Florindo Sassone

Historical background

Born Pedro Florindo Sassone on 12 January 1912 in the working-class Liniers neighbourhood at the western edge of Buenos Aires, he trained there as a violinist to the point of teaching the instrument, made his professional debut in 1930 in Antonio Polito's ensemble at Radio Belgrano, joined Roberto Firpo's orchestra in 1931, and then worked under Osvaldo Fresedo, whose approach to tango left a lasting mark on him. He formed his own orchestra in 1935, debuted at Radio Belgrano on 1 January 1936, and played the Café Nacional and the Marabú cabaret with Alberto Amor on vocals, before landing a daily Radio El Mundo programme carried by an outsized ensemble that included percussion, harp and exotic instruments. Between 1940 and 1946 he stepped away from music altogether for private business, returning modestly to neighbourhood cafés before rebuilding his orchestra in 1947 and finding lasting radio success once singer Jorge Casal joined, his voice creating a sensation, followed by Roberto Chanel as second singer.

Sassone was among the first bandleaders to appear on television, landing his own programme in 1960; he toured Japan in 1966 and 1972, then Colombia and Venezuela in 1975. His sound, described as "a curious mix of Osvaldo Fresedo and Carlos Di Sarli" that eventually found its own personality, favoured melodic purity and collective ensemble effects over individual soloist display. A minor but active composer, he wrote the milonga "Baldosa floja" and instrumentals such as "El relámpago" and "Esquina gardeliana." Biographer Jorge Palacio (Faruk) places him among the era's neighbourhood-level orchestras, well below dominant figures like Canaro, Firpo or D'Arienzo. He died on 31 January 1982.

Source: Jorge Palacio (Faruk), "Florindo Sassone," Todotango.com, https://www.todotango.com/creadores/biografia/736/Florindo-Sassone/.