Tania (tango singer)
| Tania | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Ana Luciano Divis 13 October 1893 Toledo, Spain |
| Died | 17 February 1999 (aged 105) Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Tango singer |
| Years active | 1917-1988 |
| Known for | tango interpretation |
Tania (13 October 1893 — 17 February 1999) was the stage name of Spanish tango singer Ana Luciano Divis. She was one of the most significant tango interpreters of her era. She was honored as an Illustrious Citizen of the City of Buenos Aires and a Personality of Argentine Culture, as well as receiving the Order of Isabella the Catholic from Juan Carlos I of Spain.
Ana Luciano Divis was born in Toledo, Spain on 13 October, but the year varies in reports from 1893 to 1901, as the artist took measures to obscure the date, though she admitted to being over 100 years old, indicating that the earlier time frame is probably more accurate. Her father, a career military officer, was Amalio Luciano and her mother was Carmen Divis. Ana was the youngest of four siblings. The family moved to Valencia when she was two and she performed in theater and singing groups as a child. Her older sister Isabel was a light opera performer, and to avoid confusion with her when she decided to become a performer, Ana chose to use the stage name of Tania, after a Russian school friend, because she liked the name. At the age of eighteen she formed her own company and performed a variety show which toured Alicante, Barcelona, and Madrid. During a tour in Morocco, she met and married the Mexican dancer, Antonio Fernández Rodríguez, and became known as Mexican Tania. Tania's only child, Anita, who later performed as Choly Mur, was born from the marriage.
In 1923, they traveled to Argentina as part of the Iberian Troupe led by Teresita España. The initial tour included performances in Brazil, where a guitarist, Mario Pardo, suggested she perform a tango, "Fumando espero", which was well received and she added it to her repertoire. Later she added the tango "Esta noche me emborracho", which would lead to her introduction to the composer who would be come her life companion. By 1926, the troupe fell apart, her marriage had floundered and her husband returned to Spain, but Tania returned to Buenos Aires, as a solo act called "The Galician of Toledo". In 1927, José Razzano introduced her to Enrique Santos Discépolo at a cabaret performance of the Buenos Aires version of the Folies Bergère. Razzano wanted Discépolo to hear Tania's rendition of his song. Almost from their meeting, they were never separated, though they did not marry. She was called Discépolo's muse, but both of their careers took off once they joined their artistic and personal lives. He became a noted composer of tangos and she was one of the most popular interpreters of the genre.
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