I will never forget my first time in Buenos Aires, when I went with my then sister-in-law Maria Nieves to watch her perform at Casa Blanca and was enraptured by this foremost orchestra which was backing her and Copes as they did for so many years. They held the musical torch for decades. And carried it high.
Born in Italy, José began studying bandoneon in 1942 after his family moved to Buenos Aires. He was in the orchestra of Osmar Maderna (ex of Caló) by 1949, then in the fifties joined the Di Sarli Orquesta where he sat next to Plaza.
It's hard to think where tango would be today without the sublime contributions of José Libertella and his colleague contemporaries over the last 50 + years. You will be missed, maestro.
Another link in the chain connecting us to the golden era of tango is gone. There aren't many left. Time is rushing by so fast. We venerate the great musicians who created and
played our favourite music ... I hope they know this in their sunset days.
I'm thinking particularly of Maestro Emilio Balcarce who, at 86, is still
teaching and guiding young musicians and giving of his special knowledge; of
his contemporary Horacio Salgán who continues to show his genius. How they
do inspire.
1956 playing for Di Sarli 
