Carlos Gardel (11 December 1887/1890 - 24 June 1935 Medellín, Colombia) is perhaps the most prominent figure in the history of tango. Although his birthplace is disputed between Argentina, Uruguay and France, he lived in Argentina from the age of two and acquired Argentine citizenship in 1923. He grew up in the Abasto neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, located near the Central Market of Fruit and Vegetables, an enormous art-deco styled building which today is a shopping mall. He attended Pio IX Industrial high-school located in the Almagro neighbourhood. He died in an airplane crash at the height of his career, becoming an archetypal tragic hero mourned throughout Latin America. For many, Gardel embodies the soul of the tango style that originated in the barrios of Buenos Aires at the end of the 19th century. He is commonly referred to as “Carlitos”, “The King of Tango”, “El Mago” (The Magician) and, ironically “El Mudo” (The Mute).

The unerring musicality of Gardel’s baritone voice and the dramatic phrasing of his lyrics made miniature masterpieces of his hundreds of three-minute tango recordings. Together with lyricist and long-time collaborator Alfredo Le Pera, Gardel wrote several classic tangos, most notably: Mi Buenos Aires querido, Cuesta abajo, Amores de estudiante, Soledad, Volver, Por una cabeza and El día que me quieras.