Aníbal Troilo

Tango pioneer Anibal Troilo was born in 1914, cutting his teeth playing bandoneón behind Ciriaco Ortiz, Julio De Caro, Angel D´Agostino and Enrique Santos Discépolo prior to founding his own orchestra in 1937. During the 1940s he ranked among the most influential figures in Argentinian music, famed for his oft-imitated "Troilo Sound" -- a rich, fluid approach to the tango which juxtaposed staccato and legato figures. A celebrated composer and arranger, Troilo was also a superb bandleader with a rare eye for talent -- the legendary Astor Piazzola, virtuoso bassist Kicho Diaz and singers Francisco Fiorentino, Alberto Marino, Floreal Ruiz and Roberto Goyeneche are just a handful of the notables who passed through his orchestra's ranks. During the 1950s Troilo also helped lay the groundwork for the emergence of the "nuevo tango" sound popularized by Piazzola, and he recorded regularly for labels including Odeon, T.K and Victor until his death in 1975. ~ Jason Ankeny