uccess may be ephemeral, capricious, many times inexplicable, and this frequently occurs in tango, where is hard to understand the oblivion or the transcendence of its protagonists.

Alberto Gómez was an impeccable singer, very popular due to his participation in the Argentine cinema, blessed with a refined voice with tenor range. However his fame was limited to the brief time of his movies, to his period of singer. Time was slowly but implacably marginating it from popular memory.

It is true that he looked for other horizons and as well, like other great soloists of the thirties, the forties found him touring Latin America with an extraordinary acclaim. Like Charlo, Agustín Irusta and Hugo Del Carril, he was the tango ambassador all over the continent.

This can be the explanation to the mystery of his scarce artistic transcendence today. Being outside the country during the renaissance that took place in the 40s —a decade prolific in musicians and vocalists— is, I think, what caused such lamentable oblivion.

But the truth is that we are facing an exceptional artist, who must be considered, due to his own merits, in the gallery of the greatest tango vocalists, together with Gardel, Ignacio Corsini, Agustín Magaldi, Charlo and Agustín Irusta.

Alberto Gómez had everything to be a major figure, a brilliant range, a strong voice, a delicate taste and an excellent repertoire.

He was the singer Enrique Santos Discépolo preferred as interpreter of his work. His rendition of “Alma del bandoneón” is unparalleled.

He was a national singer, refrain singer and soloist, but never orchestra singer, for the same reason of being absent when this condition was established for the big orchestras.

Like Gardel he was not an improvised but a studious singer, as a child he was attracted to bel canto which he studied since early age.

In 1927, he started out his artistic career forming a duo with his friend Augusto Vila (Tito). They performed as amateurs at cafés and theaters in Lomas de Zamora, his hometown (suburban area of the Gran Buenos Aires). Later they switched to the cinemas on Corrientes Street, where they joined with the consecrated guitarist Manuel Parada, with whom they debuted on radio.

The Victor Company hired them and the first disc they cut bore a label which neither mentioned Manuel Parada, as trio member, nor Vicente Spina, who was accompanying guitarist. This resulted in Parada´s withdrawal and the definitive consolidation of the Gómez-Vila duo.

His first release was Discépolo´s “Soy un arlequín”, which had on the other side Alfredo Pelaia´s waltz “Adiós adiós”, in duo with Vila.

Even though Alberto Gómez recorded his repertory mainly accompanied by excellent guitarists, he also cut many versions accompanied by the Victor house musicians and he as well had an outstanding place as estribillista of the Orquesta Típica Victor and Adolfo Carabelli orchestra, singing refrains with the nickname Nico.

In 1933, he is included in the remembered movie Tango, together with other great stars such as Luis Sandrini, Libertad Lamarque, Azucena Maizani, Mercedes Simone and several more in the role of leading actor and singer.

Among other films, in 1936 he had the protagonic role on Juan Moreyra and, in 1952, on the film Donde comienzan los pantanos.

In the mid-30s, he is required by the discographic companies to appear as soloist. Gómez did not accept, keeping his agreement with Augusto Vila. Some time later, the latter split with the duo, and became an agent and in this way, his protagonic stage began.

He made numerous tours abroad, starting in Uruguay, where he achieved a consummative acclaim and also in Chile, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and Cuba, places where he had to return once and again due to the prestige he achieved. All this labor was carried out between the 40s and the 50s, although he always returned to Buenos Aires to fulfill the obligations agreed upon in our environment.

In the forties he recorded for the Victor label and later switched to Odeon, but his recordings in Cuba and in other countries of America are many and very important as well. In the late fifties he cut recordings in TK. In the years 1969-1970 he recorded an unavoidable long-playing record for the RCA-Victor house.

As composer we owe him these tangos: “Del tiempo de la morocha”, “Tolerancia”, “Que nadie se entere” —remarkably recorded by Francisco Canaro—, “Cansancio” and his boom “Que sea lo que Dios quiera” together with his number alluding horse-racing: “Milonga que peina canas”, his most remembered work.

His most noted guitarists were, the above mentioned Manuel Parada and Vicente Spina, Orlando Urruspuru, José María Aguilar, Reynaldo Baudino, Luis Iglesias, Alberto Remersaro and José Canet. He sang as well accompanied by Pedro Maffia in 1959 on Radio Belgrano and for TK records.

The present tango revival forces us to make known the work of Alberto Gómez, who is placed in a high level among tango voices. And we, as tango-lovers and radiomen have to rescue his style, his personality and his extraordinary artistic value for the new generations.