Enrique Cadícamo
Encyclopedia
Enrique Domingo Cadícamo (Luján, Buenos Aires province
, June 15, 1900 – Buenos Aires
, December 3, 1999) was a prolific Argentine
tango
lyricist
, poet
and novelist. From an initial Symbolist bent, he developed a distinctive, lunfardo
-rich style from an early age, and by 1925 he had his first piece, Pompas de jabón, sung by Carlos Gardel
. Other notable compositions include Madame Ivonne, Che, papusa, oí, Anclado en París, Muñeca brava, Al Mundo le falta un Tornillo
, Pa' que bailen los muchachos and Los mareados ("The dizzy ones"), originally titled Los dopados ("The doped ones"), about a couple that vows to get drunk after realizing their love is over.
Also prolific as a writer, he published three volumes of lyrical
poetry
(Canciones grises, 1926; La luna del bajo fondo, 1940; and Viento que lleva y trae, 1945), three biographical and historical books (El debut de Gardel en París, La historia del tango en Paris and Mis memorias), some theatrical works (La epopeya del tango and La baba del diablo, both co-written with Félix Pelayo, and El romance de dos vagos in collaboration with Germán Ziclis) and the narrative pieces El cantor de Buenos Aires, with Alberto Ballerini, and Los cuentos de un príncipe with Martín Lemos. In 1936 he wrote and directed the film Noites Cariocas
.
As a recognition to his career, he was declared Illustrious Citizen of the city of Buenos Aires in 1987, and Emeritus of Argentine Culture in 1996. He died at 99 from heart failure
Los mareados has enjoyed several revivals; it has been part of Mercedes Sosa
's repertoire since the 1980s, and was also covered by Roberto Goyeneche
and Andrés Calamaro
.
Another Cadícamo lyric, Por la vuelta ("[A toast] to [our] return") is a mirror image of Los mareados: two former lovers meet a year after splitting up, find that their mutual friendship has survived their estrangement, and agree to drink to that. Incidentally, the drink of choice in both stories is champagne.
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
, June 15, 1900 – 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...
, December 3, 1999) was a prolific Argentine
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...
lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and novelist. From an initial Symbolist bent, he developed a distinctive, lunfardo
Lunfardo
Lunfardo is a dialect originated and developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the lower classes in Buenos Aires and the surrounding Gran Buenos Aires, and from there spread to other cities nearby, such as Rosario and Montevideo, cities with similar socio-cultural situations...
-rich style from an early age, and by 1925 he had his first piece, Pompas de jabón, sung by Carlos Gardel
Carlos 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...
. Other notable compositions include Madame Ivonne, Che, papusa, oí, Anclado en París, Muñeca brava, Al Mundo le falta un Tornillo
Al Mundo le falta un Tornillo
Al Mundo le falta un Tornillo is a tango of Argentina composed in 1932 by José María Aguilar Porrás with lyrics by Enrique Cadícamo....
, Pa' que bailen los muchachos and Los mareados ("The dizzy ones"), originally titled Los dopados ("The doped ones"), about a couple that vows to get drunk after realizing their love is over.
Also prolific as a writer, he published three volumes of lyrical
Lyric poetry
Lyric poetry is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the ancient world, lyric poems were those which were sung to the lyre. Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat...
poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
(Canciones grises, 1926; La luna del bajo fondo, 1940; and Viento que lleva y trae, 1945), three biographical and historical books (El debut de Gardel en París, La historia del tango en Paris and Mis memorias), some theatrical works (La epopeya del tango and La baba del diablo, both co-written with Félix Pelayo, and El romance de dos vagos in collaboration with Germán Ziclis) and the narrative pieces El cantor de Buenos Aires, with Alberto Ballerini, and Los cuentos de un príncipe with Martín Lemos. In 1936 he wrote and directed the film Noites Cariocas
Noites Cariocas
Noites Cariocas is a 1936 Brazilian-Argentine comedy film directed and written by Enrique Cadícamo. It is based on a story by F. Gianetti...
.
As a recognition to his career, he was declared Illustrious Citizen of the city of Buenos Aires in 1987, and Emeritus of Argentine Culture in 1996. He died at 99 from heart failure
Los mareados has enjoyed several revivals; it has been part of Mercedes Sosa
Mercedes Sosa
Haydée Mercedes Sosa, known as La Negra, was an Argentine singer who was popular throughout South America and some countries outside the continent. With her roots in Argentine folk music, Sosa became one of the preeminent exponents of nueva canción. She gave voice to songs written by both...
's repertoire since the 1980s, and was also covered by Roberto Goyeneche
Roberto Goyeneche
Roberto Goyeneche was an Argentine tango singer of Basque 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 due to his blond hair, and thinness, like the Polish immigrants of the time...
and Andrés Calamaro
Andrés Calamaro
Andrés Calamaro , is an Argentine musician, composer and Latin Grammy winner. His former band Los Rodríguez was a major success in Spain in the 1990s. He became one of the main icons of the Argentine rock in the last two decades and has sold over 1.3 million copies.-Abuelos de la Nada:Calamaro was...
.
Another Cadícamo lyric, Por la vuelta ("[A toast] to [our] return") is a mirror image of Los mareados: two former lovers meet a year after splitting up, find that their mutual friendship has survived their estrangement, and agree to drink to that. Incidentally, the drink of choice in both stories is champagne.
External links
- Gardel 2008 film original screenplay by Enrique Cadicamo Adaptation & translation English by Martin de luca