ucas Demare, Lucio´s
younger brother, became friends with Francisco
Canaro when he was only fifteen years old, in Paris. Although
his first devotion was music -he studied with Pedro
Maffia and he worked as bandoneonist with Manuel Pizarro-, his
true vocation was filmmaking.
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Lucas Demare
|
At his time of bandoneonist in the orchestra of the trio Irusta-Fugazot-Demare
he appeared on the Spanish movies "Boliche" (1932) and as
singer in "La Millona" (1937).
On his comeback to Buenos Aires he met again maestro Canaro, already
owner the film studio "Río de la Plata". Soon later,
"Pirincho" allowed
him to direct the movie "Dos amigos y un amor" (1938).
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Tita Merello
|
In 1951, for the same company he released the film "Guacho"
and in 1955, "Mercado de Abasto". On this latter film Tita
Merello sings Francisco
Canaro's milonga with lyrics by Ivo
Pelay "Se dice
de mí", a song that would identify her forever and
that she herself recorded with the Canaro orchestra a little before
with wide acclaim.
The first recording of this milonga was also made by Canaro with
Carlos Roldán on
vocals, on a recording made on May 19, 1943 and, curiously, the original
lyrics were written to be sung by a man because the protagonist was
of the male sex.
Se dice de mí (Male version)
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Betty "La Fea"
|
Se dice de mí...
se dice de mí...
Se dice que estoy fiero,
que camino a lo malevo
que soy chueco y que me muevo
con un aire compadrón.
Que parezco el negro Acosta
que mi napia es puntiaguda
que la pinta no me ayuda
que mi boca es un buzón.
Si miro a Renée,
a Luisa, a Mimi,
las chicas están
hablando de mí.
Critican si ya
la línea perdí,
se fijan si voy,
si vengo o si fui.
Se dice que estoy fiero,
mas si el pibe no interesa,
¿por qué pierden la cabeza
ocupándose de mí?
Yo se que muchas que desprecian,
comprar quieren
y suspiran
y se mueren
cuando piensan en mi amor.
Y más de una
se derrite si suspiro
y se queda,
si la miro,
resoplando como un Ford.
Si fiero soy,
pongámosle,
que de eso aun
no me enteré.
En el amor,
yo sólo se
que a más de diez
dejé de a pie.
Podrán decir,
podrán hablar
y murmurar
aunque rebuznar,
mas la fealdad
que Dios me dio
mucho Don Juan
me la envidió.
Y no dirán que me engrupí
porque modesto siempre fui.
¡Yo soy así!
Tita's rendition was so remarkable, that even though other singers
dared, none even came close to the interpretative and emotional quality
of her rendition.
Almost fifty years were needed for the reissue of that popular hit,
but neither in that style of interpretation nor by that female singer,
but by a soup opera in the Colombian television with a big popularity
in all the world, "Yo soy Betty, la fea".
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Yolanda Rayo
|
As a matter of fact, the musical theme of the soup opera is this
number sung by the Bogotan singer Yolanda Rayo, with milonga beat
and salsa beat. The excuse is the coincidence of the apparent ugliness
of the character in the song with the main character played by the
actress Ana María Orozco.
The rendition of this sensual and beautiful Yolanda Rayo is pleasant
and correct, with the great merit of attracting a lot of young people
to our popular music.
Her rendition is similar to the one sung by Merello,
with a few minor changes.
Se dice de mí (version of the soup opera)
Se dice de mí...
Se dice de mí...
se dice que soy fea,
que camino a lo malevo,
que soy chueca y que me muevo
con aire compadrón.
Que parezco un dinosaurio,
mi nariz es puntiaguda,
la figura no me ayuda
y mi boca es un buzón.
Si charlo con Luis,
con Pedro, con Juan
hablando de mí los hombres están.
Critican si ya
la línea perdí,
se fijan si voy,
si vengo o si fui,
se dice ¡ja!
muchas cosas mas
el bulto no interesa.
¿Por qué pierden la cabeza
ocupándose de mí?
Yo sé que hay muchos
que desprecian con mentiras
y suspiran y se mueren
cuando piensan en mi amor.
Y más de uno se derrite
si suspiro y se quedan si los miro
resoplando con temor.
Si fea soy
-pongámosle-
que de eso
ya yo me enteré,
más la fealdad
que Dios me dio
mucha mujer
me la envidió
y no dirán que me creí
porque modesta siempre fui.
Yo soy así.
Recordings of the milonga "Se dice de mí":
Carlos Roldán, Francisco Canaro Orchestra(05/19/43)
Tita Merello, Francisco Canaro Orchestra (07/23/54)
Gigi De Angelis, Alfredo De Angelis Orchestra (09/17/76)
Susana Tejedor, Domingo Lainez and José Rivero Guitars (1991)
Silvana Deluigi, with Luis Di Matteo on bandoneon(1995)
Silvia Gaudín, Trío Oscar De Elía (1996)
Serena Wey, Estufa Caliente Group(1997)
Roxana Fontán, accompanying group (1999)
Silvana Gregori, accompanying group (1999)
Mónica Pelay, accompanying group (1999)
María Tulián, Yerba Mala Group, (2000)
