ALBERTO CARACCIOLO, TANGO MUSICIAN

Alberto Pascual Caracciolo (l918-1994), was a brilliant Tango Musician. He was a musical arranger, orchestra director, composer and bandoneón player.

He was respected and well-known by his colleagues rather than by the public in general for Caracciolo always chose to hold a low profile and he acted on different important radios and occasionally on TV but he did not point to having a massive difussion of his music.

Now, his friends and relatives would like to make his music known, for he has been mentioned in different newspapers, magazines, radio and TV, but little music of his is sounding on the radios or other places where Tango is heard or danced.

He was born in Palermo, Buenos Aires, on the 23rd. of March l918, he began his musical studies at the age of 8, and at l6 he started playing Bandoneón in Antonio Arcieri´s orchestra.

He played Bandoneón for different famous orchestras, such as the ones of Joaquín Do Reyes, Angel Dágostino, Manuel Buzón, Victor Braña, Jorge Caldara and many others.

Although he was a Tango Renewer following a style of his own, he played traditional Tango in the “De Ayer... y de Siempre” L.P., produced by Discomundo, for which he created Quinteto Añoranzas, including flute, which was an instrument greatly valued in the old traditional groups (According to Roberto Selles, Tango Journalist and historian).

He also played jazz although in a minor scale, he made musical arrangements for international publishers, and he was a Music Counsellor for Odeón (Argentina), in the late 60's and early 70's.

Caracciolo is the author of “Tema de Tango en Re Menor”, “Preludio”, “Etéreo”, “Chiqui” (dedicated to his wife), “Con Rumbo al Cielo” (dedicated to his father), “Réquiem para un Gomía”, (dedicated to Gardel), and many others which have lyrics by famous tango poets.

 

 

Sources:

• Nélida Rouchetto, Tango Journalist.
• Luis Adolfo Sierra, Author of “Historia de la Orquesta Típica”, Evolución Instrumental del Tango”. R.Peña Lillo, (Publisher).
• Horacio Ferrer Autor of “El Libro del Tango”, Arte Popular de Buenos Aires. Antonio Tersol (Publisher).
• Bécquer Casaballe, Tango Journalist, Clarín Newspaper Oct. 15 th , 1981.