La Tubatango

La Tubatango is an Argentine tango orchestra founded in 1967 by bandoneonist Guillermo Inchausty in Buenos Aires, establishing itself as the only group in tango’s history to make the tuba its emblematic instrument. The ensemble was formed with the philosophy that “lo sencillo bien llevado” (simplicity well executed) should succeed, seeking to revive the festive spirit of tango from the 1900s. The original quartet comprised Guillermo Inchausty on bandoneón, Rómulo Díaz on tuba, Alberto Remersano on guitar, and Romeo Piluso on vocals, with this instrumentation defining the group’s distinctive sound. During the original period of activity from 1967 to 1982, they recorded approximately ten long-play records for the Music Hall label, totaling around 100 tango compositions. The group performed in the Guardia Vieja and canyengue style, featuring tangos, milongas, valsecitos, and pasodobles suited for both social dancing and concert performances. Leadership later passed to guitarist Lucas Kohan, who incorporated the clarinet as a variant to the original flute arrangement. La Tubatango’s legacy endures as a pioneering ensemble that successfully reduced orchestral complexity while maintaining the genre’s festive, celebratory character, continuing to perform and record to the present day.

Sources note: No significant conflicts found. Sources consistently identify the ensemble as founded in 1967 by Guillermo Inchausty. The orchestra’s original active period is documented as 1967-1982 for the initial Music Hall recordings. Modern reissues (2011, 2022, 2023 on Bandcamp) preserve original recordings. All sources agree on the tuba being the ensemble’s emblematic and distinguishing instrument.