The mural painting Caminito

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In 2011, a mural painting called “Caminito” (31metres x 4,20m) was created on the initiative of the Mairie in the “petite rue Saint Pierre".
It was designed and drawn by the painter Alain Laborde-Laborde and painted by Tanguéando Ibos and Tanguéando Pau.
For a few months they seized the little street with the tip of their brushes while painting a colored fresco on a whole wall : the Caminito.

This fresco in trompe l’œil style evokes the famous harbour district of La Boca (mouth of the Riachuelo river) in Buenos Aires, the birthplace of Argentine Tango at the end of the XIXth century. The walls of the houses in this working class district were covered by metal sheets salvaged from old ships and protected by remnant paints.
The picturesque quality of the streets comes from the variety and juxtaposition of bright colours, mottled fences and little yards.

“Caminito” (little path) is the name of a street starting from the harbour of this poor district, and also refers to a famous tango music composed in 1926 by Juan de Dios Filiberto.

CELEBRITIES TO BE SEEN ON THE FRESCO

- ANIBAL TROILO (1914_1975) playing bandoneon,  composer and bandleader of Argentine Tango.
- EL INDIO and partner, a professional dancer, who performs in the street and on Dorrego square in San Telmo.
- EVA PERON, an Argentine political personality, as if in ambush behind Tarbes Mayor.
- ANTONIO SEGUI, a famous Argentine painter, staring at his little character jumping between 2 houses; he came to the Caminito in July 2011…
- CARLOS GARDEL, legendary composer and singer, born in Toulouse in 1890 ( ?). As a fim actor, he made Tango world famous and is still venerated today. He died in a plane accident in 1935.

LOOK !!

- The organito (barrel organ) which accompanied the dance of the first tangueros.
- The conventillos, block of flats with metal and wooden stairs and galleries, where immigrants lived, particularly Italians.
- The men who originally danced amongst themselves for lack of women.

HISTORY

Evocation of Argentine History with “Nunca mas”(never again) and the bars ( prison or bar ?) behind the character dressed in white who is talking to us about football ( La Bombonera Stadium isn’t far away) or the disappeared.

IDENTIFY

- The ceibo flowers, national Argentine plant, celebrated on November  22nd that reminds us of a deep red coxcomb (Erythrina crista-galli).
- The palo boracho (the drunken stick) in fact the silk floss tree that grows along the Buenos Aires streets with a trunk studded with thick and sharp prickles that grows bottle shaped with age…
- The little nest, like an oven (horno) of Argentina’s national bird, the hornero or red ovenbird.

The street within the street

- Look for the old lady, the scaffold, and the coloured tables of Horacio’s little restaurant, while Delia is watching at the window.

Surprising !

Amongst the farandole of flying dancers, look for the clumsy dancers…

Taguito :

- The raven “Never more”, an allusion to Edgar Poe (?), appeared on the 3rd day while the fresco was being painted and was integrated to the work.

Feel free to interpret the elements we did not mention….

Have a beautiful trip to the land of Argentine tango !!!