Why Is “Poema” Considered a Tricky Song?
When dancing the tango, everything starts with the music.
How a dancer feels the music and translates that into their movement is key to creating a beautiful dance.
It’s the music that directs whatever happens on the dancefloor.
The world knows many tango music classics. “Por una Cabeza,” “El Choclo,” and “La Cumparsita” are all tunes, along with other tango songs that are regularly played in tango shows and at milongas around the world. They are popular for a reason: they give dancers a great tango experience. Then there is “Poema.”
If there’s a list of tango songs that you shall not dance to, you’ll most likely find this title.
“Poema” teaches us that while we consider all tango songs as works of art, there are some that just make us question why they were created in the first place.
Don’t get it wrong; “Poema” is a beautiful song. It’s just tricky, and you might want to know the story behind it!
The Story Behind “Poema”
We all know that tango songs are commonly about love, loss, and heartbreak.
Tango music gives the feeling of nostalgia and longing, which is perfect for the slow and sensual dance that we all love.
“Poema” is no different.
Composed by Mario Malfi in 1932, the lyrics of “Poema” were written by Eduardo Bianco.
There are many recordings of the tango song, but Francisco Canaro’s 1935 recording is perhaps one of the most iconic. According to Brisbane House of Tango,
many milongas play “Poema,” and it’s often called a “gently melancholic” and “softly nostalgic” tango song.
If “Poema” is a gentle and soft tango song, why is it even possible to think it’s tricky?
Moreover, when you read the lyrics for the first time, you won’t believe there’s anything tricky about it. In fact, you might even find yourself humming the melody to the song when you first listen to it! In Search of Tango shares the English translation of “Poema” by Alberto Paz:
“It was a dream of sweet love, hours of happiness and loving,
it was the poem of yesterday, that I dreamed,
of gilded color, vain chimeras of the heart,
it will not manage to never decipher, so fleeting nest,
it was a dream of love and adoration.
When the flowers of your rose garden, bloom again ever so beautiful,
you’ll remember my love, and you will come to know, all my intense misfortune.
Of that one intoxicating poem, nothing is left between us,
I say my sad goodbye, you’ll feel the emotion, of my pain…”
It’s easy to catch the longing, nostalgia, and sadness in the lyrics.
“Poema” is just like any other tango song that makes you want to close your eyes and get lost in the moment.
However,
the truth is that the lyrics are a thinly-veiled revelation; it’s a confession of murder.
Mystery Under Romantic Lyrics
Born in 1892, Eduardo Bianco was a violinist, composer, and orchestra conductor.
He was born in Argentina, but he lived in Europe for about 20 years.
He’s best known as someone who made the Argentine tango sound Parisian, and he wrote the lyrics to the famous “Poema.”
According to Makela Tango, Bianco was a prolific composer with about 50 tangos attributed to him.
In 1924, Bianco was the first violinist for an orchestra at the Teatro Apolo.
“Poema” tells Bianco’s story from his final year in Buenos Aires.
Was it about a love he lost? A dream that never happened?
What we know is that it was based on a real story, and it’s about Bianco finding out that his wife was cheating on him with the pianist.
In a fit of jealousy, Bianco shot his rival to death.
He was jailed and tried, but thanks to his political friends, he was acquitted of murder.
Bianco then left for Europe, touring and playing for orchestras, until he settled down in Paris. Now, revisit the lyrics of “Poema” and see if you can catch the story behind it!
“Poema” are words from a man who killed his wife’s lover. It’s a story told through a work of art, and tango dancers interpret the story with their bodies.
Some dancers may not think of it too much and just enjoy the music. But for those who believe that music and dance are story-telling mediums, “Poema” is a story one should rethink if it’s worth re-telling on the dance floor.
“Poema” gives tango a dark story.
It’s true that tango often sings and dances about love and loss, and a murder is a different story. Add the fact that the writer was able to get away with it, and you have a story that’s not only dark but also ironic. What was once a melancholic and nostalgic song now has a story that’s hard to forget.
Dancing to “Poema”
Let’s take a break from the mind-blowing story behind “Poema” and talk about actually dancing to the song. As we mentioned, “Poema” is often played in milongas. However, there’s a reason why it’s not commonly danced to.
“Poema” doesn’t fit into the traditional tanda.
A tanda is a set of three to four songs, usually sharing a similar timing and structure.
The songs are also most often from the same orchestra. Many milonga DJs notice how “Poema” doesn’t quite fit seamlessly into tandas. As said by Poemas del rio Wang:
“Poema” is quite singular in its gently melancholic, softly nostalgic flow, while other Canaro’s hits of the period tend to be more insistent and dramatic in quality, energetically driving rather than softly soothing.
One can’t help noticing a few more peculiarities about this hit. Its popularity peaks overseas, especially in Europe, and reaches the low point in Buenos Aires. And no other orchestras in Argentina recorded the piece.
Is “Poema” too fast or too slow as a tango? Is it too melancholic, or is the story just too heavy for couples to dance to? None of the above.
The answer to why “Poema” doesn’t fit into tanda is its composition.
The beautiful “Poema” isn’t quite an Argentine tango, it is as much a European tango, composed by the expat musicians who were singularly successful in transplanting tango to the musical scene of Paris.
Furthermore, “Poema’s” lack of acceptance in Buenos Aires wasn’t helped by the dark political undertones of its story, and the fact that its lyrics are a thinly veiled confession of a banished murderer.
As mentioned earlier, Bianco was known to make Argentine tango sound Parisian. “Poema” was his story, and it was meant to be danced in European ballrooms. Bianco’s influences are heard throughout the song, making “Poema” a little too out of place in any tanda. A lot of dancers wonder, does it really belong in a milonga? If it doesn’t sound or feel like a typical tango, should we really be dancing to it?
“Poema” was his story, and it was meant to be danced in European ballrooms. Bianco’s influences are heard throughout the song, making “Poema” a little too out of place in any tanda.
A single tanda can do so much for your tango experience. It carries tango’s story, and many dancers believe that each tanda should be respected. It’s a big part of a great culture! Having a song that doesn’t fit into a tanda can be a big deal to some dancers. Since “Poema” is a European tango lost in an Argentine milonga, it’s no wonder why some people may think it’s a tricky song to dance to.
Despite “Poema” not being a typical Argentine tango, many couples enjoy dancing to it.
The beauty of tango is that you can make it your own. You can tell your story through the dance, no matter what the song is about. It depends on you how Bianco’s story will translate to your movement on the dancefloor.
“Poema” and Other Forbidden Tango Songs
“Poema” isn’t explicitly a forbidden tango song, but considering the story behind it, one might understand why some people stay away from dancing to it.
It might also be helpful when we look deeper into Bianco’s other works, specifically the “Plegaria.”
“Poema” already has a dark side that influences our understanding of the story.
“Plegaria,” on the other hand, is an explicitly political song. Often called the “Tango of Death,” the song has something to do with Bianco’s Nazi-sympathizing associates.
It’s praise from Adolf Hitler himself, making the tango controversial for the public.
Brisbane House of Tango stated that when Bianco and his orchestra performed before the führer, the führer demanded an encore of “Plegaria.”
The Nazi leader would find a morbid use for the tango and, in the Auschwitz concentration camp, the prisoner band would be ordered to play it as prisoners were led to the gas chambers. Hence its name, “Tango of Death.”
Bianco was friends with Eduardo Labougle Carranza, the Argentine ambassador for Third Reich Berlin and a staunch antisemite. During World War II, Argentina attempted to remain neutral. Bianco played for Nazi troops and went through an investigation by British intelligence when he left Nazi Germany on a Spanish visa. It was in 1943 when he finally returned to Argentina, just in time for the peak of tango’s Golden Age.
Bianco failed to compete with other Argentine talents when he came back, and his works were mostly overshadowed. “Poema” and “Plegaria” are only two of Bianco’s works that hold a dark past. Nevertheless, the tango songs still have their own charm, and they’re still danced to by some couples.
“Poema,” the Tricky Tango
We have established that “Poema” is tricky because of two reasons: its underlying story and its composition. “Poema” appears to be the usual tango song — heartbreak, longing, and love. However, if we look at the story behind the song, we see a different picture.
“Poema” is a song of a murderer reflecting on his actions. The story is dark, and it’s not the kind of story you’d want to dance the tango to with your partner.
The composition of “Poema” is also tricky. As mentioned earlier, Bianco was known for his Parisian sound. While “Poema” is known as a tango, it doesn’t actually have the same sound as other Argentine tango songs. This makes “Poema” some kind of tango that’s not really tango.
Should You Dance to It?
If you hear “Poema” in a milonga without knowing enough about it, you might just notice how it sounds a tad different from other tango songs in the tanda. Still, you will dance to it, translate the song’s story into your movement, and have a great time. Your first impression will probably be: “What a lovely tango song!”
But learning the tango dance also means learning the tango music. It’s the music that carries the leader, who also carries the follower.
Tango is not just a dance; it’s a story you tell through movement. Many dancers hold on to this principle when they dance.
What does it mean to dance to a story you don’t know? It means that you might be dancing to something dark.
“Poema” fits that description. The story of a murderer doesn’t seem like something you’d want to dance to — at least not for most people.
Many dancers also take pride in tango codes as they’re there to give the best tango experience. The tango codes include dancing with the same partner from the beginning to the end of a tanda. A tanda has a significant impact on your tango experience, so one song that feels lost could change an entire set. “Poema” could be that song.
Ultimately, it all comes down to the dancer’s preference. If you want to dance to “Poema” despite knowing its story and composition, it’s your call.
If you want to dance to “Poema” despite knowing its story and composition, it’s your call.
If you’d rather sit out this one, there are other great tango songs you can dance to.
“Poema” is just one of the many songs in tango’s long and complicated history. It’s one point that makes tango so interesting, mysterious, and beautiful.