Ángel Villoldo

Ángel Gregorio Villoldo Arroyo
Villoldo in the early 1900s
Background information
Born	(1861-02-16)16 February 1861
Died	14 October 1919(1919-10-14) (aged 58)
Genres	Tango
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar harmonica

Ángel Gregorio Villoldo Arroyo (16 February 1861 – 14 October 1919) was an Argentine musician, lyricist, composer, and playwright. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of tango music, and is remembered for bridging the world of theatre, popular song, and early tango. His most famous works include El Choclo and La Morocha, two of the first tangos to achieve mass circulation and international success.^[1][2]

Villoldo was born in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Barracas in 1861. Before dedicating himself to music, he held various jobs—typographer, tram driver, circus clown, journalist, and horseman (cuarteador). He learned guitar and singing largely on his own, and his immersion in popular entertainment placed him in direct contact with the humor and characters of everyday Buenos Aires.^[3]

Villoldo became a regular figure in the teatros por horas at the turn of the 20th century. He wrote comic songs and cuplés for theatres such as the Teatro Apolo, Teatro Nacional, and Teatro Politeama. His portrayals of Buenos Aires characters—compadritos, immigrants, street vendors, Afro-porteños—made him a recognizable figure of the sainete criollo.^[4][5]

According to Horacio Ferrer, Villoldo collaborated with theatre impresarios and actors including Pepe and Pablo Podestá and Angelina Pagano, providing songs and sketches that were incorporated into their productions. Many of his tangos and songs debuted in the theatre before entering the sheet music and recording circuits.^[6]

Villoldo wrote some of the earliest and most popular tangos and criollo songs. His best-known work, El Choclo (1903), quickly entered the repertoires of theatre orchestras.^[7] In 1905 he collaborated with Alfredo Gobbi and Flora Rodríguez on La Morocha, which became one of the first tangos to achieve mass circulation, with more than 280,000 copies of sheet music sold.^[8]

Other titles, such as El Porteñito, Cantar eterno, and numerous cuplés, were widely performed in theatres and cafés. His lyrics often blended humor and topical references, reflecting his roots as a journalist and entertainer.^[9]

In 1907, under contract with the Buenos Aires department store Gath & Chaves, Villoldo traveled with Alfredo and Flora Gobbi to Paris, where they made pioneering tango recordings. Among them were La Morocha (sung by Flora Gobbi, originally titled Cariño puro) and El Choclo, performed by the Band of the Republican Guard of Paris.^[10] These sessions marked the tango’s entry into the European market.

At the same time in Buenos Aires, the Rondalla de José Vázquez recorded some of the first tangos for Odeón.^[11] Within a few years, El Choclo was adopted by international ensembles, including the Victor “Spanish Band” in the United States,^[12] making Villoldo’s composition one of the earliest tangos to circulate widely across continents.

By the 1910s, Villoldo’s popularity was eclipsed by newer tango composers and professional singers, though his works remained in circulation. He died in Buenos Aires on 14 October 1919 at the age of 58.^[18]

Villoldo is remembered as “el padre del tango canción”, a songwriter who bridged the stage, the street, and the recording studio.^[19] Works like El Choclo and La Morocha remain staples of the tango repertoire and are considered classics of Argentine popular culture.^[20] His pioneering efforts in Paris and the U.S. gave tango its first foothold on the international stage.^[21]

• El Choclo (1903)
• La Morocha (1905, with Alfredo Gobbi and Flora Rodríguez)
• El Porteñito (c. 1900)
• Cantar eterno
• Numerous comic cuplés for theatre

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ángel Villoldo.

• Ángel Gregorio Villoldo recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.