18 Facts About Edmundo Rivero

Leonel Edmundo Rivero was an Argentine tango singer, composer, and impresario.

Edmundo Rivero's maternal great-grandfather, named Lionel, was a British immigrant, and fought against the Pampas tribes in the mid-19th century, being wounded by a spear.

From him, Edmundo Rivero inherited his blond hair and his first name.

Edmundo Rivero learned classic guitar and trained as a singer; he had a deep bass-baritone voice that was one of his trademarks, together with his huge hands that made him the butt of many jokes.

Edmundo Rivero spent the early 1930s alternating radio work with dance hall gigs.

Edmundo Rivero gained some fame, and the moniker that stayed with him forever:.

Later, Edmundo Rivero would claim that his deep voice was a severe handicap during this time.

In 1947, Edmundo Rivero was hired by Anibal Troilo, who was having a stellar run of recordings with new hit songs, many of them in collaboration with lyricist Homero Manzi.

The most famous musician to follow Edmundo Rivero was guitarist Roberto Grela, who was the guitarist of Troilo's quartet.

Guitar-only formations were used by countryside milonga artists, early tango singers, and even Carlos Gardel in his youth, but Edmundo Rivero's 1950s recordings, during a period of total dominance by big orchestras, was a bold statement, which forever cemented his identification with the silent masculinity of the countryside, as opposed to the emphasis that "urban" tango put on stories of lost love.

Edmundo Rivero collaborated with other artists, who noted his generosity and his devotion to music.

Edmundo Rivero's hospitality was enjoyed by many visitors to Buenos Aires, who went to Rivero's club to savor the tango music and dance in its full intensity.

Edmundo Rivero's place was a venue for tango, where musicians knew they would be respected and paid on time.

Edmundo Rivero toured Japan in 1968, and got to know many Japanese musicians and dancers.

Edmundo Rivero hosted a TV show in the early seventies, which featured artists from the club, as well as lively dialog sprinkled with lunfardo.

In 1980, Edmundo Rivero took part in Osvaldo Pugliese's 75th birthday concert.

Edmundo Rivero was hospitalized in late 1985, and died from heart failure on January 18,1986, in Buenos Aires.

In February 2011, it was reported that many artifacts germane to Edmundo Rivero's legacy were stolen from a warehouse in Ramos Mejia.