Jorge Argentino Fernández

Real name Jorge Argentino Fernández

Life 18 June 1915 – 20 May 2002

Occupation

Instrument

Place of birth Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires

Country of birth Argentina

Citizenship

TodoTango: Link

Jorge Argentino Fernández was a distinguished Argentine bandoneonist, orchestra leader, and composer who contributed significantly to tango through both his performances and musical direction.

Born in Villa Crespo, Buenos Aires, he began playing the bandoneón in childhood. The instrument, originally intended for his older brother Miguel, became his calling. He studied first with his uncle Reinaldo Peirano, then with Anselmo Aieta, and later completed his training under Mario Maurano.

At just 14, Fernández debuted professionally in the orchestra of Aieta and soon after joined Manuel Buzón's orchestra, performing alongside Antonio Ríos, Eduardo Marino, and Cachito Presas.

In 1932, he briefly joined Francisco Lomuto's orchestra and had a short stint in the ensemble Visca-D’Arienzo. At 18, he entered the celebrated Sexteto Vardaro, led by Elvino Vardaro and including Hugo Baralis, Aníbal Troilo, Pecho Caracciolo, and Osvaldo Pugliese. The group debuted at Cabaret Tabarís in 1933 and became known as the "Sexteto Germinal" for their success at Café Germinal.

After a short time in Vardaro’s reformed group, Fernández participated in the Cuarteto del Novecientos alongside Vardaro and Juan Baüer, directed by Feliciano Brunelli.

In 1940–41, he joined Rodolfo Biagi's orchestra, and in 1942 formed his own group, debuting on Radio Mitre. His orchestra was well-received, leading to a contract with Radio Belgrano, performances at Café El Nacional and Salón de Ambassadeurs, and a brief partnership with singer Jorge Ortiz in 1946.

Later, Fernández led his orchestra on Radio El Mundo until 1950. He recorded two instrumental tracks—“Arrabal” by José Pascual and “Contratiempo” by Astor Piazzolla—for the Pampa label. In 1952, he performed on Canal 7 with singer Alberto Aguirre, who would later find fame as Cholo Aguirre.

The orchestra then signed with Odeon, producing notable versions of “La cumparsita” and “Rosa de otoño” with Aguirre on vocals. In the 1960s, faced with the decline of tango amid the rise of the nueva ola movement, Fernández transitioned to leading a quartet and briefly returned to recording in 1967 and 1970.

He later worked for the state oil company YPF until his retirement, all while maintaining his deep connection to tango. As a composer, he left behind beautiful works such as “Pena de amor,” “Otra vez,” and “Ayer y hoy.”

Reference: Summary based on a biography by Abel Palermo published on TodoTango.com.

Orchestras

No known group memberships.

Recordings

No recordings found.

Opus

Title	Genre	Alt. title	Comp. Year
Otra vez	Tango
Pena de amor	Tango