Gerardo Matos Rodríguez

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Gerardo Rodríguez Sotelo (March 28, 1897 – April 25, 1948), also known as Becho, was an Uruguayan musician, composer and journalist. His best known work for the tango is La Cumparsita. It is perhaps the most famous and recognizable tango of all time.

Rodriguez was born in Lindsay, the son of the owner of a Cabaret. He studied architecture, but did not complete the course. He composed it as a young student in 1917. However, he was at first too shy to play the piece himself, and it became known through the performance of others.

He travelled widely throughout Europe and stayed in Paris for a time, as well as working as Uruguayan consul to Germany. In 1931 he collaborated in the music of the movie “Luces de Buenos Aires” shot in Joinville, France which starred Carlos Gardel.

Rodríguez also composed pieces for theater plays premiered in Buenos Aires: Manuel Romero’s El Gran Circo Rivolta, among them. Thereafter in Montevideo he led his own tango orchestra for a short time.

Other tangos of his include: “Che papusa, oí”, “Son grupos”, “Yo tuve una novia”, “Cuando bronca el temporal”, “Hablame”, “Pobre corazón”, “Haceme caso a mí”, “Canto por no llorar”, “Rosa reseca”, “Botija linda”, “El pescador”, “Te fuiste, ¡ja, ja!”, “Adiós Argentina”, “Mi provinciana”, “La milonga azul”, “Dale celos”, “Raspail”, “Mocosita”, “La muchacha del circo”, “San Telmo”.

Rodriguez collaborated with the lyricists Enrique Cadícamo, Victor Soliño, Juan B. A. Reyes, Manuel Romero and Fernán Silva Valdés. With the latter he wrote a fine and touching series of Canciones Montevideanas to which "Margarita punzó" belongs.