This Sunday at 99 years old, composer Jorge Arduh passed away known as “the Keyboard Fantasist” for his virtuosity on the piano. The musician, a native of Las Junturas (a town located in the department of Río Segundo), directed numerous orchestras and represented Argentina with his songs and tango interpretations.
He formed his own orchestra in 1949, and with it he toured cabarets, bars and radio stations in Córdoba and Buenos Aires. In 1978 he directed the 40-piece orchestra for the World Cup. In 2009 he said goodbye to his audience at the Teatro del Libertador San Martín.
Jorge Arduh died at the age of 99
A few years ago, in dialogue with The voice of the interiorthe artist revealed that he earned his characteristic nickname thanks to the contribution of an LV3 operator, named Sandoval, who once saw him playing solo in a confectionery and asked him: “Do you have anyone to introduce you, maestro?” .
Faced with Arduh’s refusal, the man took the microphone and announced to the public that they were about to listen to the “keyboard fantasist”. Until some time ago, he kept more than 120 orchestrations in a trunk, all of his own.
Jorge Arduh, “the Keyboard Fantasist” passed away
Since 2005, Jorge had used a cochlear implant, an over-the-ear hearing aid that was attached to a plate in his skull. “It is a little device that transforms sounds into electrical signals. Without this I don’t hear anything. Nor the notes. I imagine the same notes. I have already assumed it because I completed all the stages, ”he explained in the interview.
The composer had many awards throughout his career, traveled extensively and was honored at various events. His last live show was in 2009, when he said goodbye to his beloved audience at the Teatro del Libertador San Martín.
“There were many years of going out. For 25 years I was up north, playing all kinds of venues, even on top of a trailer when there was no stage. And then came 15 more years of touring the south. I know Argentina from end to end. For me it was not a sacrifice to travel because I liked it, sometimes they gave me olives or nuts and I traveled scheduling the tour while snacking on something, ”she recalled.
As indicated in the note, Jorge began to travel the world with his music after meeting a Japanese man who visited Buenos Aires and was amazed at his talent. This invitation was added to others that “el Fantasista” received in Italy, Spain, Panama, Portugal, the United States, among other countries. Jorge Arduh’s passport always had “the tongue out”.
Arduh was Syrian and was married to his wife Ema (Lithuanian) whom he met at a dance in Athens at the age of 15. “This is the woman who is worth gold. It is the best gift tango gave me. We got married at 18 ”, he happily recalled in the interview.
