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| |siblingsLabel=Francisco De Caro;;José De Caro;;Emilio De Caro | | |siblingsLabel=Francisco De Caro;;José De Caro;;Emilio De Caro |
| |Todotango_links=https://www.todotango.com/creadores/ficha/15/Julio-De-Caro | | |Todotango_links=https://www.todotango.com/creadores/ficha/15/Julio-De-Caro |
| |PersonFreeText=Julio De Caro – The Unquestioned Innovator of 1920s Tango
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| Julio De Caro stands as the supreme tango figure of the 1920s. While the 1910s were marked by pioneers, the 1920s saw the consolidation of tango as a sophisticated genre, with De Caro as its most respected and innovative figure. As a violinist, composer, and orchestra leader, he transformed tango from danceable street music into a refined musical language. His influence extended through the 1930s and 1940s, leaving a permanent mark on tango’s evolution.
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| A defining element of his work was the introduction of the so-called *“harmonized accompaniment”* on the piano, which turned the instrument from a mere rhythm keeper into a source of harmony and melody. His well-known phrase — “Tango is also music” — encapsulates his vision: tango was no longer just something to dance to, but an artistic form with emotional and intellectual depth.
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| The innovative sound of his orchestras was also shaped by the extraordinary playing of his brothers: the refined piano technique of [[TITAF-P-9586783|Francisco De Caro]] and the expressive violin work of [[TITAF-P-7186295|Emilio De Caro]]. Less known but also involved in the family’s musical activity was [[TITAF-P-6732951|José De Caro]], who contributed as a bassist in early ensembles.
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| Julio’s musical ideals required professionalism and elegance: conservatory-level training and formal attire. This artistic ethos laid the foundation for what later came to be known as the *De Caro school* (*escuela decareana*), marking the split between traditionalists and modernists in tango at the end of the 1910s. De Caro emerged as the undisputed leader of the evolutionary wing.
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| As Héctor Benedetti notes, “Julio De Caro preserves the essence of the raw, arrabal-style tango, merging it with a sentimentality and expressiveness unknown until then” — a synthesis made possible by his strong academic formation. With exceptional bandoneonists like Pedro Laurenz and Pedro Maffia, he further deepened tango's musical sophistication.
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| Born in 1899, Julio was a sickly child. His mother dressed him in the robe of Saint John, then common for frail children. His father, a violinist and former professor at the Milan Conservatory, wanted both Julio and [[TITAF-P-9586783|Francisco]] to become classical musicians — Francisco on violin, Julio on piano, contrary to their personal preferences. Secretly supported by their mother, they studied the instruments they truly loved. [[TITAF-P-9586783|Francisco]] eventually left home for Montevideo, anticipating conflict with their father. When Julio was discovered studying tango, he too was expelled and joined his brother.
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| Both brothers, now well-trained, entered the orchestra of [[TITAF-P-6714838|Osvaldo Fresedo]] before Julio's first trip to the United States in 1920. The following year, he led a 56-piece orchestra for carnival performances. He then traveled to Montevideo with Delfino’s Cuarteto de Maestros and returned to Buenos Aires to join the legendary sextet of [[TITAF-P-7366241|Juan Carlos Cobián]], which laid the groundwork for a new era of instrumental tango. When [[TITAF-P-7366241|Cobián]] left for New York, De Caro took over the orchestra.
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| The collaboration of three giants — [[TITAF-P-6714838|Fresedo]], [[TITAF-P-7366241|Cobián]], and De Caro — was no accident. Their work signaled a turning point in tango history, influenced by European romanticism and a growing desire for musical refinement.
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| By the mid-1920s, Julio De Caro had become the leading figure of his generation, influencing artists well into the 1940s, including [[TITAF-P-7008908|Troilo]], [[TITAF-P-6530770|Pugliese]], [[TITAF-P-8669690|Gobbi]], and [[TITAF-P-2596542|Vardaro]]. In 1925, he reappeared at the *Palais de Glace*, performing at a reception for the Prince of Wales. His prestige led the Victor recording company to gift him the *violín corneta*, a trumpet-violin hybrid that became his trademark and had previously been used by American big bands.
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| In the 1926 Montevideo carnival, his orchestra stood out as the most impressive. He continued composing exquisite tangos and, in 1931, traveled to France where he debuted in Nice and met [[TITAF-P-1941911|Carlos Gardel]]. In contrast to the folkloric image projected by [[TITAF-P-7481495|Canaro]] (who dressed his musicians as gauchos), De Caro insisted on formal tuxedos, presenting tango as a polished, urban art form. His orchestra appeared in *Las Luces de Buenos Aires*, Gardel's first film in France.
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| In 1934, he triumphed in a public orchestra competition in Buenos Aires. Inspired by [[TITAF-P-6714838|Fresedo]], he formed large orchestras with a semi-symphonic aesthetic, yet resisted the notion of "symphonic tango" as promoted by Canaro. He believed that tango, while refined, had its own identity. In 1936, he founded the *Orquesta Melódica Instrumental*, adding winds and percussion without forming a full symphony orchestra.
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| His later years included successful radio seasons, recordings, and dance events. In 1937, he toured Chile. After fifty years of performing, he retired from tango in 1954, alongside his brother [[TITAF-P-9586783|Francisco]].
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| De Caro's musical legacy is vast. Among his lesser-known vocal tangos are [[TITAF-T-0014743|*Un dilema*]] (lyrics by Cadícamo), [[TITAF-T-0668979|*Yo no sé si me quieres*]], and [[TITAF-T-0010810|*Copacabana*] (originally instrumental). His instrumental masterpiece is [[TITAF-T-0017997|*Boedo*]], followed by [[TITAF-T-0017619 |*Tierra querida*]], [[TITAF-T-0011899|*La rayuela*]], [[TITAF-T-0211558|*Chiclana*]], [[TITAF-T-0020991|*El monito*]], [[TITAF-T-0014024|*Mala junta*]], [[TITAF-T-0384773|*El tigre del bandoneón*]], [[TITAF-T-0004285|*Todo corazón*]], and [[TITAF-T-0008744|*El arranque*]].
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| }} | | }} |
| [[Category:TangoPeople]] | | [[Category:TangoPeople]] |
| <noinclude>{{DISPLAYTITLE:Julio De Caro}}</noinclude> | | <noinclude>{{DISPLAYTITLE:Julio De Caro}}</noinclude> |
