Córdoba

A city in cuarteto

In “Soy cordobés”, the singer introduces his city through a rhythm and a list of places. Piano, bass and accordion belong in the picture; so do the neighbourhoods of Alta Córdoba, Jardín Espinosa and Alberdi. The song also names Leonor Marzano and La Mona Jiménez, figures in the history of Córdoba’s cuarteto.

The recording is by Rodrigo Bueno, born in Córdoba in 1973. He took the dance music associated with his home province to national audiences in Argentina. “Soy cordobés”, written by Flavio Bueno and Teddy Tessel, became one of the songs most closely associated with him.

Cuarteto’s name recalls the four musicians in early groups; its dance rhythm became a fixture of local bailes, where bands play for a public gathered to dance. The song does not need to describe a single dance hall: it names musicians and districts that its audience could recognise as parts of the same local culture.