is most important researcher, Eduardo Visconti, so defines his style and his voice: «His interpretation was dramatic and at the same time, melodic. A peculiar voice, with a baritone-tenor range, pleasant timbre and clear diction, strong voice, melodious and with good intonation, clearly influenced by Gardel».

He was born in the neighborhood of Palermo. His ancestors were Italians, his father was a policeman, first, and later a worker at a place manufacturing concrete tiles. Her mother was from Lugo, Galicia, and was the householder of the place where they lived. She had a younger sister that also ventured in singing with the nickname of Diana Rey and later as bolero singer in the Don Fabián orchestra, as Alba Morena.

He went to school only for the necessary time, at 17 he had to begin to work at a workshop for automobile repair. At that time two totally opposed disciplines, boxing and singing, became his hobby. He had a striking physical countenance and was fond of sports. His practice as fighter was made at the Boxing Club Colegiales, which was very near his place.

From 1933 to 1937, the little money he got was earned by boxing, until a blow made him quit the activity to devote only to singing.

In 1936, with the help of some friends, he appeared at the café Río De La Plata, which was located in front of the monument for the Cid, at the corner of the avenues Ángel Gallardo and Honorio Pueyrredón. He made his debut bearing the name Tito Falivene and he was playing there for three months. Later he sang at a festival, which took place at the cinema theater Argentino of the neighborhood of Palermo, accompanied by the guitars of Osvaldo Avena, Pablo Rechia and Antonio Ianigro.

In 1937, he was accompanied by the Anselmo Aieta orchestra, at a local in the Exposición Rural (Rural exhibition), at the field that now exists in front of Plaza Italia at Palermo.

That same year, he continued his career with the Orquesta Característica Porteña, led by Dante Liguori. Soon, he enrolled for the second contest sponsored by Puloil soap, broadcast by Radio Belgrano and with 5000 applicants, from which the ten new voices of the year 1938 were chosen. The previous contest had been won by the singer Hugo Gutiérrez, and the second prize was for Andrés Falgás.

The choice was defined by the vote of the listeners who were over 200.000. The contestants were accompanied by the Juan Canaro orchestra and by the guitars of Vila, Ciaccio and Cortese.

Our young applicant appeared as Vicente Falivene and sang two tangos: “Lo han visto con otra” and “Confesión”; in the end he turned out winner. The award consisted of a six-month gig which meant 500 pesos a month.

As a curious information, out of the rest of the chosen ones, we can only highlight Chola Luna and at an inferior level, Laurita Esquivel. The rest did not stand out.

He began to study and vocalize at the conservatory that Gabriel Clausi, (El Chula) had, later at the academy run by the Rubistein brothers. Until 1940 he appeared in several radio stations and later he worked at the winery La Superiora. At that time, his gigs decreased for a short period, in which we may highlight his appearance, during 15 days, with the Alberto Pugliese orchestra (Osvaldo’s brother).

Due to the fact that the singer Carlos Casares split with the orchestra of Juan D'Arienzo, the leader started to look after his replacement. The audition was held at the B room of Radio El Mundo, where numerous applicants were present. Nearly at the end, the chance for our singer came and he sang the tango by Pedro Maffia and Celedonio Flores: “La mariposa”, accompanied on piano by Fulvio Salamanca, who was tired of so much work. Fulvio, tired, when he heard him was recovered and looked up towards the place where D'Arienzo was, then he encouraged the boy: «Come on, boy, you already persuaded the maestro!»

As it was to be expected, the debut was made at the venue frequented by the leader, the cabaret Chantecler. Then he started to bear his artistic name, Héctor, after Héctor Varela, lead bandoneon and arranger of the orchestra and Mauré, thinking of D'Arienzo's wife whose family name was Maure, only added the written accent to it.

On December 12, 1940 he made his debut on record with the waltz by Juan Carlos Graviz, “Flor de mal”, on the other side: Horacio Pettorossi's “Esclavas blancas”, sung by Alberto Reynal. His last recording with D'Arienzo was on July 21, 1944 with the tango “Amarras” (by Carlos Marchisio and Carmelo Santiago); they were a total number of 50 recordings.

On January 1st , 1945 he began his career as soloist, appearing on Radio Belgrano, with his own orchestra led by the bandoneonist Alberto Cima. He performed as well with the guitar groups led by José Canet and by Roberto Grela.

His success was remarkable and he almost worked daily, he appeared at every town and in Uruguay as well. In the late 1949 he is persuaded by Juan Canaro and he sailed towards France. But disagreements with the leader arose before their debut. He came back frustrated, but with the satisfaction of having had some classes with André Huc Santana, who was the lead bass singer in the Opera of Paris.

In 1953 he married Susana Esther Bassini. He lived in our capital and a few years later he bought his own house in the city of Ituzaingó (about 22 kilometers from Buenos Aires downtown). He was father of three daughters.

In September 1955, due to the fall of the government of General Perón, to which he adhered, he was banned on all radio stations.

In 1960, tango slowly begins to disappear of radio and television, the enterprises are tempted to favor new rhythms. Out of the many locals where Mauré appeared at that time we have to remember El Rincón de los Artistas run by the Forastieri brothers, a venue that fought hard for tango spreading and, where also Héctor Mauré made his debut on November 7, 1965 and was exclusive artist until May 9, 1976.

Three days later, unexpectedly, he died of a heart attack at his house.

He made 293 recordings for the labels Victor, Orfeo, Columbia and Music Hall.

Besides the musicians already mentioned, he was accompanied by the orchestras led by Carlos Demaría, Juan Sánchez Gorio, Héctor Varela, Lito Escarso, Jorge Dragone, Leopoldo Federico and as well by a group of his own led by Pascual Elía. In many cases not even the name of the orchestra was mentioned on the record, such is the case of Héctor Varela who accompanied him with a sextet.

As author and composer he filed in SADAIC 26 numbers; one of them, the tango “Oro y diamantes”, was recorded by Juan D'Arienzo.

As a sympathetic and rare information, let us remember that his first artistic manager was the famous comedian Fidel Pintos.

His renditions of the tangos “Amarras”, “Cicatrices” and “Cosas olvidadas” are printed in the anthology of the best tango, because of his warm voice, his Gardelian spirit and his trademark of honest Buenos Aires denizen.

The author took into account the book Héctor Mauré. Cronología de su vida y trayectoria artística, by Eduardo Visconti, Editorial Corregidor, Buenos Aires 1993.