Pascual Contursi facts for kids
Pascual Contursi (born November 18, 1888 – died May 28, 1932) was a talented Argentine poet, singer, and guitarist. He wrote the words for many famous tango songs. In total, he composed lyrics for 33 tango pieces.
Early Life and Music
Pascual Contursi was born in 1888 in Chivilcoy, a town in the pampas region of Argentina. His family later moved to Buenos Aires, settling in the San Cristóbal area. Pascual started writing song lyrics for his own guitar playing when he was still a teenager.
A few years later, he moved to Montevideo, Uruguay. There, he first performed his famous song, Mi noche triste (My Sad Night). He also became friends with Gerardo Matos Rodríguez, a tango composer whose father owned the cabaret where Pascual performed.
The Story of La Cumparsita
Gerardo Matos Rodríguez wrote La Cumparsita, which became one of the most famous tango songs ever. However, the original words for La Cumparsita were later replaced by lyrics written by Contursi. This version was known around 1924 as Si Supieras (If You Knew).
Matos Rodríguez helped make La Cumparsita popular by its original title. But it was Contursi's lyrics that became the version everyone knew. This was especially true after the famous tango singer Carlos Gardel performed it in a very recognizable way.
Later Years and Legacy
Contursi returned to Buenos Aires, where he wrote several stage comedies called sainetes. These plays were not very successful. In 1927, he moved to Europe, living in Madrid and Paris. While in Paris, he wrote the sad and thoughtful song Bandoneón arrabalero.
Pascual Contursi's health got worse in Paris, and he eventually became very poor. In 1932, Carlos Gardel, who was now a big movie star for Paramount Studios, paid for Contursi to return to Buenos Aires. Pascual Contursi died a few days later at the age of 43. His words helped shape many classic tango songs.
See also
In Spanish: Pascual Contursi para niños
