Don Juan – or Don Juan (el taita del barrio) – is an Argentine tango, whose music was composed (at least in his greater part) by Ernesto Ponzio, and lyrics written afterwards by Ricardo Podestá.[1][2]Jorge Luis Borges referred to his friend Poncio's composition as "one of the earliest and best tangos".[3]
It was composed in 1898 or later,[4] and the oldest known recording comes from 1910.[1] It was registered with SADAIC in 1941 (the Society had been founded less than a decade before).[2]
Lyrics
The tango begins ""En el tango soy tan taura / que cuando hago un doble corte / corre la voz por el Norte / si es que me encuentro en el Sur" Borges commented on these lyrics as bravado.[5] Borge's translator (Weinberger 1999) translated these lyrics in his translation of Borges as "When I tango I'm so tough / that, when I whirl a double cut / word reaches the Northside / if I'm dancing in the South..".[6]
History
There are several versions on the origin of the song, as well as of his title; almost all coincide in that it was composed in Mamita,
and is usually agreed that it was during the year 1898.[1]
^Jorge Luis Borges: Conversations - Page 55 Richard Burgin - 1998 "I remember a friend of mine, Ernesto Poncio, author of one of the earliest and best tangos, "Don Juan, " "
^Ricardo A. Ostuni -Borges y el tango: el tango : Borges en diálogo con Roberto Alifano 2000 "Del tango Don Juan, el taita del barrio, recuerdo estos versos malos, pero bravucones: 'En el tango soy tan taura que cuando hago un doble corte corre la voz por el Norte si es que me encuentro en el Sur.' Esos tangos son viejos y hoy .
^Jorge Luis Borges, Selected Non-fictions - Volume 1 Eliot Weinberger - 1999 -- Page 399 ... showy fanfare: "En el tango soy tan taura/que cuando hago un doble corte/ corre la voz por el Norte/si es que me encuentro en el Sur" [When I tango I'm so tough/that, when I whirl a double cut/word reaches the Northside/if I'm dancing in the .
