Juan Dionisio Tobares Galletti, better known by his stage name Rodolfo Galé (26 December 1928 – 25 October 1972) was an Argentine

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Arge ...

singer Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

. He stood out for his baritone-range voice, with a deep and powerful tone. Much of his career took place during the 1950s, when he performed as a singer in tango orchestras led by figures such as Florindo Sassone, José Basso, and Carlos Di Sarli. Later, he was also part of the orchestras of Roberto Caló and

Francisco Canaro Francisco Canaro, also known by the nickname Pirincho, (November 26, 1888 – December 14, 1964) was a Uruguayan violinist and tango orchestra leader. Canaro was born in San José de Mayo, Uruguay, in 1888. His parents were Italian immigrants, ...

. Throughout his career, he performed numerous classic tangos and waltzes, becoming part of the so-called "Golden Age" of

Argentine tango Argentine tango is a musical genre and accompanying social dance originating at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. It typically has a Time signature, or rhythmic time signature, and two or three parts repeating in pat ...

Life

Rodolfo Galé was born on December 26, 1928, in the city of Mendoza, Argentina. He was orphaned at a young age and was raised by his older sisters. From a very young age, he showed an interest in music and singing, especially tango. At the age of 15, he won a new voices contest in Mendoza by performing the tango ''Melodía de arrabal'', which encouraged his artistic vocation. In 1945, he joined the

orquesta típica Orquesta típica, or simply a típica, is a Latin American term for a band which plays popular music. The details vary from country to country. The term tends to be used for groups of medium size (about 8 to 12 musicians) in some well-defined in ...

of bandoneonist Aníbal Appiolaza in Mendoza, and in 1947 he moved to Córdoba to sing in the ensemble led by Torcuato Wermuth. In 1949, he arrived in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

, where he performed live acts in city cinemas accompanied by guitars.

Professional career

At the beginning of the 1950s, Galé joined the tango orchestra of Florindo Sassone. Due to the resignation of singers Roberto Chanel and Raúl Lavalle, Galé was brought in as the sole vocalist of that ensemble in 1951. On May 30, 1951, he recorded his first album with the Sassone orchestra for the RCA Victor label: the tango ''Testamento de arrabal'', with music by Oscar Castagniaro and lyrics by Raúl Hormaza. Throughout that year, he recorded other notable tracks such as ''Íntimas'' and ''Trago amargo''. In total, along with singer Jorge Casal, he was one of the most prolific performers of the Sassone orchestra, with sixteen recordings for the Victor company. In 1953, he joined José Basso's orchestra, replacing Jorge Durán, at the suggestion of singer Oscar Ferrari. With Basso, he recorded several tracks for the Odeon label, including the famous tango ''Cuesta abajo''. In the following years, he also recorded works such as ''Patoteros'', ''Doblando el codo'', and the waltz ''Eras como la flor'', solidifying his career as an orchestra singer. In the second half of 1955, he was recruited by Carlos Di Sarli when the maestro completely renewed his orchestra. In 1956, he recorded two tangos with Di Sarli that became classics: ''Noche de locura'' (music by Manuel Sucher and Carlos Bahr) and the waltz ''Mala yerba'' (music by Arturo Gallucci and Abel Aznar). These recordings were made for RCA Victor and are representative pieces of his repertoire. In 1957, Galé joined Roberto Caló's orchestra, alongside singer

Héctor De Rosas Héctor De Rosas (2 October 1931 – 26 July 2015), whose real name was Héctor Ángel González Padilla, was an Argentine singer dedicated to the tango genre with a long career in his country. Early years His father, named Manuel, was a Spani ...

. During 1957 and 1958, he recorded numerous tracks with Caló, standing out the duet ''Limosna de amor'' (with Héctor de Rosas) and the waltzes ''Mi colegiala''and ''Si vos no me querés''. He also recorded at that time the zamba ''Luna tucumana'' (by

Atahualpa Yupanqui Atahualpa Yupanqui (; born Héctor Roberto Chavero Aramburu; 31 January 1908 – 23 May 1992) was an Argentine- Spanish singer, songwriter, guitarist, and writer. He is considered one of the most important Argentine folk musicians of the 20th cen ...

), as well as songs he sang solo, such as ''Y con eso ¿dónde voy?'' and ''Mañana seré feliz''. In 1959, he was invited by

to perform in theaters, dances, and on the radio with his orchestra. However, that year Galé suffered severe chest pains and was advised by a cardiologist to temporarily step away from singing. Due to his financial needs, he could not retire completely and continued touring the interior of the country.

Recordings

Rodolfo Galé recorded numerous pieces that are now considered classics of tango and waltz. Among his best-known performances are the tangos ''Testamento de arrabal'' and ''Trago amargo'' (with Florindo Sassone), ''Cuesta abajo'' and ''Doblando el codo'' (with José Basso), and ''Noche de locura'' and ''Mala yerba'' (with Carlos Di Sarli). Popular waltzes such as ''Mi colegiala'' and ''Si vos no me querés'' (recorded with Roberto Caló) are also part of his discography. Many of these recordings are included in later compilations dedicated to the Golden Age of tango.

Death

Rodolfo Galé died suddenly on October 25, 1972, due to a heart attack, shortly before turning 44 years old. His death was mourned in the tango community. The singer Oscar Ferrari, Galé’s orchestra partner, described him as “the brother I never had,” highlighting his humanity and loyal friendship.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Galé, Rodolfo 1972 deaths 1928 births Argentine musicians Argentine tango musicians Argentine singers