Works like Uno, Cafetín de Buenos Aires, Adiós, pampa mía, Gricel –to name but a few of his best known titles – place him among the most talented melod
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ory of the tango. He worked with the greatest poets and produced remarkable instrumental successes like Tanguera and the milonga Taquito Militar (seldom sung). His first big success, Cuartito Azul, has been current for seven decades, and he still has a hectic schedule as a conductor of his own orchestra. His career as a pianist, begun early in his life in the thirties as an interpreter of several genres of popular and academic music, was joined to that of sisters Myrna and Margot at the young Trio Mores. Cuartito Azul (lyrics by Mario Battistella) revealed his ability as a composer in 1938. During the next decade, conductor Francisco Canaro included him in his theater seasons. He wrote with the greatest lyric writers of the genre: Enrique Santos Discépolo (Uno, Cafetín de Buenos Aires, Sin palabras), José María Contursi (Gricel, Cristal, En esta tarde gris), Homero Manzi (Una lágrima tuya), among others. When he became independent as a conductor, he explored the possibilities of an international sound for successive orchestras, where arranger Martín Darré played a key role. Leading his shows, which invariably combine singers and dancers, he performed in Europe, the States and Japan, as well as regularly in Buenos Aires. He is the recognized head of a musical clan, belonging to which are his wife, Myrna, his children Nito and Silvia (singers) and his grandson Gabriel (singer, pianist and composer). Singer Hugo Marcel made his musical debut with Leopoldo Federico’s orchestra in 1957. In 1959, after performing in Miguel Caló’s orchestra for a short time, he joined Osvaldo Fresedo’s orchestra. In 1961 he left Fresedo’s orchestra and devoted himself to melodic songs for a three-year period. In 1964 he went back to tango singing as he was called upon by Mariano Mores to join his Orquesta Lírica Popular. After a while he left the orchestra to make an incursion into movie acting. He starred in two films: Una ventana al éxito (1966), and Así es Buenos Aires (1971). Television also played an important role in his career, as he regularly performed in Grandes Valores del Tango; a TV program he was strongly identified with. As a soloist he sang with famous conductors such as Roberto Pansera, Atilio Stampone and Carlos Galván. Enjoy his reunion with the Great Mariano Mores in 1990, when they did their version of “Por qué la Quise Tanto” (Mores-Taboada).