The Rough Guide to Tango Legends: Carlos Gardel

Listening to these remastered selections from the huge body of work that Carlos Gardel compiled before his premature death at 44, you know that you are listening to the undisputed king of tango. Gardel was already an icon before his unexpected death, via a plane crash, in Colombia. Born in Toulouse, this adopted son of Buenos Aires starred in 11 feature films and several shorts thanks to his debonair looks and golden voice.

This release is just what it says: a rough guide. To whittle down some 750 songs to a mere 27 must have been challenging. Compiler Chris Moss has sensibly focused more on the cleaner, purer cuts rather than the tinnier early numbers to highlight the warbling baritone that earned Gardel the nickname of the ‘Creole Thrush’. Album highlights include the self-penned ‘El Dia Que Me Quieras’, ‘Por Una Cabeza’, ‘Volver’, and arguably the most famous tango of all, ‘La Cumparsita’. Like Edith Piaf, Bing Crosby and other worldwide singing stars of that era, Carlos Gardel may be an acquired taste. But if you fancy acquiring it, this Rough Guide is a good place to start.