Carlos Gardel

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Gardel began his singing career in bars and at private parties, later singing with Francisco Martino and in a trio with Martino and José Razzano. He created the tango-canción in 1917 with his rendition of Pascual Contursi and Samuel Castriota's 'Mi noche triste.' The recording sold 10,000 copies and was a hit throughout Latin America. He toured through Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, and made appearances in Paris, New York, Barcelona and Madrid. He sold 70,000 records in the first three months of a 1928 visit to Paris. He made several films for Paramount in France and the U.S., such as 'Cuesta abajo' (1934) and 'El día que me quieras' (1935), which showcased his singing talents and movie star looks. Gardel died on 24 June 1935 in a crash between two Ford Trimotor transport aircraft at Olaya Herrera Airfield, Medellín, Colombia. Others who died included lyricist Alfredo Le Pera and guitarists Guillermo Barbieri and Ángel Domingo Riverol. Millions of fans throughout Latin America went into mourning. His body was laid to rest in La Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires. A controversy over his birthplace arose in 1967 when Uruguayan writer Erasmo Silva Cabrera asserted Gardel was born in Tacuarembó, Uruguay. However, scholarly researchers analyzed French birth and baptismal records and confirmed his birthplace as Toulouse, France, in 1890.

Reader's Guide

Carlos Gardel is the most famous tango singer of all time and is recognized throughout the world. He is commonly referred to as 'Carlitos', 'El Zorzal' ('The Song Thrush'), 'The King of Tango', 'El Mago' ('The Wizard'), 'El Morocho del Abasto' ('The Brunette Boy from Abasto'), and ironically 'El Mudo' ('The Mute'). Gardel was born at the Hôpital de La Grave in Toulouse, France, to unmarried 25-year-old laundress Berthe Gardès at about 2 am on 11 December 1890. He was baptized Charles Romuald Gardès. His father was listed as 'unknown' on his birth certificate, but Berthe later signed a statement establishing the father as Paul Laserre, a married man. In early 1893, mother and son sailed to Buenos Aires, arriving on 11 March 1893. Gardel grew up speaking Spanish, and friends and family called him Carlos. In 1920, Gardel first applied for Uruguayan citizenship, claiming he was born in 1887 in Tacuarembó, Uruguay. This was likely to avoid problems with French authorities during an upcoming tour of France, as he had not registered for French military service. In 1931, Gardel wrote in a witnessed document, 'I am French, born in Toulouse, 11 December 1890, son of Berthe Gardes.' Gardel's death in a plane crash at the height of his career made him an archetypal tragic hero mourned throughout Latin America.

Did You Know?

• Gardel created the tango-canción in 1917 with his rendition of 'Mi noche triste,' which sold 10,000 copies.
• He sold 70,000 records in the first three months of a 1928 visit to Paris.
• Gardel died in a crash between two Ford Trimotor transport aircraft at Olaya Herrera Airfield in Medellín, Colombia.
• In 1920, Gardel applied for Uruguayan citizenship claiming he was born in Tacuarembó, Uruguay, likely to avoid French military service.
• Gardel's birth certificate, registered in Toulouse on 11 December 1890, lists his father as 'unknown.'