Re: [TANGO-L] Female singers

[Kos.Zahariev @EC.GC.CA]

 >Burak Ozkosem wrote:
 >
 >>I wish there would be some books about Divas of Argentine Tango such
 >>as L. Lamarque, Tita Merello, Nelly Omar, Amelita Baltar etc. But of
 >>course this sounds silly to wish, the fact that we, DJs even don't
 >>want to put Female "canta" into their milonga playlists.
 >
 >I wouldn't rush blaming DJs. I love to listen to Libertad Lamarque - she
 >does not hesitate to pull all the right strings when she sings. But dancing
 >to her is nearly impossible (at least to those albums I have).
 >
 >On the other hand, Rosas De Otono is four-star vals in my playlist for
 >dancing.
 >
 >Cheers, Oleh K.


It is true that a lot of the recordings feature the female vocalists in a
rather highlighted manner and (among other things) vary the tempo according to
the phrasing of the singer, making them typically is not suitable for
dancing.

However there are enough more danceable recordings that one can make a tanda
or two or three or more with..

I really like Mercedes Simone's voice - not quite as high as the soprano of
Lamarque; I think it is called mezzo-soprano voice - very sweet.

Libertad Lamarque's voice can be a bit too high at times and sometimes raises
eyebrows if I play her recordings, however maybe it is a matter of people
getting more used to it.

Others I play include Rosita Quiroga, Nelly Omar, Lita Morales (in a
Duo/Trio in Donato recordings), Emma Milan (contemporary singer), and probably
others I forget now.

I also have a couple of recordings featuring Tita Merello and I am not sure
what to think of her voice yet - seems a bit "meaty" or with a certain "grit"
and "colouring" that does not vibe with me very well, but it might be the
quality of the recordings; in any case, too few data points to make up my mind
about liking her tango singing.

Any suggestions for other female singers to listen to and play at milongas? My
collection is not as extensive as I would like, so I am sure I am yet to
discover more female tango singers.. Also please suggest specific songs that
you like or you think particularly showcase the female vocalist (yet are
suitable for dancing).

Cheers,
          Konstantin

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