Fabrice Knecht Tango DJ
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.
Zaraza is a Tango written by Benjamín Tagle Lara and composed by Benjamín Tagle Lara.
In “Zaraza,” the narrative unfolds through the eyes of a person who spends their days ploughing the fields, a daily grind marked by both physical and emotional weight. This person shares a deep bond with an ox named Zaraza, who seems to symbolize more than just an animal companion, potentially representing lost love or dreams. The “ingrata” or ungrateful one mentioned could be a metaphor for a loved one who left or abandoned the narrator, leaving behind a path that the ox constantly seeks but cannot find. The mention of this ingrata who will return “a su casa” (to her house) carries a mix of hope and resignation, suggesting a longing for something that may never come back.
The word “Zaraza” itself could be pivotal in interpreting the song’s deeper themes. “Zaraza” doesn’t have an exact translation but often refers to something persistent and annoying, or a descriptive term for disease—emphasizing perhaps an inescapable, lingering pain. The ox, Zaraza, with its “sad eyes” persistently seeking the path of the ingrata, symbolizes continuing struggles and the weariness of life’s continuous burdens. The repetitive call “¡A la huella, huella, zaraza, huella, huella, guay!” suggests a never-ending journey, seeking traces left by someone deeply missed, where “huella” refers to “footprint” or “trace,” reinforcing themes of pursuit and unfulfilled longing.
The Tango “Zaraza” was created in 1941, a period marked by significant global upheaval due to World War II, even though Argentina itself was relatively insulated from the war’s direct impacts at the time. The local cultural context of Argentina in the 1940s was one of nostalgic reflection and a search for identity, which is often expressed in Tango music as a yearning for the past or dealing with loss. Benjamín Tagle Lara taps into this general sentiment of melancholy, using the rural work scene and a solitary partnership with an animal to reflect broader human emotions of attachment, loss, and perseverance.
Benjamín Tagle Lara was a notable Argentinian lyricist and composer known for the emotional depth and local flavour of his Tangos, capturing the spirit and struggles of everyday life.