BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) – At the peak of his career in the 1930s, Carlos Gardel’s fans used to gather at the curb outside his home, hoping to hear one of Argentina’s greatest tango singers practice a tune before a show. Now, they can gather inside to hear him again.
Visitors to the remodeled “Carlos Gardel Museum Home” at his former house in the Argentine capital can see black-and-white images of key moments in the career of the singer who gave tango a huge boost worldwide.
And the voice is on tap as well. Visitors can hear any of his 893 recordings through headphones installed there.
“It’s very interesting to visit the house where he lived and to give children a chance to understand that there are other types of music,” said Siomara Gordon, a Colombian tourist visiting the museum. “He expresses love like no other.”
Gardel’s cult remains powerful more than eight decades after his death in a 1935 air crash in Colombia at the age of 44. Argentines often leave carnations and burning cigarettes at his tomb in Chacarita cemetery in Buenos Aires and couples dance to his songs in packed halls. Iconic images of him with a fedora hat pulled over his brow and a cigarette dangling from his lips are plastered on walls throughout Buenos Aires – and on those of Argentine restaurants worldwide.