Francisco Lomuto

Historical background

Francisco Lomuto learned the ropes alongside his friend Francisco Canaro, whose musical influence remains the clearest on his own sound, according to Michael Lavocah — heavier and more emphatic, driven by a piano left hand that locks the double bass into an unwavering walking tempo. The orchestra, which played at the Naval School and at the Casa Rosada, cultivated a conservative style that appealed more to the establishment than to the bohemian high society favoured by De Caro or Firpo.

Its most recognisable signature is a descending final cadence (a diminished seventh) rather than tango's usual rising "POM-POM". Lomuto also remains the only notable dance-orchestra recording of tunes that later became standards, such as Caminito and Nostalgias. His golden years fall in the mid-1930s, and despite recording into the 1940s, Lomuto never really made the turn towards the more sophisticated tango of Di Sarli, Pugliese or Troilo.

Source: Michael Lavocah, Tango Masters: Tango Stories, Musical Secrets, chapitre 15 « Francisco Lomuto: firmly on the ground ».