Gricel

'Gricel' is a celebrated 1946 tango featuring music by Mariano Mores and deeply poignant lyrics by José María Contursi. The song is named after a real woman, Gricel, with whom Contursi had a passionate, decades-long extramarital romance. It is one of the most famous examples of a 'tango canción' (tango song).

The real Gricel was a woman named Susana Gricel Viganó, whom José María Contursi met in the 1930s and fell obsessively in love with. Contursi, who was already married, turned their illicit, on-and-off romance into the narrative for this song. Their relationship became one of the most famous scandals in Buenos Aires high society.

The lyrics express the intense pain, guilt, and longing of a man who believes he has ruined the life of the woman he loves by pulling her into a doomed affair. José María Contursi uses the name 'Gricel' as a recurring character in several of his tangos to map out the tragic arc of their relationship. The song is a masterpiece of romantic fatalism.

Mariano Mores and his orchestra first recorded the definitive version of 'Gricel' in 1946 with vocals by Enrique Podestá. This original recording was a massive hit and launched the song into the tango canon. The success of the track made 'Gricel' a household name across Argentina.