Osvaldo Pugliese (1905 – 1995)
Argentine tango musician.
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I set up our labour union in 1935, because we - the popular musicians - had never had one. It was somehow a huge movement, but because of the lack of experience of some people, discussions and divisions started between us. However, I can recall everyone showed combativeness and we've got better wages, weekly rest and the end of workday at 4PM.
I'm a hard-worker because you need to be that throughout life. Musicians will be hard-workers until both political background and system to change - not this time. If those changes happen, we will be only "workers".
I set up the Orchestra in 1939. I had had my supporters by that time and they used to follow me and scream during my shows. I used to like it, but said to myself: "be humble Osvaldo, don't be arrogant." There were sometimes I was in prison and a cousin of mine (a policeman) used to replaced me on the piano.
I don't look myself as an artist, but as a hard-worker musician. And to be honest, a soft hard-worker, as hard-worker is the one at the factories, harbours. But I always say that I look myself as one of them.
I'm not a prophet! I'm just one more hard-worker, no more than that (...). I'm a bean, just a screw of this machine called tango.
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