LIBERTANGO

Libertango is probably the most famous composition of Astor Piazzolla. It was recorded and published in 1974 in Milan, Italy. The title is a portmanteau merging "libertad" (Spanish for "liberty") and "tango", symbolising Piazzolla's break from classical tango to tango nuevo.

Libertango studio recording

Libertango live

Although Libertango was born as an instrumental piece, in 1990 Uruguayan poet Horacio Ferrer added lyrics in Spanish language based on the theme of freedom.

According to the performance database at All Music Guide, the composition has appeared on over 500 separate releases. Grace Jones's song I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango) uses the same music, as does Jazz Mandolin Project's song "Jungle Tango", Guy Marchand's song "Moi je suis tango" and Kati Kovács's song Hívlak.

In 1997 Irish folk musician Sharon Shannon recorded a cover of Grace Jones' I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango) for her third album, Each Little Thing. Featuring session vocals by Kirsty MacColl it also appeared in 2001 on The One and Only, a compilation album released after her death. Shannon re-released the recording as the title track of her 2005 compilation.

Cuban-American singer/composer Luisa Maria Güell added lyrics in the theme of the "Libertango" title and recorded it for her 2007 album Una. A more recent version in Spanish of Libertango lyrics belongs to the Argentinian singer, lyricist and composer Lilí Gardés, who describes the loneliness of city life. This version was approved by Edizione Cursi/Pagani SRL, and it was part of the show Zombitango.