In 1900, the World fair strengthened the french capital as the center of western civilization. Since the turn of the century, Paris was already considered as the Mecca of culture. Not only did the city of lights dictate her standards upon the art world, but its influence could be felt in all trends, from fashion to fancy goods. In all America, even in the most remote areas, if one could not get the french goods, one could at least catch a magazine showing off the latest fashion in hats or petticoat that Parisians were raving about. .

Furthermore, in the early 1900, sending one's children off to study in the french capital and making frequent visits was highly regarded and became almost mandatory for rich Latin American families. it was considered a peculiarity of "good manners"

During this period in Paris, the Argentinian was looked upon as the rich man from abroad. The land owners, accompanied by their sons, came not only for the cattle market but also for the night life, espescially that of Montmatre and Pigalle. This paved the way for tango players.

Word has it that in 1907, singer/songwriter Alfreddo Gobbi and his wife, singer Flora Rodriguez, were in Paris to lay down the tracks of their music on what was to be one of the most innovative technology in the music business: the record. For this work, they called upon Angel Villoldo, famous for his song El Choclo. The Gobbis remained in Paris for seven years,during which they gave dancing lessons to the french while recording and producing many records for the Pathé Society label.

The Buenos Aires weekly El Hogan, in its December 11th 1911 edition, reprinted an article of the high society magazine Femina in which it is said that although the double Boston and the triple Boston were still very popular in Parisian lounges, the mood was beginning to shift recently towards the Argentinian tango and the waltz. Strangely forbidden in its homeland where the mere word Tango arroused good society, it was greeted with enthusiasm by the Parisian aristocrats who, in their own way, helped it to gain recognition and respectability.

The first to be surprised by the sudden success of tango in Paris were the Argentinians themselves. Juan Pablo Echangere explains: "You couldn't open a newspaper in either Paris, London, Berlin or even New York without reading about the Argentinian tango. Everywhere you would find illustrations of dance steps and choreographie, controversy over its origins, either classy lounge or suburbs, and people speaking in praise or condeming the dance.

Meanwhile, the Argentinian ambassador in Paris, Enrique Rodriguez Laretta, cried out in anger: "In Buenos Aires tango is found only in whorehouse and filthy taverns. It is never danced in the respectables lounges, nor between civilized men and women for tango is crude to the ear of any argentinian worthy of his nation. " In 1913, just before the First World War broke out, a tango dance contest was organized in the Palais des Glaces, near la Bastille. The winning couple had danced 62 tangos at a stretch. While europe was at war, Argentinian return to Buenos Aires or make short stays in the U.S.

After the war, the international calling of Paris is confirmed. It is a true cosmopolitan city. Argentinians, Australians, Russians exiles, Asians and Africans cross paths daily in hotels, pubs and cafés.

During what came to be known as the"crazy years", living in Paris is a neverending party. It is the bohemian, "happy-go-lucky" era. Artists from all corners of the world meet up in studios, lounges, cafés and cabarets of the Metropolis. Paris is the melting pot which gives birth to artistic trends in literature (Breton, Eluard,Aragon), in painting (Picasso,Braque, Matisse) and music (Satie, Moussorgsky).

Yet, in cabarets and night clubs on the right as well as on the left bank, American culture has found it's way by way of jazz orchestras.

In 1900, Pisarro landed in the harbour ofMarseille . After three months of success in a cabaret, he decided to head up to Paris, the city of his dreams. There, Pisarro goes straigth to the Pigalle hotel in Montmartre to meet his good friend violinist Pepe Chutto. As luck would have it, two other tango musicians, Celestino ferrer and Filipotto, were also staying.

Pisarro had the the making of a great conductor and knew how to surround himself with the right people enabling him to reach his goals. Yet he needed a helping hand to get started, more specifically, he needed to meet the right people in the music business. He didn't have to wait very long. He met a young Argentinian by the name of Vincente Moreno. Not only was Modeno a fan of his and a good dancer, he was also very rich.

One night, Moreno invited Pizzaro for a drink at the Princesse, his usual water hole. At that time, jazz was in vogue and the Princesse hd jazz bands performing every evening. Modero intruduced him to the owner, cleverly shifting the conversation towards tango... The owner knew that of the 4000 Argentinians living in Paris, a great number of them were already regular custumers his. So when he decided to give Pizzaro a chance and offer his crowd a tango orchestra, he knew it was a sure bet.

Filled with enthusiasm, within a week Pizzaro had put his band together, featuring Ferrer on piano, Pepe Chiutto and himself on violin, Filippo and Genero Exposito on bandoneon. Due to the musician's union policy, traditional gauchos outfits were required; all immigrants preformers needed to be dressed according to their homeland . The first night was a triumph.

Pizzaro enjoyed the success. Yet he was not one to sit on his laurels. He trained french musicians to play in his orchestra and asked that the place be renamed El Garron. Theowner knew he had made the right decision for only a few weeks later people from all corners of Paris came down to listen to the house band, including celebrities from the art scene like Rudolf Valentino, Josephine Baker, Maurice Chevalier and Mistinguett. Casimino Hin, who was a famous dancer in Argentinia, was appointed teacher of all cabarets in Paris. He found a pupil and partner in a young girl from Marseille. Pizzaro hired the couple to enhance his show. He later called upon a female vocalist who he had taught the art of tango singing .

Manuel was never short of ideas. One 14th of July, a national holiday in France, Pizzaro set the band up on a truck anddrove through the streets of Paris, stopping and playing half a dozen songs at all major intersections. The people, surprised and delighted by the peculiar demonstration, started to dance in the street, the boulevards and squares.

Pizarro had four brothers who were all musicians. He decided that all of them were to be band leaders of their own. He booked his brother Salvator's band at l'Hermitage, on the Champs Élysés, Juan's at Longchamps, and Alfredo's band at the Washington Palace on Mageland Street, near the Trimphal Arch. As for himelf, he persued his career at El Garron. He stayed in Paris up until the Second World War broke out, taking his show on the road, playing in the biggest European venues: Madrid, Barcelona, Rome and Venice.

During these years,he recorded hundreds of records. His talent and perseverance led to international recognition. Yet he never forgot where he came from, helping out many of his felloworkers by starting them up, finding gigs, giving them their first real chance. Some of them, like Eduardo Bianco, went on having successful careers, becoming almost as big as the master himself.

In 1923, a composer and bandoneon virtuoso named Eduardo Arolas landed in Paris after leaving Montevideo on the run, victim of a misfortunous accident where he was portraid as the protagonist of a serious offence. Pizarro, who respected his talent and admired the man, founf him work. But Arolas was loosing gigs in part due to health problems backed with a severe drinking problem. 16 months after his arrival in Paris, he dies in mysterious circumstances on September 29, 1924, at very young age of 32. In his 14 year career, he has written more than 115 songs, most of wich were tangos. His first big hit, Una noche de Garufa, was composed when he was only seventeen.

By 1925, tango had eclipsed most of the other rythms. It had became a trend; there was a tango color, tango tea, wiskey tango, tango dresses...Tango was in vogue. It became so popular the argentinian capital yielded and let herself be charmed.

In 1928, Paris welcomed for the first time a man who is considered as one of the greatest tango voices of all time: Carlos Gardel. The next chronicle is entirely dedicated to his role in the history of tango.

Even if tango is strongly marked with the seal of its homeland, a feeling persists in the harts and souls of all tango lovers that tango is something universal. Marechal describes tango as being " a sad tought you can dance to", reminding us that tango comes from within ourselves.

Writing this down, I remember what a bluesman once replied to a reporter when asked what the blues was all about: " Blues...well... it's when your girl dumps you." Truely, tango takes us to the heart of our troubles and our pain, to the feeling that something is missing, a sort of emptiness which is the essence of artistic creation.