Unheard Tita Merello Recordings Found in Argentina's Cervantes Theater

An extraordinary discovery has been made during the restoration of Buenos Aires' Teatro Nacional Cervantes, with the unearthing of two previously unreleased songs by the legendary Argentine actress and tango singer Tita Merello. The recordings were found on sixteen metal discs dating from the period between 1926 and 1934.

The unearthed songs, titled 'Paquetín paquetón' and 'Trabajar nunca,' offer a rare glimpse into Merello's early work. The find, announced by Argentina's Secretariat of Culture, also includes other significant historical audio materials. These feature recordings by Spanish comedian Gloria Guzmán, theatrical dialogues involving Argentine actor Ángel Walk and Italian Olga Casares Pearson, monologues by Argentine actor Roberto Casaux, and recited poems by Uruguayan Santiago Arrieta and Russian Berta Singerman.

Laura Mogliani, a collections manager at the National Institute of Theatre Studies (INET), expressed the profound emotion of hearing this original sound material for the first time. She noted that these recordings are invaluable for reconstructing the theatrical and musical landscape of over a century ago and understanding the production processes of the era. The discovered discs have already been digitized and will be made available on YouTube, alongside access for researchers.

Beyond the audio recordings, the restoration project also yielded a marble bust of Argentine actor Miguel Faust Rocha, a prominent figure in the 1941 theatrical production of 'Martín Fierro.' Created by renowned Argentine sculptor Luis Perlotti, the bust was found in the theater's basement after decades of neglect. Its restoration and exhibition in the Cervantes' foyer represent a dual recovery: preserving the memory of a great performer and rescuing a significant work of Argentine art. The theater's historical collection, much of which was stored after a 1961 fire, is now being systematically recovered and valued.