Julio Sosa

Julio María Sosa Venturini (February 2, 1926 – November 26, 1964), usually referred to simply as Julio Sosa or El Varón del Tango, was a Uruguayan tango singer.

Biography

Sosa was born in Las Piedras, a Canelones Department suburb of Montevideo, Uruguay. He moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1949, where he became famous with the Orquesta Francini-Pontier the Orquesta típica formed by the violinist Enrique Mario Francini and the bandoneonist Armando Pontier . Working with numerous other orchestras, he was reunited with Pontier in 1955, with whom he recorded several best-selling albums on the RCA Victor and Columbia labels and became one of the most important tango singers in the genre's history.

He married Nora Ulfed in 1958 and had a daughter. His marriage ended in separation, however, and he settled into a relationship with Susana Merighi. His towering masculinity and reserved strength earned him the nickname El Varón del Tango ("The Man's Man of Tango"). Sosa also published a book of poetry, Dos horas antes del alba ("Two Hours Before the Dawn"), in 1960. Following his switch to Columbia Records in 1961, the Pontier orchestra incorporated a new bandoneonist, Leopoldo Federico, and the association helped make the group the most successful in its genre, at the time.

Julio Sosa (guitarist)

Julio "Koko" Sosa is a master guitarist and composer from Ucacha (Cordoba Province), Argentina. His performances and compositions range from Argentine styles (such as Tango, Milonga, Chamame, Zamba, Tonada, and Aires Criollos) to Latin Jazz, Flamenco and Brazilian styles (such as Samba and Bossa Nova).

Career

Julio has performed throughout Latin America and the United States, including performances at the White House and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and currently is an instructor at the Guitar Gallery in Washington DC.

References