Oh, well, that’s quite a question! For a long time, there has been discussion (and it still continues!) about which city, and therefore which nationality, the famous tango singer Carlos Gardel was born in. He is recognized worldwide as an icon of this wonderful heritage of the Río de la Plata. Is Gardel Uruguayan? Is he Argentine as others indicate? Or is he French and born in Europe?
As I said before, it’s a long-standing debate, but we’ll try to contribute from here with some data that may help clarify this question for many.
Who was Carlos Gardel and where was he born?
Let’s briefly start by talking about who Carlos Gardel was and why there’s a dispute about his birthplace. Carlos Gardel was a singer, composer, and film actor, naturalized Argentine, born in the 19th century and died in 1935. He is the most well-known representative of the tango genre in tango history. As the initiator and leading exponent of tango canción, he was one of the most important interpreters of global popular music in the first half of the 20th century, due to the quality of his voice, the quantity of records sold (both as a singer and composer), his numerous tango-related films, and his worldwide impact.
Now, given the importance of the figure in question, Argentina and Uruguay (as well as France) dispute being the birthplace of this famous tango singer-songwriter, recognized worldwide.
There is no consensus on the place and date of his birth. The Uruguayan hypothesis maintains that he was born in Tacuarembó (Uruguay) on December 11th, between 1883 and 1887. The French hypothesis claims he was born in Toulouse (France) on December 11th, 1890. It is agreed that he lived from his childhood in Buenos Aires and became naturalized Argentine in 1923. He died on June 24th, 1935, in Medellín, Colombia, in an airplane accident.
Where was Carlos Gardel born? Official documents
In official biographies, two theories are discussed: the first one states that Gardel was born in Toulouse, France, in December 1890, baptized as Charles Romuald Gardes, and brought to Argentina around 1893, where he lived in the Abasto neighborhood of Buenos Aires throughout his childhood.
The second theory claims that Carlos Gardel was born in Tacuarembó, a small town located in northern Uruguay, in 1887, and was brought to live in Buenos Aires at the age of six.
The basis of this second theory was supported, among other things, by an identity card issued by the Argentine Republic that recognized a Uruguayan nationality certificate.
Where was Carlos Gardel born? Our conclusion
For us, it’s clear. Carlos Gardel belongs to the Río de la Plata. Beyond the exact birthplace, he is undoubtedly a world-renowned figure who has propelled Tango globally, representing the Río de la Plata, and this encompasses Argentina and Uruguay. Carlos Gardel is unquestionably an icon of Argentine-Uruguayan culture, but more specifically of the sister cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
