Agustín Bardi

Real name: Bardi, Agustín
Nicknames: Mascotita
Violinist, pianist and composer
(13 August 1884 - 21 April 1941)
Place of birth:
Las Flores (Buenos Aires) Argentina
By
Orlando del Greco

e started with Tano (The Italian) Genaro Espósito in a trio setting he joined with Tuerto (One-eyed) Francisco Camarano on guitar, he on violin and the former on bandoneon. With this small combo he performed in a great number of ballrooms until a by chance début at the Café Royal in La Boca where he turned into a pianist. This Café Royal entered tango history as Café del Griego.

He was requested by renowned tango leaders and so he worked with Vicente Greco at El Estribo and with Eduardo Arolas at T.V.O. Amongst several more, he was member of one of the big orchestras conducted by Francisco Canaro. He recorded piano rolls for Pampa and Olimpo labels.

In musical composition he was a revelation of remarkable qualities, so much so that many years after his death he is regarded as one of the truly tango greats with very personal unforgettable works; he began in 1912 with “Vicentito [b]” to follow with three outstanding successful tangos: “Lorenzo”, “Gallo ciego” and “¡Qué noche!”, three classics of our musical environment. Due to his inspiration we can number: “El bBaqueano”, “El buey solo”, “Se han sentado las carretas”, “C.T.V.”, “Chuzas”, “El cuatrero”, “El rezagao”, “El pial”, “El paladín”, “Pico blanco”, “Tinta verde”, “Florentino”, “La guiñada”, “La racha”, “Viejo espejo”, “El abrojo”, “Independiente Club”, “Adiós pueblo”, “Florcita”, “Gente menuda”, “La orillera”, “El taura”, “Barranca abajo”, “Las doce menos cinco”, “Acuérdate de mí [c]”, “El forastero”, “La última cita”, “Misterio [c]”, “Polvorita”, “El rodeo [b]”, “Golondrina”, “Tiernamente”, “Tiempos mozos”, “Triste queja”, “Yo también fui pibe”, “Cachada”, “Cartas amarillas”, “Confidencia”, “Amén”, “A la sombra”, “Sin hilo en el carretel”, “¡Oiga compadre!”, “Nunca tuvo novio”, “No me escribas”, and, “Tierrita” with lyrics by Juan Caruso, “Cabecita negra” with stanzas by Atilio Supparo, “Madre hay una sola” in collaboration with José de la Vega, committed to record by Carlos Gardel; obviously the last three mentioned.

Among the abovementioned there are tunes with lyrics by Enrique Cadícamo, Luis Bates, Francisco García Jiménez, the aforementioned Caruso and other major poets, and recorded by Alberto Vila, Alberto Gómez, Libertad Lamarque, Ignacio Corsini, etc,. besides those recorded by Gardel.

His relatives did not remember any anecdote he may have lived with Carlos Gardel, but they did recall that at home when hearing the sad news of Medellín tragedy and about the singer's and his sidemen's death, he said in sorrow: «¡Poor boy, what a way of dying! ¡Poor Carlos, in the best of your career!»

Bardi was born in Las Flores (Buenos Aires) on August 13, 1884 and died in Bernal (Buenos Aires) on April 21, 1941.