by the ombu tree
also used to lift his song
up towards the blue
where at night shone bright
the divine Southern Cross.
Now the singing has ceased
and both bird and bard
have gone far to hide
their voice full of emotion,
for the pampa was invaded
by jazz, the Yankee, and the Ford.

You no longer sing, Sparrow!…
Where did you end up?
In some place, all alone,
softly you weep…
Little guitar of the field,
voice of the solitude,
ever since you left
we do not know how to sing.

Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito) by Edmundo Bianchi

Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito) is a Tango written by Edmundo Bianchi and composed by Antonio Scatasso.



Story behind the Tango Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito)

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.



Symbolism of Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito)

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.”



Ya no cantas chingolo (Chingolito) in Historic Context

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

Edmundo Bianchi was an Argentine lyricist known for his works that often resonate with themes of cultural identity, tradition, and the impact of modernization.