Alberto Podestá

Alejandro Washington Alé, better known as Alberto Podestá (22 September 1924 – 9 December 2015), was an Argentine tango singer.

Childhood and youth Born in the city of San Juan, his father died when he was very young, which led to financial difficulties for him, his mother, and his five siblings. With the help of their grandmother, he had to work from an early age, as did his older brother.

He only studied up to sixth grade of primary school and took part in a school radio program hosted by one of his teachers. There, Alberto learned some songs by the popular Carlos Gardel and performed them in a children's show titled Rayito de Sol, where each student had to sing a popular song of the time. For that performance, he was nicknamed "Gardelito." In his youth, he also sold chocolates at a cinema owned by a family friend to earn money and help support his family.

After performing on LV5 Radio Los Andes, the comedic duo Buono-Striano arrived in the province during a tour. Upon hearing him sing, they invited him to travel to Buenos Aires to connect him professionally with the leading figures of the national scene.

In 1939, supported by Hugo del Carril, he moved to the city of Buenos Aires with one of his brothers. At the "Paradise" café, a dance venue with two sections, he met musician Roberto Caló, with whom he did several auditions (nowadays called castings), showcasing his singing talent by performing tangos such as La Mariposa, Cosas olvidadas, Martirio, and La que murió en París. After the departure of vocalist Mario Pomar, Miguel Caló brought him into his orchestra on the recommendation of his brother, Roberto. There, he performed alongside Osmar Maderna, Domingo Federico, Armando Pontier, Raúl Kaplún, and Enrique Mario Francini.

Beginnings and rise to fame With Caló’s orchestra, he first worked at the Singapur cabaret,

In 1945, an orchestra was formed, led by Enrique Mario Francini and Armando Pontier, in which Alberto Podestá was the singer. He was soon joined by the renowned Julio Sosa, who was a close friend of his. They performed at the Sans Souci, alternating with Osvaldo Pugliese, and at the Tibidabo cabaret, covering for the absence of Aníbal Troilo, who was temporarily not performing. Throughout his career, Podestá performed at various dance clubs such as the "Príncipe Georges," which gathered between 500 and 2,000 people and held 350 dances per week. He recorded in Colombia with Cristóbal Ramos, Ramón Ozán, and Joaquín Mauricio Mora; in Venezuela with "Los caballeros del tango"; in Uruguay with César Zagnoli; in Chile with Lucho Ibarra; and in Argentina with Juan José Paz, Leopoldo Federico, Alberto Di Paulo, Luis Stazo, Jorge Dragone, Tití Rossi, and Roberto Grela.

In 1951, he debuted as a soloist on Radio Splendid and performed at venues such as the Maipú Pigall cabaret and cafés in the city of Buenos Aires. He was named an Honorary Academic by the Academia Nacional del Tango of Argentina. Between 1967 and 1970, he lived in Chile, where he continued his career. On his tours across America, he visited Colombia, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and the United States, performing in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and Philadelphia. In his recordings, he was accompanied by Alberto Di Paulo, Leopoldo Federico, Luis Stazo, and Jorge Dragone. He recorded approximately 500 tracks, with standout performances of tangos such as Alma de bohemio, Nada, Percal, Al compás del corazón, Nido gaucho, La capilla blanca, El milagro, Margo, Qué falta que me hacés, Qué me van a hablar de amor, and El bazar de los juguetes. He performed at "Caño 14" and Edmundo Rivero’s "El Viejo Almacén," accompanied by the Ernesto Baffa Quartet with Ubaldo De Lio on guitar, Cacho Queirolo on piano, and Sergio Paolo on electric bass. Additionally, he stood out in theater alongside dancer Juan Carlos Copes and his ballet.

In 2007, he was declared an Illustrious Citizen of Buenos Aires in the Golden Hall of the Buenos Aires Legislature.

In 2008, he was invited by Miguel Kohan to star in the film project Café de los maestros, with which he performed at the Teatro Colón, Teatro Argentino, and Luna Park. At the same time, under the direction of Eduardo Calcagno, he filmed a movie about his life, featuring Federico Luppi and Valeria Bertuccelli, titled El cantor del tango.

He died in Buenos Aires on December 9, 2015.