n the history of tango groups of siblings that have contributed important pages have been recorded through the diverse facets that each one knew and was able to impose. There are family names that identify the group with the mere mention of them, and there is always one that stands out among the others. Such is the case of Francisco Canaro whom his own siblings called The Kaiser. We also have the Grecos, and among them Vicente was the lasting one and the five Pizarros, with Manuel as the leader, playing tango in Paris and the rest of the world. The Lipesker brothers. Also the five Berón, with two women among them, but the one most remembered is Raúl; and the Rubisteins, with Luis standing out, although they all struggled equally and they embraced the diverse possibilities that were appearing in our tango music.

Elías' parents and his three older sisters were born in Ukraine, in Ekaterinoslav. His father was a shoemaker and his mother was teacher in a Hebrew school. They arrived in our country at the beginning of 1906 and the seven remaining children were born here.

Since early age Elías and Mauricio (Mauri, radio man par excellence) walked along the streets with a small case selling shoe polish and shoe strings at cafés like the Dante, on Independencia and Boedo. Elías sang tangos and the patrons bought what they sold or they gave them money without accepting the merchandise. There were times that their family lived with that money.

Elías remembered that when he was nine, at school, he used to cast a spell on his teacher by singing the tango “Margaritas”.

It was Luis who had the idea, in 1935, of creating a school of popular art in their own family house, then on 154 Tejedor Street. Elías accompanied him in the idea and they were so much involved in the new undertaking that soon they moved to a local devoted to that sole purpose, it was in the upper story of Callao 420. Below there was the shop of funeral ceremonies of the Iribarnes, the family of president Ortiz's wife, owner of the whole building. Later the furniture shop Ravel was placed there.

Likewise PAADI, Primera Academia Argentina de Interpretación (First Argentine Academy of Interpretation) was born. It consisted in providing artists to the radios, they also were the Select publishing house and PACA, first Argentine film file. The academy had a transmission studio which by phone line aired the programs presenting the outstanding students on several radio stations. The singers were accompanied by a trio comprised by Mariano Mores on piano, Francisco Requena on bandoneon and Tomás Requena on violin.

Those who passed through PAADI had the possibility to get a job in show business. His brother Mauri married a student of the academy. Another alumnus who stood out in the milieu was María Celina Lotito, a radio soap opera actress that adopted the sobriquet of Elsita Landi. In 1944 she was carnival queen in the contest organized by the Municipality of Buenos Aires and, previously she had had a bit part in the movie La novia de primavera, premiered in 1942 and directed by Carlos Christensen. She was chosen by Elías. The latter was the only one that really had musical knowledge among the four siblings and he ended up being a good violinist.

As vocalist —his greatest passion— he appeared accompanied by guitars on Radio Argentina in the early 40s and, of course, in the programs that were aired from the PAADI by Radio Belgrano and Mitre. In 1930, at age ten, he appeared at the Teatro París with the guitarists that used to back Libertad Lamarque and was introduced by the actor Roberto Airaldi.

Elías's oeuvre is not extensive, maybe nor brilliant, but an interesting handful of pieces were committed to record and some of them were hits, still lasting. Let us remember this lyric by Marvil (Elizardo Martínez Vila): «¿Qué saben los pitucos, lamidos y shushetas, que saben lo que es tango, que saben de compás?». “Así se baila el tango” was a smash hit in Alberto Castillo's voice with the Ricardo Tanturi's orchestra. The quarrels that took place in the dance halls caused by the premeditation of Castillo himself who provoked the boys dancers ridiculing their clothes taking advantage of the lyrics, helped to increase the diffusion of tango. Still today the number keeps its recognition. It was recorded on November 4, 1942. Soon afterwards Francisco Canaro did it with Carlos Roldán and new renditions were added later.

Also with Marvil he wrote “Así se canta” that Tanturi recorded with Enrique Campos. With lyrics by Carlos Bahr he composed “Doble castigo” that Salgán recorded with Ángel Díaz and “Gracias”, recorded by Biagi with Carlos Saavedra and soon thereafter, Osmar Maderna with Orlando Verri. Later Di Sarli with Jorge Durán and, later on, there were renderings by Susy Leiva and Jorge Valdez.

Another hit was “La novia del mar”, recorded twice by Di Sarli with Oscar Serpa on vocals, with lyrics by Horacio Sanguinetti. Again with Marvil, they made “Oiga rubia”, committed to record by Francisco Canaro with Carlos Roldán. With his brother Oscar Rubens: “Por qué seguir” (the emcee Alberto Palazón had nothing to do in its inception), recorded by Miguél Caló with Roberto Mancini and also by Nina Miranda. Again with Bahr: “Pudo ser una vida” that Caló recorded with Roberto Arrieta and Biagi with Alberto Amor; “Quereme como soy”, by Domingo Federico with Carlos Vidal and “Tanto”, a very interesting tango that was recorded by Miguel Caló with Mario Cané, Ángel Vargas with Eduardo del Piano, Roberto Florio with José Libertella and Gloria Díaz with Luis Stazo.

Finally, it is worthwhile to highlight the tango “Yánkele (Mi muchacho)” with lyric by Luis Rubistein, where some lines in Yiddish were inserted for the radio theater play “Soy judío” (I am Jewish) written by Luis Pozzo Ardizzi and aired by Radio del Pueblo. The lead role was played by Adalberto Campos and the song was interpreted by Teresita Padró who learned the words in Yiddish by phonetics. The Feliciano Brunelli Orchestra recorded it on two occasions, another rare item for the so many of its discography, first with Oscar Valeta in 1942, and with Roberto Morales in 1962.