Roberto Goyeneche
Encyclopedia
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 music
Tango is a style of ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, double bass, and two bandoneons...
singer of Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
descent, who epitomized the archetype of 1950s Buenos Aires' bohemian life, and became a living legend in the local music scene.
He was known as El Polaco ("the Pole
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
") due to his blond hair, and thinness, like the Polish immigrants of the time. He is identified with the neighborhood of Saavedra
Saavedra, Buenos Aires
Saavedra is a barrio of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is located in the Northern end of the city proper, close to Belgrano and Villa Urquiza. Its northern border is General Paz Avenue. Among the main features of the neighbourhood is Saavedra Park, which has large picnic areas and sports facilities...
, where he grew up.
Career
Roberto Goyeneche was formed in the style of the tango of Carlos GardelCarlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel was a singer, songwriter and actor, and is perhaps the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was born in Toulouse, France, although he never acknowledged his birthplace publicly, and there are still claims of his birth in Uruguay. He lived in Argentina from the age of two...
, later reached a more personal style. In 1944, at the age of 18, he joined Raúl Kaplún's orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
after winning a local contest and soon gave his live debut performance on Radio Belgrano. In 1952 Goyeneche teamed up with Horacio Salgán
Horacio Salgán
Horacio Adolfo Salgán is an Afro-Argentine pianist, composer, orchestra leader, and arranger who specializes in tango music....
.
In 1956, he became the singer in the orchestra of his dear friend Aníbal Troilo
Aníbal Troilo
Aníbal Carmelo Troilo was an Argentine tango musician.Anibal Troilo was a bandoneon player, composer, and bandleader in Argentina. His orquesta típica was among the most popular with social dancers during the golden age of tango , but he changed to a concert sound by the late 1950s...
, with whom he recorded 26 songs. Later, Goyeneche became the first singer to record Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music...
's classic Balada Para Un Loco, after starting his solo career in 1963.
During the 1980s, Goyeneche appeared as special guest in the movies El exilio de Gardel and Sur
Sur (film)
Sur is an Argentine drama film written and directed by Fernando E. Solanas. The film features Susú Pecoraro, Miguel Ángel Solá, Philippe Léotard, Lito Cruz, Ulises Dumont among others....
, both directed by Fernando Solanas
Fernando Solanas
Fernando Ezequiel 'Pino' Solanas is an Argentine film director, screenwriter and politician....
.
At the time of his death on 27 August 1994 in Buenos Aires, he was considered the greatest tango singer active. As a tribute, an avenue in the neighborhood of Saavedra, in Buenos Aires, is named after him.