María Graña

María Graña was born in 1931 in La Boca, a working-class neighborhood of Buenos Aires. She came to tango with a voice that felt grounded in that place, and she worked with poet Horacio Ferrer early on. Their collaboration produced songs like "Caserón de Tejas," which became one of her signature recordings.

Her recordings span from the 1970s into the 1990s, with albums like "Tango para vos" and "Con todos los honores." She sang with musicians including Aníbal Troilo and Astor Piazzolla, and her regular band featured players like pianist Horacio Salgán and bandoneonist Leopoldo Federico.

Graña's interpretations of tango standards like "El Día Que Me Quieras" and "La Canción de Buenos Aires" carried a direct, unadorned quality. She stayed with the form through various stylistic shifts in Argentine music, maintaining a focus on the emotional core of the songs rather than theatrical presentation.