Roberto Grela

Roberto Grela (28 June 1913 – 6 September 1992) was an Argentine tango guitarist and composer. Many consider him the best tango guitarist.

Professional career He was born at 773 Cochabamba Street, in the San Telmo neighborhood (at that time a poor neighborhood south of downtown Buenos Aires), with the name Roberto León Grela. His father and uncle formed the duo Los Hermanos Belpasso.

Grela learned to play the mandolin at gatherings in the home of his uncles Octavio and Juan, which were also frequented by the guitarist Manuel Parada, who—when Grela was seven years old—convinced him to start playing the guitar (instead of the mandolin, which he liked more).

In the early 1950s, he briefly ventured into Argentine folk music. He even had his own jazz group (which at the time was very popular at dances, along with tango) called Los American Fire. He also learned to play Brazilian music.

He participated in the film Buenas noches, Buenos Aires, a musical movie directed in 1964 by Hugo del Carril. In 1974, he formed the group La Trova Porteña, together with Raúl Garello, Horacio Ferrer, and María Cristina Laurenz, at El Gallo Cojo, in the San Telmo neighborhood. In 1980, he joined the orchestra of Canal Once television (Buenos Aires), led by Osvaldo Requena.

In 1985, he received the Konex Award – Diploma of Merit as one of the 5 best tango instrumentalists of the decade in Argentina.

He composed, among others: Viejo baldío (lyrics by Víctor Lamanna), Callejón (lyrics by Héctor Marcó), and A San Telmo (in collaboration with Héctor Ayala), Las cuarenta (1939, lyrics by Francisco Gorrindo), Color gris, Amarga despedida, De punta y taco, Bendito (waltz with lyrics by Horacio Ferrer), Mi zambita rea (lyrics by Ferrer), Celedonio Bécquer (lyrics by Ferrer and Raúl Garello), Danzón de la chiflada (lyrics by Ferrer and Garello), Tristería (lyrics by Ferrer and Garello), and Serenata a mi guitarra.

Grela died in Buenos Aires on September 6, 1992, at the age of 79.

Discography Among his recordings with Troilo, the following can be highlighted:

Nunca tuvo novio Mi refugio Sobre el pucho La Cachila Taconeando Palomita blanca

Among his recordings with Leopoldo Federico, the following can be highlighted:

Romance de barrio Amigazo Amurado Tinta roja

Films

La Diosa impura (1963), directed by Armando Bó Buenas noches, Buenos Aires (1964), directed by Hugo del Carril