Carlos Gardel

Carlos Gardel was a French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer, and actor who is the most prominent and beloved figure in the history of tango. Emigrating to Buenos Aires as a toddler, Gardel was raised in the working-class Abasto neighborhood, earning the enduring nickname 'El Zorzal Criollo' (The Creole Thrush).

In 1917, Gardel transformed tango from an instrumental street dance into a poignant vocal art form with 'Mi noche triste'. Partnered with lyricist Alfredo Le Pera, he wrote and recorded hundreds of immortal tangos—most famously 'Por una cabeza', 'Volver', and 'El día que me quieras'—and starred in hit Paramount motion pictures. Gardel died tragically at the height of his international superstardom in a runway plane crash in Medellín, Colombia. To this day, Argentines fondly say of him: 'Gardel sings better every day.'