is tenure in the tango milieu was short but his mark was attached to the memory of all of us who once lived a happy tango yesterday.

He was born in the porteño neighborhood of Boedo where historical reminiscences, the passion for tango and the traditional craze for soccer represented by the Forzosos of Almagro were mixed.

Adrián was a kid made of crystal that became an autumn swallow to sing the lyrics of the music that his father Ángel made him love. His beloved father was also the first fan of this kid who had —as somebody accurately once said— «an expressive clear voice rooted in the great singers of the forties».

His brotherhood with tango grew up in appearances at venues in his neighborhood where, according to what Roberto Selles says, he was always accompanied by the guitarist Toto Serrano.

In 1977 and 1978 he appeared at the contests organized by the TV Channel 9, in the TV show Grandes Valores del Tango emceed by Silvio Soldán. So in May that year Adrián turned out the winner by interpreting the tango “Bailarín compadrito”, with music and lyrics written by the unforgettable Miguel Bucino.

This successful event launched the professional beginning of Adrián Guida. His early gigs are at La Casa de Carlos Gardel, the Club Mariano Moreno and other tango venues until his talent drew the attention of maestro Osvaldo Pugliese. The latter soon made him join his aggregation and his patron was the brilliant female vocalist Nelly Vázquez.

On July 1, 1980 Adrián recorded his first track with the orchestra led by don Osvaldo: the tango “Quinto año”. In the Pugliese orchestra he had to share the vocal responsibility with Abel Córdoba and he recorded with him, in a duo pairing: “Milonga para Gardel” and “Aquel encuentro” composed by Roberto Caló. With his partner he also recorded an ending with vocals of “La cumparsita (Si supieras)”.

As soloist, but always as vocalist of the orchestra led by the maestro, he cut several numbers as studio or live recordings. Besides the abovementioned "Quinto año", the following tangos stand out: "Almagro", "Vieja amiga", "Volver", "Contame una historia" and "Bailemos".

Some Pugliese fans regarded Adrián Guida as the new Alberto Morán; while others compared his gifts to those of Raúl Berón. Any one may have his choice about that but what we cannot put at stake is Adrián’s virtues for singing.

If I had had any doubt when I heard his interpretation of “La reja”, a tango composed in 1927 and which had been committed to record in Spain in three different renditions by Carlos Gardel, I was persuaded by his artistry. It was a tango with difficult parts that our Zorzal (Thrust) managed to solve due to his enormous talent and that Adrián faced with good intonation, according to the recordings of his live performances. Another interesting rendering of this tango is the one cut in 1956 by Floreal Ruiz with the José Basso orchestra.

Adrián was a young boy when he accepted the difficult task of singing with the maestro. A shy boy, respectful and that, for a time, blew a breeze of youth into don Osvaldo’s orchestra.

He seemed to be a man of the past, a singer of the forties and, however, he was a young man of that present that today we recall.

Always when we speak about him we are invaded by the memory of the time he said: «I used to sing at home and all of a sudden I was alongside Pugliese». He accompanied the latter in his later tours abroad.

In the discography of Osvaldo Pugliese we can find twelve numbers recorded by Guida, including two teaming up with Abel Córdoba and the abovementioned finale of “La cumparsita (Si supieras)”. Furthermore, there are recordings of the Pugliese’s appearances at the Teatro Colón, at the Cine Teatro Ópera and at other venues, as well as frequent performances on television.

Those who are much more acquainted say that the deaths of Adrián and Osvaldo’s grandson caused profound pains to maestro Pugliese from which he was never able to recover.

One day when Adrián was appearing at the La Casa Blanca of San Telmo, accompanied by the Sexteto Arrabal lined up by members of don Osvaldo’s aggregation, something unexpected took place. A sudden illness forced him to go to the Hospital Durand where he passed away a few hours later because of a lung edema. Regretfully his life had come to an end in that morning of December 1994.

Like Julián Centeya , «he carelessly departed one night and left us with an injuring memory.»

Si yo pudiera, volver quisiera,
las mismas cosas que me dio la juventud.
El mismo amor, las mismas ansias,
esas voces, las primeras,
que se llenaron de distancia.
(“Quinto año”)

If I had the power I would like to bring back
The same things that youth gave me.
The same love, the same anxieties,
Those voices, the first ones
That were covered by distance.
(“Fifth Year”)