Susana Rinaldi

Susana Rinaldi is "the most celebrated female singer of her generation" according to the Azzi/Collier book, Le Grand Tango. It is disappointing, at least to this fan, that she never recorded with Piazzolla and perhaps never even performed with him although she did appear with him on several occasions including sharing a performance cycle with him at the club Michelangelo in the 70's. Azzi/Collier notes that they were both part of a lavish tango festival in Toulouse in 1984 and that she was "on hand" at a Piazzolla performance at Heraklion in Crete in 1985. Rinaldi herself recalls in a 2009 interview being at Luna Park in 1969 when Balada para un loco was introduced and awarded second place to the outrage of the crowd (and to Ms. Rinaldi). There are many parallels - both were superb tango musicians who were rejected by the classic tango crowd in Buenos Aires, both had strong and feisty personalities, both found much of their initial fame in France and both were eventually welcomed back to Buenos Aires as musical heroes.

Ms. Rinaldi is best known for her interpretation of classic tango but, for many years, her concerts have included a few Piazzolla favorites including Balada para mi muerte and Los pájaros perdidos. The latter is featured in today's video. The performance is from a 1999 tango festival in Markkinat, Finland. The full concert is available on DVD. For comparison, I have also included a video of Ms. Rinaldi performing the same song in 1983 at a UNESCO function. Like a fine wine, I believe she has improved with age.

If the video does not appear below, click here for the 1999 performance. To see the 1983 performance, click here.





To learn more about Piazzolla videos, visit the Piazzolla Video site.