Francisco Canaro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francisco Canaro
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Portrait of Canaro, c. 1940.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Francisco Canarozzo |
| Born | November 26, 1888 San José de Mayo, Uruguay |
| Died | December 14, 1964 (aged 76) Argentina |
| Genres | Tango |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, orchestra leader |
| Instruments | Violin |
Francisco Canaro was a famous musician from Uruguay. He was born on November 26, 1888, and passed away on December 14, 1964. He was a talented violinist and led a very popular tango orchestra.
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Francisco Canaro was born in San José de Mayo, Uruguay, in 1888. His parents were immigrants from Italy. When he was less than 10 years old, his family moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
When he was young, Francisco worked in a factory. He was very creative and used an empty oil can to make his first violin! He started playing music in small, simple bars. Soon, his talent helped him build a long and successful music career. His orchestra made many recordings, more than almost any other.
Francisco learned about tango music from a famous orchestra leader named Vicente Greco in 1908. In 1912, Francisco wrote his own tango song called "Pinta brava." He also wrote the music for a classic Argentine movie from 1915 called Nobleza gaucha.
Rising to Stardom
In 1920, Francisco Canaro helped discover a new talent, Azucena Maizani. She quickly became a major star in the world of tango music.
Francisco also cared a lot about musicians getting paid fairly for their work. He helped create the Argentine Society of Composers and Songwriters (SADAIC) in 1935. This group helps protect the rights of musicians and songwriters. He even bought the land in Buenos Aires where their main office was built.
In 1925, Francisco and his orchestra traveled to Paris, France, to perform. They were a big hit with the audiences there. He stayed in Europe for ten years, sharing his music.
Later Career and Legacy
Francisco Canaro became an Argentine citizen in 1940. Much of his recorded music from that time sounds like classic "salon music," which was popular for dancing. He also helped tango music change and grow into what we hear in concerts today.
During the 1940s and early 1950s, Canaro's orchestra was a regular feature on Argentine radio. Many dancers and listeners especially loved his early recordings from the "golden age" of tango.
In 1956, Francisco wrote a book about his life called My Fifty Years with the Tango. Later, he became ill and had to stop performing. He passed away in Buenos Aires in 1964.
Film Music
Francisco Canaro also composed music for several films:
- New Port (1936)
- The Song of the Suburbs (1941)
