Orquesta Típica Francisco Lomuto

e had a short presence as player in aggregations. In 1916 as pianist he joined a quartet along with Pedro Maffia (bandoneon), Domingo Petillo and Bernardo Germino (violins) to appear at the Café Monterrey.

He also appeared as piano soloist and in a duet of piano and harmonium (played by his brother Enrique who was then 13 years old). In 1922 he was member of the orchestra that performed in the ocean liner Cap Polonio that cruised to the southern areas of our country and to Brazil. On the first voyage the personnel of the aggregation was as follows: Manuel Pizarro (leader), Pedro Polito (bandoneon), Agesilao Ferrazzano and Miguel Tanga (violins) Francisco Lomuto (piano) and Echeverri (drums).



Thereafter he teamed with Héctor Quesada as a piano duo and they recorded eight numbers for the Nacional-Odeon label. On another cruise liner the following year (1923) he played with the same leader, Pedro Maffia (bandoneon), Agesilao Ferrazzano and Esteban Rovati (violins), Francisco Lomuto (piano) and Leopoldo Thompson (double bass). On some occasions Alfonso Lacueva played the piano.

1923. First orchestra under his leadership: Ángel Ramos and Vicente Romeo (bandoneons), Lorenzo Olivari and Esteban Rovati (violins), Enrique Lomuto (piano), Ángel Corleto (double bass). The following two years some changes and additions in personnel took place. Ricardo Brignolo and Pedro Polito alternated with Vicente Romeo (bandoneons), Vicente Mutarelli (double bass) and were reinforced by Minotto Di Cicco (bandoneon), Eduardo Armani (violin) and Alberto Castellanos (piano). He began to record for Odeon.

1925. The orchestra played at the Disco Nacional Second Tango Contest at the Teatro Grand Splendid (1860 Santa Fe Ave.): Ricardo Brignolo, Pedro Polito and Ángel Danesi (bandoneons), Lorenzo Olivari, Eduardo Armani and Esteban Rovati (violins). Alberto Castellanos (piano).

The regular lineup that year was with Pedro Polito and Vicente Romeo (bandoneons), Luis Martini and Esteban Rovati (violins), Carmelo Águila (clarinet), Manuel Dopaso (drums).

1926. Daniel Alvarez and Ángel Danesi (bandoneons) and Minotto Di Cicco was added for recordings. At the same time in Mar del Plata Lomuto presented another orchestra: Ricardo Brignolo (first bandoneon), Eduardo Armani and Adolfo Muzzi (violins), Tomás Robatti (cello), Alfredo Sciarretta (double bass) Alberto Castellanos (piano), Carmelo Águila (clarinet).



1928. Daniel Álvarez, Carmelo Matino and Fortunato Matino and Luis Zinkes (bandoneons), Leopoldo Schiffrin (Leo), Carlos Taverna and Dante Napolitano (violins), Oscar Napolitano (piano), Alfredo Sciarretta (double bass), Natalio Nappe —born in Venezuela— (cornet), Carmelo Águila (clarinet), Salvador Cilotta (drums) and —after around 300 recordings— he included a vocalist: Charlo.

1929. The orchestra was becoming established with a base that remained for a long period, with occasional changes: Lomuto always as leader. Daniel Alvarez, Américo Figola (aka Figazza), Luis Zinkes (aka Cuchara) and Haroldo Ferrero (aka El Pibe Glostora) (bandoneons), Leo Schiffrin, Carlos Taverna, Dante Napolitano and Armando Gutiérrez (violins), Oscar Napolitano (piano), Alfredo Sciarretta (double bass), Salvador Cilotta (drums) and Charlo (vocals).

1932. The orchestra appeared in the musical La Vuelta de Miss París. Besides the players of 1929, Jorge Argentino Fernández (bandoneon), Carmelo Águila (clarinet) and Nappe (cornet) are added. Jorge Argentino Fernández was replaced by Mauro Scavone. The pianist Gulderico Clemens alternated with Napolitano. The singer Fernando Díaz joined them.

1933: In January he presented a season on LS5 Radio Excelsior with his Orquesta Típica y Sinfónica (Tango and Symphony Orchestra). They are the same members but in October Martín Darré (bandoneon) and Hamlet Greco (double bass) are added. In December 1935 Fernando Díaz quit and Jorge Omar was his substitute.



1936. Martín Darré, Américo Figola, Luis Zinkes, Víctor Lomuto, later Miguel Jurado (bandoneons), Leo Schiffrin, Armando Gutiérrez and Carlos Taverna (violins), Oscar Napolitano (piano), Cándido Borrajo (trumpet), Carmelo Águila (alto sax and clarinet), Primo Staderi (tenor sax and clarinet), Salvador Cilotta (drums), Jorge Omar and the bandoneonist Luis Zinkes —only on duos— (vocals).

1938. According to a catalogue of the period: Martín Darré, Américo Figola, Luis Zinkes and Gregorio Pérez (bandoneons), Leo Schiffrin, Armando Gutiérrez and Carlos Taverna (violins), Oscar Napolitano (piano), Carmelo Águila and Primo Staderi (tenor sax and clarinet), Cándido Borrajo (cornet), Salvador Cilotta (drums) and Jorge Omar —in April 1939 Fernando Díaz joined them again— (singers).

Even though in some tango pieces Lomuto used drums or cornet, the other wind instruments were included because the orchestra also played jazz tunes.

1943. Martín Darré, Américo Figola and Luis Zinkes —Juan Ginnocchio replaced the latter that same year— (bandoneons), Leo Schiffrin, Armando Gutiérrez, Carlos Taverna and Luis Apicella (later Raiter) (violins), Ángel Martín (piano), Carmelo Águila (clarinet), Cándido Borrajo (cornet), Salvador Cilotta (drums), Mario Sciarretta —replaced by El Turco Velázquez— (double bass), Fernando Díaz and Jorge Omar until May, later, Carlos Galarce and Alberto Rivera (vocalists).



1947. Tour of Spain: Guillermo Uría, Vicente Toddaro, Luis Koller, Armando Rodríguez (aka El Japonés) —who had passed through the ranks of Osvaldo Fresedo— (bandoneons), Carlos Taverna, Paco Núñez and Enrique Porfiri (violins), Juan Carlos Howard (piano), El Turco Velázquez (double bass), Salvador Cilotta (drums), Alberto Rivera and the special appearance of Chola Luna. There were no recordings.

1949. Trip to Brazil: Federico Scorticati, Marcos Madrigal, Ramón Álvarez and Héctor Vitale (bandoneons), Ernesto Gianni, José Carli, Carlos Taverna and Otelo Gasparini (violins), Juan Carlos Howard (piano), Alberto Celenza (double bass), Alberto Rivera and Miguel Montero (singers). The same year, for recordings and appearances on LR3 Radio Belgrano: Federico Scorticati, Alfredo Cordisco, Ramón Álvarez and Domingo Crego (bandoneons). The same four violins, piano and double bass. On vocals were Rivera and Montero. With occasional changes the aggregation went on with its recordings until October 1950. On December 23 the conductor died unexpectedly.

The discographies we checked inform us about 957 recordings, but some others may exist. Despite the number, he was conservative about his vocalists. In chronological order the following succeeded in recording: Charlo, Antonio Buglione, Príncipe Azul, Jorge Torres, Luis Casares, the Alberto Acuña and René Díaz duo, Fernando Díaz, Mercedes Simone —teaming with Díaz, only on one occasion—, Lely Morel, Jorge Omar, Celly Brian —as duo with Omar, only once—, Dinah Lang, the musician Luis Zinkes, Lita Morales (regular singer for Edgardo Donato, only once), María Teresa Greco —only once—, La Malagueñita —just once—, Carlos Galarce, Alberto Rivera and Miguel Montero, the last one.