This is a list of notable tango singers, that is, notable singers who are accomplished in the tango genre. Many tango musicians have been both musicians and singers, but this does not exclude from this list. While the vast majority of earlier tango singers were Argentines, this list illustrates the diversification of tango over time, with the growth in female stars such as Susana Rinaldi and the spread of tango around the world, as far as Russia (Pyotr Leshchenko), Poland (Jerzy Petersburski), and Turkey (İbrahim Özgür).
Carlos Acuña[TT][ti] (1915–1999) known for his deep, high and expressive voice. His foreign travels brought him success in Uruguay, Mexico, Italy and Spain, where he became a close friend of the exiled Juan Perón.[1]
Pyotr Leshchenko (1898–1954), the "King of Russian Tango" enjoyed great popularity both in Russia and abroad despite being suppressed in the Soviet Union. He sang mainly in Russian, also singing gypsy music. He died in a prison camp near Bucharest.[2]
İbrahim Özgür (1905–1959), dubbed "The King of Turkish Tango" for his singing and composition, after an earlier successful career in jazz. He began tango recordings in 1938. His nostalgic, "velvet" voice was well-suited for his mournful songs, haunted by his unrequited love for an Indian princess he met during his grand tour of Asia in the 1930s. His most famous such song, Mavi Kelebek ("Blue Butterfly"), won him a legion of female fans.[3] Özgür was the first male tango singer to rise to prominence in Turkey, where the tango tradition had been dominated by women.[4]
Susana Rinaldi[TT] (born 1935), known as "la passionaria du tango",[5] is also an actress. To avoid military rule, she settled in France where she has enjoyed a successful career.[6] A UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and social justice campaigner, she has been active in the artists' rights movement.[7]
Julio Sosa[ti][TT] (1926–1964), from Uruguay; was one of the most important tango singers during tango's unhappy years in the 1950s and early 1960s. His passion for poetry led to his sole published book; his passion for fast cars led to his young death.[8]
Hrysoula Stefanaki[TT] popular Greek singer / vocalist, and musician, born in Heraklion, Crete, Greece, best known for her outstanding & unique performances on national & international retro songs such as "Tango Noturno", "Blue Haven", "The last waltz", "Regretting for wasted years"etc.
^From the inside cover of Özgür's TangolarArchived 7 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine CD, Label Oriente Music. Reproduced online at oliversudden.com. Retrieved 13 July 2006.