Atilio Stampone

Atilio Stampone (1 July 1926 – 2 November 2022) was an Argentine pianist, composer, and arranger prominent in the Tango genre.

Life and work He was born to Romana Zangone, from Calabria, and Antonio Stampone, a pasta maker from Naples, in the middle-class San Cristóbal section of Buenos Aires. His older brother, Giuseppe, was by then, at age 14, a bandoneónist in an orquesta típica, and when the young Atilio underwent surgery for an acute appendicitis at age 10, Giuseppe bought his convalescing younger brother a piano. Shortly afterwards, Atilio Stampone joined his elder brother's tango ensemble.

Stampone joined bandleader Roberto Dimas in his Café Marzotto orchestra, a popular Corrientes Avenue act, in 1941, and Pedro Maffia's Tibidabo cabaret orchestra in 1942; impressed with his ability, Maffia personally sought permission for the young pianist's appearance in the risqué setting from his father, who agreed on condition that "you, Pedrito, personally see him to the tram for home as soon the show is over. Atilio is a good kid, and I don't want him living in a cabaret;" with that agreement, he divided his time between the orchestra and his studies at the Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires, a prestigious public college preparatory school. He later worked with Roberto Rufino and Alberto Cámara, and in 1945, met bandoneónist and avant-garde composer Ástor Piazzolla. Bandleader Mariano Mores hired Stampone as a soloist in two, 1949 musical comedy productions, El otro yo de Marcela and Bésame Petronita, and following these shows, he joined bandleader Juan Carlos Cobián.

Stampone earned a presidential scholarship from Juan Perón in 1950, by which he studied under maestro Carlos Zecchi at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia, in Rome. Touring France, Italy, and the Middle East, Stampone returned to Buenos Aires in 1952 and formed an orchestra with bandoneónist Leopoldo Federico. The Stampone-Federico Orchestra recorded for the TK label, notably on compositions such as Criolla linda ("Pretty Country Girl") and Tierrita ("Small Land"). Federico's contract with ratings leader Radio Belgrano in 1955 left Stampone with sole control of the orchestra, which popularized El Marne (Eduardo Arolas), Nueve puntos (Francisco Canaro), Confesión (Enrique Santos Discépolo and Luis César Amadori), Stampone's own Afiches ("Posters," lyrics by Homero Expósito), and numerous other standards;

He joined two partners, football striker Rinaldo Martino and actor Pedro Aleandro, in establishing "Caño 14," in 1964. The downtown Buenos Aires tango hall became among the best-known venues of its type, and helped maintain the genre's following during its pre-revival era in the 1960s and '70s, attracting the most important names in local tango at the time, including Troilo, pianist Horacio Salgán, bandoneónist Ubaldo de Lío, dancer Juan Carlos Copes, and many others; one featured performer, Enrique Mario Francini, died on its stage clutching his violin.

His 1970 album, Concepto, marked a radical change in Stampone's revivalist style, incorporating a choir and instilling the music with a more symphonic sound; among its notable pieces are Responso (Aníbal Troilo) and Orgullo criollo ("Criollo Pride," by Julio de Caro and Pedro Laurenz). Some of his own compositions popularized by the orchestra were Con pan y cebolla ("Bread and Onions"), De Homero a Homero ("From Homer to Homer"), Desencanto ("Heartbreak"), Aguatero ("Water Vendor"), Cadícamo, Ciudadano ("Citizen"), Concertango, El Niño, El Tapir, Fiesta de mi ciudad ("Celebrating My City"), Fiesta y milonga, Impar ("Odd Number"), Mi amigo Cholo, Mocosa ("Spoiled Girl"), Taconeando ("Stomping"), Pequeña ("Girl"), and Vida mía ("My Life"), among others. and was featured in his role as conductor in Miguel Kohan and Gustavo Santaolalla's 2008 ode to aging Tango greats, Café de los maestros.