Ada Falcon
Encyclopedia
Ada Falcón was an Argentine
tango
dancer, singer and film actress of the 1920s and 1930s. She starred in the film Idolos de la radio
in 1934. She was famous for her tango work and made over 200 recordings in the 1920s and 1930s. She shared a long relationship with orchestra leader Francisco Canaro
. She mysteriously disappeared from the limelight in 1942 and lived as a recluse until she died in 2002 at age 96.
She worked in numerous musical shows and also as an actress in theater and movies. In 1925 she made her first tango recordings as a soloist with the orchestra of Osvaldo Fresedo for Victor Records.
Falcón was a mezzo-soprano, an unusual register for tango singers at the time, who generally were sopranos.
She became famous singing with the orchestra of Francisco Canaro
. Between 1930 and 1942 she was at the high point of her artistic life, when she made more than 200 recordings and became very wealthy.
.
She had a turbulent romantic relationship with Canaro.
The cause of this withdrawal is a mystery; she never talked about it. Speculation that love disappointments with Canaro could have been an important element was never confirmed.
After a while she became a "tertiary nun
" and entered an isolated convent in the hills of Córdoba Province
. There she lived as a pauper by her own choice, in a small cell with little furniture and frugal meals, until she was transferred at an advanced age to a retirement home due to failing health.
She died in 2002 and is buried in the mausoleum dedicated to famous artists in Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires
.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
tango
Tango (dance)
Tango dance originated in the area of the Rio de la Plata , and spread to the rest of the world soon after....
dancer, singer and film actress of the 1920s and 1930s. She starred in the film Idolos de la radio
Idolos de la radio
Idols of the Radio is a 1934 Argentine tango film directed by Eduardo Morera and written by Nicolás de las Llanderas and Arnaldo Malfatti. Starring Ada Falcon, Tito Lusiardo and Tita Merello.-Cast:*Ada Falcon*Olinda Bozán*Ignacio Corsini...
in 1934. She was famous for her tango work and made over 200 recordings in the 1920s and 1930s. She shared a long relationship with orchestra leader Francisco Canaro
Francisco Canaro
Francisco Canaro was an Uruguayan-Argentine violinist and tango orchestra leader.His parents, Italians emigrated to Uruguay, and later - when Francisco Canaro was less than 10 years old, they emigrated to Buenos Aires in the late nineteenth century. Canaro was born in San José de Mayo, Uruguay,...
. She mysteriously disappeared from the limelight in 1942 and lived as a recluse until she died in 2002 at age 96.
Early life
Falcón was born in Buenos Aires in 1905 where she started to act in theater as a little girl (11 years old), known as "la joyita Argentina" (the little Argentinian jewel). At age 13 she took part in her first movie El festin de los Caranchos in 1918.She worked in numerous musical shows and also as an actress in theater and movies. In 1925 she made her first tango recordings as a soloist with the orchestra of Osvaldo Fresedo for Victor Records.
Falcón was a mezzo-soprano, an unusual register for tango singers at the time, who generally were sopranos.
She became famous singing with the orchestra of Francisco Canaro
Francisco Canaro
Francisco Canaro was an Uruguayan-Argentine violinist and tango orchestra leader.His parents, Italians emigrated to Uruguay, and later - when Francisco Canaro was less than 10 years old, they emigrated to Buenos Aires in the late nineteenth century. Canaro was born in San José de Mayo, Uruguay,...
. Between 1930 and 1942 she was at the high point of her artistic life, when she made more than 200 recordings and became very wealthy.
Personal life
After she became wealthy, Falcón enjoyed luxury, furs, expensive jewelry and fame. She lived in a beautiful three story house in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of PalermoPalermo, Buenos Aires
Palermo is a neighborhood, or barrio of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. It is located in the northeast of the city, bordering the barrios of Belgrano to the north, Almagro and Recoleta to the south, Villa Crespo and Colegiales to the west and the Río de la Plata river to the east. With a total...
.
She had a turbulent romantic relationship with Canaro.
Seclusion
In 1942 Falcón suddenly withdrew from public life and remained isolated in her house, avoiding contact with the outside world. She occasionally left the house to go to mass dressed entirely in black, her face covered by a net or by sunglasses, wearing a white turban and white gloves.The cause of this withdrawal is a mystery; she never talked about it. Speculation that love disappointments with Canaro could have been an important element was never confirmed.
After a while she became a "tertiary nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
" and entered an isolated convent in the hills of Córdoba Province
Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca...
. There she lived as a pauper by her own choice, in a small cell with little furniture and frugal meals, until she was transferred at an advanced age to a retirement home due to failing health.
She died in 2002 and is buried in the mausoleum dedicated to famous artists in Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
.
Life documentary
Filmmakers Lorena Munoz and Sergio Wolf made a documentary about Falcón's life, titled Yo no sé qué me han hecho tus ojos (I Don't Know What Your Eyes Have Done to Me), which was released in 2003. Although she had not allowed her picture to be taken in nearly 60 years and rarely gave interviews, she allowed the filmmakers to film an interview with her shortly before her death.Films
- El festin de los Caranchos (1918)
- Tu cuna fue un conventillo (1925)
- Idolos de la radioIdolos de la radioIdols of the Radio is a 1934 Argentine tango film directed by Eduardo Morera and written by Nicolás de las Llanderas and Arnaldo Malfatti. Starring Ada Falcon, Tito Lusiardo and Tita Merello.-Cast:*Ada Falcon*Olinda Bozán*Ignacio Corsini...
(1934) - Yo no sé qué me han hecho tus ojos (2003)