Here's the original interview from todotango.com - in Spanish: http://www.todotango.com/historias/cronica/286/Biagi-Entrevista-a-Rodolfo-Biagi-en-1960/
Translation to English:
Biagi - Interview with Rodolfo Biagi in 1960
Odolfo Biagi was born in San Telmo, in a house located meters from the intersection of Chacabuco and the United States. His childhood did not differ at all from that of other kids, the common games and the rag ball in the wasteland of the corner that is no longer there.
«Notice that the school where I did first grade is still standing and in good condition. It is in Sáenz Peña between Venezuela and Belgrano. There I was until fourth, then I went to Mariano Acosta and continued until I finished high school and received me as a teacher. But for the sake of the teaching profession I never exercised the profession. The music threw me, fellow student was Roberto Gil, who devoted himself to the lyrics and, half seriously jokingly, wrote his observations of everyday life and invented that of "Corrientes Street, the street that never sleeps."
«I started to study music when the little bug stung me, my parents couldn't do anything, they didn't understand that incurable hobby since there was no background in my family.
«Well, here is something else that many people don't know, because my first steps were with the violin. I cried so much, I insisted and begged, that my parents preferred to stop the whim before there was a tragedy. They bought it for me and enrolled me at the La Prensa music conservatory, which was directed by Mrs. María Rosa Farcy de Montal.
«My teacher was Professor Francisco Rivara, who soon discovered that my true inclination was the piano. Because every time he walked away for a moment, I ran to the piano and rehearsed octaves and arpeggios and even the occasion of tango.
«And then I start over, with the fear of my parents that that was not the instrument that awaited me, but it was. To the point that at the age of thirteen I debuted in public, it was at the Cine Colón, on Entre Ríos Street, where he entertained the entreacts and also, he played music during the screening of silent films creating the necessary climate.
«By chance or because someone told him, one day Juan Maglio appeared at the cinema, he moved closer to lean on the piano. When I finished, it produced an unknown emotion for me, put a hand on my shoulder and said: "Pibe, do you want to come with me to the National?"
«It was the cathedral of tango, it was approaching popularity. I was fifteen, I don't know how I did not faint from fright on debut day. He was Pacho's pianist.
«He supported me at all times. "Go on kid," he encouraged me when I was already out. I spent two years with him at El Nacional, then we went to the Dominguez Bar, in Corrientes between Paraná and Montevideo, on the north side. There, from the box I saw parade all the faces of our Buenos Aires life.
«Then I changed the orchestra and the street, I went to Miguel Orlando who played in the Maipú Pigall. There I alternated with Elvino Vardaro , with Cayetano Puglisi , with Juan Bautista Guido and met Carlos Gardel .
«I could not say that I became his friend, although de Gardel had said many contradictory things about the way he knew how to give himself in friendship. I admired him as an artist and my greatest pride was having an artistic relationship with him.
«He went to that place a lot and one night José Razzano came to see me in his name, it was the year 1927, he let me know his interest in joining me for his accompaniment for the recordings, until then they had only been with guitars. But I was looking forward to something else. We reached an agreement and a group was formed with Antonio Rodio , the guitars of Ángel Domingo Riverol , José María Aguilar , Carlos Cabral , Julio Vivas and me on the piano.
«We recorded in the studios of Max Glücksmann, where the Grand Splandid, Sante Fe cinema is now located a few meters from Callao. Memories I have many, but I keep one that for me had great significance, because it showed me its spiritual greatness and generosity. I was not doing well financially, so I talked to Razzano in case he could give me an advance, he had no problem and he gave it to me. So I could get out of some trouble. They passed the rehearsals, the changes of opinions, the coexistence gave me more guidelines to value Gardel and finally we recorded. When Razzano paid us, there was my discount. I commented in front of Carlos and went to return the money, then Carlos jumped: «It doesn't matter kid, your work is worth it and you have earned it in good law». That gesture forever compromised my gratitude and recognition.
«A few weeks later, Gardel went to Spain and offered to take me. I felt very young for that adventure, I was twenty years old. I thanked him for the confidence and chose to stay. Juan Guido had offered me to integrate his set. We debuted at the Real Cinema, which was the first to present an entire orchestra in one of its boxes to encourage film projections. There we alternated with the classical music orchestra conducted by maestro Fontova and jazz Verona, where Lucio Demare was at the piano. Then, we go to the Suipacha Cinema that was inaugurated.
“The public was different from the cabaret, there was a fundamental difference. The one who went to the cinema was a little disconnected from the music, absorbed by what was happening on the screen. In the other places there was a direct relationship, a communion, that feeling was a great attraction and that was the reason why I returned to the Pigall that had already changed its name, had become the Casanova, I became part of the orchestra of Juan Canaro
«I debuted in Radio Cultura with Maglio. Then, with Juan Canaro, we encouraged the great radioteatral shows at the Cine París, which were broadcast on the radio of the same name. The address was Claudio Martínez Payva and the cast included the jazz of Rudy Ayala, Tita Merello , Fernando Ochoa , the Desmond sisters, Juan Carlos Thorry . With Thorry I composed one of the most successful tangos, " Indifference ", which integrated the repertoires of the most popular orchestras and was taken to the album by Juan D'Arienzo , Hugo del Carril, Francisco Lomuto , Francisco Canaro . A little later we got back together and made a country song: "Your promise".
«My first trip was in 1935 with Juan Canaro to Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil. There he already liked tango a lot.
«When I returned, I left Canaro and spent some time idling, although I did not miss the tango atmosphere. I was used to the Chantecler where Juan D'Arienzo acted and with whom I had friendship. His pianist was then Luis Visca . And I was invited to replace it several times since Luis always had a health problem. When his condition deteriorated him further, it was normal for me to be his replacement and he began a decisive stage in my career.
«Regarding my style, I always had concerns in placing the piano on a different plane than the one used in the typical orchestras, exclusively for accompaniment. And when I arrived at D'Arienzo I could materialize it. I was with him from December 1935 until June 1938.
«In 1938, when I formed my own orchestra to debut at Radio Belgrano, the advertising director of the Palmolive firm, Mr. Juan Carlos Bergeroc, baptized me Manos Brujas. I debuted on September 16 in El Marabú and after fifteen days in Radio Belgrano, I was there for 20 years. There was a short season in Radio Splendid in the middle.
«My first singer was Teófilo Ibáñez , who succeeded with a song of mine and Francisco Gorrindo:" Golgotha ". Then Andrés Falgás , another success with “ Scars ”. Also, Jorge Ortiz , Alberto Amor , Carlos Saavedra and, in the last nine years, Hugo Duval .
"Now I'm recording on the Columbia label."
To the singers mentioned must be added Carlos Heredia , Alberto Lago and Carlos Almagro , their last vocalist. He began recording in 1927, were two solo piano for the Victor label: "Cruz diablo", tango of his authorship and "El carretón". Already with his orchestra, from 1938, he registered 186 titles. They belong, in addition to the so-called "Devil's Cross", " Humiliation ", " Love and Waltz ", " As in a story ", " Golgotha ", " Magdala ", " For having a heart ", " Field outside ", "For la güella ”,“ Oh my mother! ”,“ Leave the world as it is ”and“ Indifference ”.
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