Music groups and orchestras led by Carlos Marcucci

n 1921 he was eighteen years old when he put together a quartet with Fernando Franco, Emilio Ferrer (violins), Roberto Goyheneche (piano) and Carlos Marcucci (bandoneon). They appeared at cafés in La Boca like the El Marconi, on Olavarría Street, El Gambaudi, on the corner of Suárez and Necochea. Later they played in the famous Café Benigno, on Caseros and La Rioja –in the middle of the neighborhood of Parque Patricios-, here Fidel Del Negro replaced Goyheneche, and Bernstein (double bass) and Salvador Grupillo (second bandoneon) were added. It was now a sextet.

A new quartet, in 1923: Antonio Rodio, José Di Clemente (violins), Alfonso Lacueva (piano) and Marcucci (bandoneon). They appeared on Radio Sudamérica, which was located in a room of the Pasaje Roverano (560 Avenida de Mayo).

Between 1926 and 1927, after playing for over two years as sideman in other orchestras, he tried to put together again a group of his own to appear at the Charleston and at the Bar Brown, both in the neighborhood of La Boca. Alfonso Lacueva (piano), Antonio Rodio, José Rosito (violins), Marcucci, Salvador Grupillo (bandoneons) and Olindo Sinibaldi (double bass). In 1927 they made a tour of cities in Buenos Aires and, at their comeback, they joined the Chantecler cabaret, in the 400 block on Paraná Street. There were changes of personnel: Sinibaldi was replaced by Rodolfo Duclós (double bass), Lacueva substituted for Oscar Ventura (piano) and Rosito for Julio Del Puerto (violin).

1928. Among other venues, his followers had to go to the Richmond on Suipacha Street; to the Tabarís or the Café Guarany. Pedro Vergéz (piano) and Marcos Larrosa (second violin) joined them.

1929. They are hired by the Cine Metropol, movie theater on 869 Lavalle Street, after its refurbishment, turned into the Cine Atlas. From then on the sextet appeared with Alberto Soifer (piano), Marcucci and Salvador Grupillo (bandoneons), Luis Gutiérrez del Barrio, Mauricio Saiovich (violins) and Adolfo Krauss (double bass).

1930. A new season at the Metropol, at the Richmond, at the Café Nacional, the cabaret Florida, the Ocean, Radio Prieto and they traveled to Montevideo to know the famous Café Tupí Nambá. There were changes of personnel in the group: Marcucci, his cousin Romualdo Marcucci and Salvador Grupillo (bandoneons), Mauricio Saiovich and Samy Friedenthal (violins), José Tinelli (piano) and Tino García. (singer).

In 1931 they appeared at the El Germinal, El Nacional and also the Palace Medrano movie theater. José María Rizzuti was included.

For some private reason, in 1932, Marcucci and Rizzuti decided to team up, and started a long tour throughout the interior of the country, beginning with the city of Concordia (province of Entre Ríos). The orchestra was lined up as follows: Carlos Marcucci, Salvador Grupillo and Francisco Della Rocca (bandoneons), Luis Gutiérrez del Barrio, Mauricio Saiovich, Samy Friedenthal and Ateo Dapiaggi (violins), Adolfo Krauss (double bass), José María Rizzuti, later Alberto Soifer (piano), Juan Carlos Marambio Catán (singer). After about a month they returned to Buenos Aires, the team split and Marcucci continued his career until the end of the year with Rodolfo Biagi (piano), Alfredo Corletto (double bass), Julio Del Puerto and Marcos Larrosa (violins).



In 1933 he decided to put an end to his career as leader. In 1934, after the carnival balls, at the then Cine Pueyrredón of the neighborhood of Flores, he joined the Julio De Caro orchestra, which, due to financial problems, its musicians had quit –save for his brother Francisco De Caro. He stayed with De Caro until 1944, when the latter decided to make a halt in his activity. Then he came back to work as player and leader.

He put together an orchestra with which he appeared on LR4 Radio Splendid, at the Café Argentino in the neighborhood of Chacarita (6841 Corrientes Street), at the El Nacional and also at the Tibidabo. It was lined up by: Carlos Marcucci, Atilio Corral, José Di Pilato, later replaced by Armando Rodríguez, and Corral by Alfredo Marcucci, Alfredo Cordisco and Albero Musacchio (bandoneons), Bernardo Sevilla, Norberto Bernasconi and Héctor Ferrarino (violins), Oscar Podestá (piano), Fermín Fava (double bass), Héctor Insúa and Roberto Abrodos (vocalists).

In 1945 and 1946 he, firstly, appeared at the El Palacio del Baile (648 Leandro Alem Avenue), later the Marabú and several venues in Montevideo. Also at the Cote d’Azur, and in the Derby, on LR3 Radio Belgrano and at the Bar Ebro on 1628 Corrientes Street.

In 1947 he appeared at the carnival balls known as En la ciudad luz, show in which the Anconetani jazz band also appeared. Thereafter he disbanded his orchestra and came back with Julio De Caro and also joined the LR4 Radio Splendid staff orchestra.

On some occasions the pianist Oscar Ventura played in his orchestra. Among his singers, the ones who succeeded in recording were: Roberto Díaz, Carlos Lafuente, Teófilo Ibáñez, Roberto Abrodos and Hugo Zamora as reciter.

Source: Excerpted from the book El tango, el bandoneón y sus intérpretes, Volume IV, by Oscar Zucchi, Ediciones Corregidor, Buenos Aires 2008.