Ángel Villoldo

Ángel Gregorio Villoldo Arroyo (16 February 1861 – 14 October 1919) was an Argentine musician and an early pioneer of tango music. He was a lyricist, composer, and one of the major singers of the era, and he transformed the Spanish tanguillos, cuplés, and habaneras into Argentine rhythms. His most famous works include "El Choclo" and "La Morocha", two of the first tangos to achieve mass circulation and international success. Early life Villoldo was born in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Barracas in 1861. Before dedicating himself to music, he held various jobs, including as a typographer, tram driver, circus clown, and journalist. He learned to play guitar and sing largely on his own. Career Theatre work Villoldo became a regular figure in the Buenos Aires entertainment scene at the turn of the 20th century, and he wrote comic songs and cuplés for local theatres. According to poet and lyricist Horacio Ferrer, Villoldo collaborated with actors such as Pepe, Pablo Podestá, and Angelina Pagano, providing songs and sketches that were incorporated into their productions. Many of his tangos and songs debuted in the theatre before entering sheet music and recording circuits. Songwriting and performance When performing, Villoldo often played the guitar and harmonica, telling stories through song. In 1889, he published a compilation of cantos criollos (creole folk songs). His best-known tango, "El Choclo" (1903), became common in the repertoires of theatre orchestras. In 1905, he collaborated with Alfredo Eusebio Gobbi and his wife, the Chilean Flora Rodríguez—parents of bandleader and violinist Alfredo Gobbi—on "La Morocha", which became one of the first tangos to achieve mass circulation, with more than 280,000 copies of sheet music sold. Other titles by Villoldo, such as "El Porteñito", "Cantar eterno"—(recorded in 1917 by the duo of Carlos Gardel and José Razzano)—and numerous cuplés, were widely performed in theatres and cafés.