In the month of February, 1933, the evening Crítica newspaper, at the request of the Lunfardo poet Carlos de la Púa, ‘The thug Muñoz,’ held in the Luna Park Stadium a competition of orchestras that was called ‘The First National Tango Contest’ in which the group most preferred by the public would be chosen, and among those who participated were the groups of (Pedro) Maffia, Julio De Caro, Anselmo Aieta, Pedro Castillo, Ponzio-Bazán, Edgardo Donato, and others of similar prestige. The group headed by Maffia would probably have had this membership: Bandoneones: Pedro Maffia, Gabriel Clausi, Roberto Dolart, Juan Liguori; Violines: Juan J. Gallastegui, Antonio Rodio, Pablo de Martino; Piano: Eduardo Salise; Contrabajo: Francisco De Lorenzo; Cello: Nerón Ferrazzano. With a group notably augmented by quite a few members, the orchestra of Julio De Caro was given first place, Edgardo Donato second, Juan Pedro Castillo third, and in fourth the orchestra directed by Pedro Maffia, as a result of which there were two elimination rounds. But the real artistic note was struck by the left-handed magician Pedro, in a simple phrasing of ‘La Maleva’ which so excited the audience, as well as the other contestants, with the emotional culmination of an admiring embrace between Maffia and Pedro Laurenz, a member of De Caro’s orchestra. On that occasion Maffia’s orchestra would probably have performed ‘La Tablada” and ‘La Maleva.’ (Source: El tango, el bandoneón y sus intérpretes, Tomo III, Oscar Zucchi. English translation by MK.) Illustration: Aselmo Aieta and Pedro Maffia having a tug-of-war with a bandoneón! :)
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 09:52:31 +0000
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