There is still a lot of great stuff from the Guardia Vieja waiting for us to be discovered. This song combines sophisticated poetry about the bandoneón with an awe-inspiring musical story – listen closely, you will hear conversations going on especially around 1:00. The singer serves as estribillista and appears only for a limited amount of time, but I guess you should read the whole poem, because you may recognize your own relationship with tango music in these descriptions. Towards the end of the song, there is a powerful musical variation that might just be the bandoneóns answer to our tribute!

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Recited: Sentimental bandoneón, soul of our arrabal, with your melancholic accent.. sing, sing, bandoneón!

I adore you, bandoneón!
Because you imitate my grief with your sound,
because you take root in my existence
and beat inside my tender heart.
In your sensitive music
there are caresses, sweet kisses from women,
there are reproaches of passion
and motherly affection…
bandoneón, from our musical arrabal.  

(Bandoneón, when I was sunk in sorrow,
faced with the collapse of a beautiful illusion,
when wandering, without love…. lost…
it was you who consoled my heart!
When my loving mother gave me
that last kiss before passing away
you, bandoneón, with your
sweet-sounding chords,
you relieved my sadness.

Thanks to you I could forget the bitterness
of an odious and vile betrayal,
and you encourage me to sing
even when my afflicted heart cries.
In your sensitive music
there are caresses, sweet kisses from women,
there are reproaches of passion
and motherly affection…
bandoneón, from our musical arrabal.)