Inspiración - “Inspiración”, a classic of the genre

he married couple consisting in the Spanish musician Peregrino Paulos and the Danish Juana Mogensen had three sons, also music players and connected to tango. One of them was pianist: Niels Jorge (also called Nelson). The other two were violinists: Roque and Peregrino. The latter would turn out one of the outstanding names in tango history for having composed the well-known “Inspiración” that he signed as Peregrino Paulos (hijo), like all his other numbers.

“Inspiración” was known in 1918 in the rendering of the group led by Augusto Berto. The aggregation included, besides the leader on bandoneon, Peregrino Paulos (hijo) himself and Horacio Gomila on violins, and Domingo Fortunato on piano, who later would be replaced by Niels Jorge Paulos. They used to play at a local on Avenida de Mayo 899 which, firstly, was known as Café Gaulois and, later, Bar Central and where Berto had even occupied the stage box in 1914. “Inspiración” was firstly known under another title: its name was “6ª del R. 2” which was a suggestion by Niels Jorge to his brother. It was dedicated to the Sixth Company of the 2nd Regiment of Infantry in which Niels had complied with his military service.

Peregrino Paulos (h) died at a young age and was unable to witness even the first signs of acclaim of his best conceived tango.

According to Niels (note in the Ocurrió magazine on February 13, 1965), Peregrino «was good-looking, with light color eyes, curly hair, aquiline slim nose, tall, stout». He died on November 21, 1921. His brother says in the same note: «He was in hospital for a long time. He suffered a lot, poor soul, he did not deserve it because he was always kind and tender. At home his death caused a huge emptiness and a deep grief».

In 1922, and with the definitive title, the tango “Inspiración” was recorded by the Roberto Firpo orchestra. Later it was forgotten until Pedro Maffia, with his orchestra in 1929, played it again. Among its members were Osvaldo Pugliese on piano and Elvino Vardaro on violin. “Inspiración” was heard again in the evenings at the Pelikan cabaret where the outfit received the unanimous acclaim of the audience. In the magazine La Canción Moderna of October 28, 1929 we read: «Pedro M. Maffia, the renowned Argentine bandoneonist, debuted with his orchestra at the new Pelikan Dancing on Montevideo Street. As it was logical, the audience that attended the debut warmly acclaimed Pedrito and his pleasant sidemen» (Let us add that the Pelikan was located on Montevideo Street between Corrientes and Sarmiento).

Maffia recorded the tango in 1930. Soon thereafter Luis Rubistein added lyrics to it. According to the interview by Ocurrió, the lyricist wrote the words «for a café orchestra», and according to Raúl Outeda, for a bet. Soon later it was committed to record, with vocals for the first time, by Agustín Magaldi.

Either in the Magaldi’s rendition or in the Maffia’s, the name of "J. Paulos", as composer, appears on the labels of the discs and, in the sheet music publications of that time as "N. E. Paulos". Because of that, some times “Inspiración” was thought that it belonged to Niels Jorge. But it was not so. Niels Jorge Paulos himself clears out in the above mentioned note that “Inspiración” was written by Peregrino. Surely, Niels might have signed it around 1930 because SADAIC did not exist then and in order to collect the royalties due to his brother’s death. As for “N. E. Paulos”, we think, it must have been a printer’s mistake. Niels Jorge appears as arranger in a transcription of “El distinguido ciudadano”, another well-known tango by Peregrino, when he wrote an easy version for beginners.

In 1932 Adolfo Carabelli with Alberto Gómez on vocals, Libertad Lamarque and Francisco Canaro and his orchestra recorded “Inspiración”. Ten years later, in 1943, two great orchestras recorded it: Miguel Caló (in an arrangement by Osmar Maderna) and Aníbal Troilo (in an arrangement by Astor Piazzolla).

Then it became a classic with uncountable renditions in Argentina and also abroad, like Carmen Cavallaro’s in the United States or the recent rendering by Milva, with Italian words by Rondinella.

Excerpted from the book "Cien tangos fundamentales", by Oscar del Priore and Irene Amuchástegui, Aguilar, Buenos Aires 1998.

Some recordings of "Inspiración":

Orchestra Roberto Firpo (1922).
Orchestra Pedro Maffia (1929).
Agustin Magaldi, with Orchestra (1931).
Orchestra Francisco Canaro (1932).
Orchestra Adolfo Carabelli, with Alberto Gómez (1932).
Libertad Lamarque, with Orchestra (1932).
Orchestra Eduardo Bianco (1934).
Orchestra Xavier Cugat (1936).
Trio Ciriaco Ortiz (1936).
Orchestra Miguel Caló (1943).
Orchestra Aníbal Troilo (1943, 1951, 1952 and 1957).
Piano duet Firpo and son(1946).
Orchestra Astor Piazzolla (1947 and 1957).
Orchestra Adolfo Rosquellas (1950).
Orchestra Carlos Demaría (1950).
Orchestra Osmar Maderna (1950).
Alberto Margal, with guitars (1953).
Orchestra Cristóbal Herreros, with Rodolfo Díaz (1954).
Orchestra Juan Canaro (1954).
Orchestra Enrique Francini (1956).
Orchestra Osvaldo Pugliese (1962).
Orchestra Chucho Ferrer, with Libertad Lamarque (1963).
Orchestra José Basso (1964 and 1970).
Orchestra Armando Pontier (1967).
Orchestra Juan D'Arienzo (1967).
Trio Fulvio Salamanca (1969).
Los Indios Tacunau (1970).
Orchestra Francini-Pontier (1973).
Sexteto Mayor (1974).
Quartet Estilo Tango (1978).
Orchestra Carlos García, with Francisco Llanos (1978).
Orchestra Armando Lacava, with Ester Lucía and Julio Posadas (1980).
Bandoneon solo by Fernando Tell (1982).
Bandoneon solo by Roberto Di Filippo (1982).
Orchestra José Colángelo (1987).
Guitar Solo by Conrado López Torres (1989).
Octeto de Buenos Aires Dir: Néstor Marconi (1991).
Quinteto Buenos Aires-Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1991).
Orchestra Los Gauchos Dir: Sammy Walker (1992).
Orchestra Doly Costa (1994)
Enrique Quagliano Group (1995).
Orchestra Yoshinori Yoneyama (1995)
Violin solo by Antonio D'Alessandro (1996)
Orchestra Pascual Mamone (1997).
Quinteto Argentino De Cuerdas (1997).
Puro Apronte (Peter Reil-Robert Schmidt) (1998).
Orchestra Típica Sans Souci (2003).
Orchestra Erica Di Salvo (2004).
Walter Laborde, with guitars by Diego Kvitko (2006).
Quartet Típico Catenacho (2008).
Orchestra De Puro Guapos (2008).
Ciudad Trio, with Daniel Aste.
Hugo Díaz and his group.
Quartet Los Porteñitos.
Quartet Palais de Glace.
Quartet Reynaldo Nichele.
Las Cuerdas de Oro.
Orchestra Alberto Di Paulo.
Orchestra Fernando Tell.
Orchestra Florindo Sassone.
Orchestra Jorge Dragone.
Orchestra Manuel Pizarro.
Orchestra Típica Brunswick.
Sextet Enrique Francini.
Bandoneon solo by Luciano Leocata.
Piano Solo by Luis Visca.
Piano Solo by Osvaldo Tarantino.
Milva, with group accompaniment.