hen he was a kid his father taught him to play guitar and, after his first attempts in his neighborhood he teamed up with Juan Maglio (Pacho) with whom he played with dignity.

As singer he was part of some dúos criollos (Barbieri-Cardelli, among others) to later become in 1921 accompanist of Gardel and Razzano, when the latter made a tour of the province of Buenos Aires, teaming up with José Ricardo as a guitar duet.

Save for the seasons in 1932 and 1934 when he did not appear alongside Gardel, he was almost always by his side, making with him several tours of Uruguay, Spain, France, U.S.A., Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Colombia where he died together with the singer and the other partners.

He appeared in the movie Luces de Buenos Aires, alongside Carlos Gardel, in which he sings a chacarera teaming up in duo with Riverol.

According to the newspapers of the time which would have collected words from eyewitnesses, the immortal singer might have told him, before boarding the tragic plane, something like the following: «Look, brother; I’ll take care of your worry, and, why shouldn’t I say it?, I feel likewise. I’m tired of drifting around. Like you and the other boys, I want to stop for good. I swear you, Negro, this is the last trip. After this one we’ll stay still on the ground. Where shall we be safer than on the ground?»

The Zorzal Criollo’s repertoire is nurtured by songs that belong to him, many of them keep the popularity they reached in their time. He is the composer with the largest number of pieces recorded by Gardel, as follows: “Alicia”, waltz (Cárdenas); “Anclao en París”, tango (Cadícamo); “Ansias de amor”, tango with his own lyrics; “Barrio viejo”, tango, (Cárdenas); “Besos que matan”, tango (Cárdenas); “Cariñito”, tango (Garros Pe); “Cruz de palo”, tango (Cadícamo); “Dicha pasada”, tango (his own lyrics); “El que atrasó el reloj”, tango (Cadícamo); “Flor del valle”, tango (Garros Pe); “Guaminí”, tango (Cárdenas); “Idilio campero”, tango (his own lyrics); “Incurable”, tango (Barboza); “La novia ausente”, tango (Cadícamo); “Mar bravío (Lobo de mar)”, tango (his own lyrics); “Mi manta pampa”, zamba (his own lyrics); “Mi ranchito”, song (his own lyrics); “Pobre amigo”, tango (Rial); “Quejas del alma”, tango (his own lyrics); “Qué lindo es el shimmy”, shimmy (Cárdenas); “Quién tuviera dieciocho años”, tango (Giliberti); “Recordándote”, tango (De Grandis); “Resignate hermano”, tango (co-written with Ricardo, words by Rial); “Rosa de otoño (Rosas de otoño)”, vals (Rial); “Salve patria”, estilo (Cárdenas); “Tierra hermana”, tango (Cárdenas); “Trovas”, tango (his own lyrics, music by Riverol); “Tus violetas”, tango (his own lyrics); “Tu vieja ventana”, vals (Río); “Viejo curda”, tango (De Grandis) and “Viejo smoking”, tango (Flores).

He also has several compositions more, which on the contrary to what many people think, were not sung by Gardel, such as “Lunático”, tango (Cárdenas); “Goce la vida”, tango (Giliberti); “Griselda”, waltz (Garros Pe); “Tiempos felices”, tango (Cárdenas); “No conversés”, tango (Giliberti ).

Other beautiful songs were recorded by the Ruiz-Acuña duo: “Trovas galanas”, waltz with lyrics by Cárdenas; “Flores azules”, “La casita blanca”, waltzes, and “Doña Rosario”, chacarera, with lyrics by Rial; “Al caer la tarde” and “Al pie de tu reja”, waltzes written with Rafael Rossi.

His compositions evidence his great musical talent: “Santos Vega”, co-written with Ignacio Corsini (It is from 1921 and if it is not his very first composition, surely it is one of the earliest); “Cancionera”, “Olvidao” (tangos) and “Tus manos” (waltz) with lyrics by Cadícamo; “Será posible” (tango) and “En la estancia de Don Ramiro” (ranchera) with Cárdenas; “Los reseros” (song) with Rossi; “Palermo [b]” (tango) with Dizeo and Budano; “Pa' lo que te va a durar” (tango) with Cele Flores; “Tu abandono” (tango) with Moreno; “La picardía” (chacarera) with Rial; “El tala” (waltz) with Aprile, “Los ruiseñores” (tango), among them there are some recorded by Corsini, Alberto Gómez, Azucena Maizani and other popular singers.

Besides Gardel, with his guitar he backed Ignacio Corsini, Alberto Gómez, Adelma Falcón, Oscar Ugarte.

Barbieri was born in Buenos Aires (Balvanera) on September 25, 1894 and died in Medellín (Colombia) on June 24, 1935.