Rafael Canarozzo, known professionally as Rafael Canaro, was born on June 22, 1890, in San José de Mayo, Uruguay, and later became a naturalized Argentine citizen. He began his musical career early, accompanying payadores as a guitarist, and in 1925 joined his brother Francisco Canaro’s orchestra, touring Paris and New York as a double bassist and saw player. In 1926, he returned to France to lead his own orchestra, which performed across Europe and included collaborations with singers such as Carmen Sevilla and Luis Mariano, until returning to Buenos Aires in 1939 due to the outbreak of World War II. He co-composed the tango “Sentimiento gaucho” with Francisco Canaro, with lyrics by Juan Andrés Caruso, winning first prize in the inaugural tango competition sponsored by Nacional Records in 1924. Canaro passed away on January 28, 1972.
