Tanda of the Week 25 / 2013 - Edgardo Donato

1. Edgardo Donato / Horacio Lagos - "A oscuras" 1941
2. Edgardo Donato / Horacio Lagos - "Fué mi salvación" 1940
3. Edgardo Donato / Horacio Lagos - "Mis pesares" 1941
4. Edgardo Donato / Horacio Lagos, Lita Morales - "Sinsabor" 1939

Here's a tanda from orchestra of Edgardo Donato including one of their biggest hits regarding milongas of today: "Sinsabor". Ofcourse Donato is more recognized for composing one of the biggest hits in tango ever "A Media Luz", which is said to be one of the tangos with most recordings in the world in the history of the genre. Donato was born in Buenos Aires but raised in Monte Video, Uruguay, where he had his career as a musician, composer and orchestra leader.

"In 1927 he put together an orchestra under the label Donato-Zerrillo, lined-up by Héctor María Artola, Juan Turturiello and Héctor Gentile, on bandoneons; on violins, the two leaders and Armando Julio Piovani (who sang as well), on piano Osvaldo Donato, his other brother Ascanio on cello and A. Bancalá on double bass.

They made their debut in Montevideo on July 14, 1927, where they were heard by the impressario of the Select Lavalle cinema theater of Buenos Aires -a scenery for the best groups- and he hired them to play for a season. They were there until 1930, under the name of Orquesta Típica criolla Donato-Zerrillo and the advertisement announced them as "The 9 tango aces, the most striking native tango orchestra ever heard".

The singer Luis Díaz joined the orchestra as refrain singer, and they finally recorded for the Brunswick label. This vocalist appeared on twenty of the fifty numbers released. In 1930, after a brief tour with the female singer Azucena Maizani, the team disbanded."

"The new orchestra, already with only one leader, started to record for Brunswick and played at different cinemas and theaters; also, on LS9 Radio La voz del aire, where they were announced as "Los ocho ases del tango porteño, Edgardo Donato y su formidable típica criolla". For the Brunswick label he recorded over 130 numbers; on December 9, 1932 he switched to Victor and recorded "El Huracán", with his new vocalist Félix Gutiérrez. He worked with this recording company until the end, apart from a brief stay in the Pampa label, releasing over four hundred recordings."




The orchestra of Edgardo Donato was one of those which were included in the movie "Tango", from 1933, the first talkie with complete soundtrack in the history of Argentine cinema."

- read the full article about Edgardo Donato at Todotango.com by Oscar Zucchi

Donato, Edgardo - TOTW - Todo Tango - tango.info - iTunes Store
Lagos, Horacio - TOTW - tango.info