- After a brief incursion in journalism, he worked as a literature and Spanish professor but for political reasons (in addition to his membership in the Unión Cívica Radical) he was expelled from his professorship and decided to dedicate himself to the arts.
- In 1935 he participated in the beginnings of FORJA (Fuerza de Orientación Radical de la Joven Argentina - Force of Radical Orientation of the Young in Argentina), group whose position has been classified as "peoples nationalism". It was centered almost exclusively in the problems in Argentina and Latin America. They manifested to "reconquer the political Sunday from our own land" since it was considered that the country was still in a colonial situation. In relation to the European conflict at the time, it supported a neutral position sustaining that there was no great interest was in play in Argentina or Latin America, it was more of a rejection position towards fascism just as much as communism.
- Manzi was interested in literature and tango since he was young.
- In 1934 Manzi founded Micrófono ("Microphone") magazine which covered subjects related to radio telephony, Argentine movies and film making.
- He wrote the screenplay for Nobleza Gaucha in 1937 in collaboration with Hugo Mac Dougall, and a new version of the silent movie of 1915, Huella ("Footprint") (1940), for which they received second prize from Buenos Aires City Hall.
- Even though Manzi never published a poetry book, in 1921 he had already written the beautiful waltz ¿Por qué no me besas? (Why don't you kiss me?), which years later would be conducted by the great bandoneón player Anibal Troilo. Thirteen years later, this unforgettable poet of popular music which blends in his great talent with a strong nostalgic touch full of metaphors took the name of "Homero Manzi", which would immortalize him.
- Together with piano player and composer Sebastián Piana, he was able to reappraise the milonga genre thanks to the composition of famous "Milonga sentimental" and "Milonga del 900", among others.
- At the age of 7, Homero had already moved to Buenos Aires to start his studies at Colegio Luppi, a school in the humble and distant Pompeya district. Each component in that landscape -from the long wall along which he walked on his way to school to the railway embankment, as if a magic combination of city and pampa- would be caught in his lyrics to come, such as those of "Barrio de tango" (1942) and "Sur".
- He never used lunfardo (Buenos Aires slang or argot) in his literary pieces, although his work was very much addressed to a popular audience.
- He resorted to metaphors, even surrealist, but never so much as to prevent ordinary people from fully understanding his message.
- Manzi was 19 years old when he began studying at the Law School and he felt deep admiration for José Hernández and Leandro N. Alem, who helped him build his first political ideas and who later on made him lean towards the radical party.
- He was born to an Uruguayan mother and Argentine father (as tango itself) in Añatuya, a railway junction in the Province of Santiago del Estero, a virtually desert province in the North East region of Argentina.
- His short 44 years were also enough for him to indulge in journalism and teaching, to take active part in films and get strongly involved in trade unions and politics, that ended up with his enrolment in the political party led by Juan Domingo Perón.
- In 1930, after the military coup that overthrew the then president Hipólito Yrigoyen, he led the occupation of the Law School which earned him the expulsion from it. He then began to suffer the prohibition and censorship of his artistic expressions.
- Homero Manzi also stood out for his social and political ideas which he brought from his hometown in Santiago and he later polished in his beloved Buenos Aires with celebrities of the time.
- At present, small Añatuya as well as the City of Santiago del Estero praise him as one of their most valued sons.
- In 1935, together with Arturo Jauretche, Manzi founded Fuerza de Orientación Radical de la Joven Argentina (FORJA), a political movement that during the next decade would support the rising Peronista movement, which would be the continuation of the government of Yrigoyen. Even though Manzi never became a member of the peronismo, he shared the popular and national vision of the political movement.
- Longing and nostalgia are often present in his verses as in tango itself. Through them, Manzi depicts people and things with tenderness and sympathy.
- He was the sixth son of a Uruguayan mother and an Argentinian father.
- Manzi has given, like no one else, poetry to tango lyrics. He was a poet who never published a book of poems. His poetry was evidenced only through songs, from country themes to urban music, the latter where he would be at his best. In this way he became immensely popular without giving up his poet feelings.
- Unlike other great authors, his lyrics are not chronicles of the social reality nor do they convey moral messages.
- Homero Manzi studied at Colegio Luppi, in the neighborhood of Pompeya. There, he began to show qualities as a writer that would later on turn him into one of the most important popular artists the country has ever seen. Manzi captured those first experiences in the lyrics of wonderful tangos, popular music at a time which, with his help, would end up identifying a whole country.
- The poor -suburban- neighborhood is his great stage. His tango "Sur", 1948, with music written by the bandoneon player Anibal Troilo, possibly the most superb work in the genre in that glamorous decade, summarizes the essence of his work.
- Manzi spent his first nine years together with his family in Añatuya until his parents decided to send him to the modern city of Buenos Aires to have a promising future.
- Tango lyrics were, however, his true medium, and they are what keep him alive.
- Together with the pianist Sebastián Piana, he wrote great classics such as "Milonga sentimental", "Milonga del novecientos", and "Milonga triste". Piana and Manzi wrote, furthermore, remarkable tangos such as "El pescante" and "De barro" and a waltz particularly beautiful: "Paisaje", not to mention "Viejo ciego" whose melody notes -following the poem- were written by Piana and Cátulo Castillo.
- The early death of the poet, beaten by cancer on May 3, 1951, was mourned by Troilo in "Responso", a touching instrumental tango. That great musician and a Manzi in agony would pay tribute to another outstanding lyricist: Enrique Santos Discepolo in another remarkable tango: "Discepolín".
- The waltz "¿Por qué no me besas?", 1921, was his first and later forgotten piece, with music written by Francisco Caso who -years later- would introduce Manzi to Troilo. That would be one of the most brilliant couples of tango authors.
- Another particular aspect of Manzi's works was his mimesis with the romantic fever caught by the tango in the 40s, to which he contributed valuable pieces such as "Fruta amarga", "Torrente", "Después", "Ninguna" or "Fuimos". The latter, written together with the inspired bandoneon player José Dames, is a poem with extremely daring images ("I was like a rain of ashes and fatigue /in the resigned hours of your life ...") considering that it was a popular song; however, "Fuimos" would charm both public and interpreters, remaining as a paradigm of the elaborated and aesthetically ambitious tango.
- A decisive contribution by Manzi to the Río de la Plata music was his updating and enriching of the milonga, a genre that shares its origin with tango.
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