I was browsing the internet yesterday morning to catch up on tango events in the city when I read “Adios, maestro” with a photo of pianist Emilio de la Peña. I gasped and was stunned for a moment. Yet another member of Café de los Maestros has left us.
As I write this post I am listening to one of Emilio’s compact discs. It’s the one I heard every Sunday morning at Tango nada más in Chicago after the milonga had ended around 4:00. Thanks to Bob Dronski for introducing me to this master pianist’s album. I never reached his level of playing, but I appreciated his perfection and style. I bought a copy of Emilio’s first CD “Tango New Expresion” from Bob and played it regularly.
I met Emilio after the awards ceremony in March 2008, when he and the other members of Café de los Maestros received certificates for their participation in the best tango album of 2006 which won a Latin Grammy. He said he didn’t consider himself a pianist because he worked in industrial machine design most of his life. He introduced me to his wife and children in front of the Academia del Tango and gave me his card.
A few months later I learned that Emilio was playing solo piano at Jazz & Pop, a tiny club in downtown Buenos Aires. I was the first to arrive and seated myself where I could watch Emilio’s hands on the keyboard. He invited a female singer for a few numbers with him. He played several of the arrangements I know so well from his album. What a privilege it was to be in the room while he played.
In February I learned that Emilio was doing a series of Sunday concerts in March at Notorious. It was the music he recorded for his final compact disc, “Este tango es otra historia,” which has been recorded but not produced as yet because he didn’t have the financial resources. I regret not attending one of those Sunday evening concerts.
Emilio studied piano from an early age, but had to go to work in difficult times. Finally when he retired at 66, he dedicated himself to tango, teaching, and recording. Last month, the city council recognized him as an outstanding personality in tango culture. He was scheduled to perform at the Festival Buenos Aires Tango in August. www.delapena.com.ar
Emilio may have been scheduled to appear with Café de los Maestros in London on June 26, but he suffered a heart attack last week and was hospitalized at the time of his death. He was almost 80 years old.



Today, while rummaging through some old files, I came across the program I saved from that memorable night in September 1997 at Club del Vino in Palermo. 