Dr. Tangalanga
Julio Victorio De Rissio (10 November 1916 – 26 December 2013), better known by the stage name of Dr. Tangalanga, was a popular Argentine comedian known for his humorous prank phone calls to unsuspecting recipients.
Dr. Tangalanga | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Julio Victorio De Rissio 10 November 1916 |
| Died | 26 December 2013 (aged 97) |
| Occupation | Comedian, writer |
| Years active | 1964–2013 |
Label(s) | DBN Radio Tripoli |
Career
Born in the Balvanera neighbourhood of Buenos Aires to Italian Argentine immigrants, De Rissio worked in a shoe factory during his early years. He began recording prank calls in the mid-1960s to provide comic relief for a bedridden friend. He released over 40 albums of prank calls since 1989, selling over 250 thousand copies, arguably becoming the most famous prank call artist in the Spanish speaking world. He made extensive use of Argentine Lunfardo vernacular, and his tapes have been praised by critics as varied as humorist Carlos Loiseau and philosopher Alejandro Rozitchner.
Style
Tangalanga would typically initiate a prank-call using a slow-paced, erudite turn of phrase to inquire about an actual product or service advertised in a newspaper. Through the careful introduction of nonsensical remarks he would bewilder his victims to the point of confusion, inflaming the conversation with personal affronts to ignite a verbal altercation.
Tangalanga's targets were picked at random or from tips from his audience. While he did not have a specific victim profile in mind he would gravitate towards short-tempered personalities. Frequent targets were adult-workers, palm-readers, mechanics, loan sharks, pizzeria employees, construction workers and parking-garage attendants. In many set-ups Tangalanga would question the sexual orientation of his victims arguing that either their tone of voice or conversation manners were signs of a closeted lifestyle. A notable example is a call to a group of gay adult workers offering full-body massages (aka."masofilaxia") which culminated in mutual accusations of deviant behavior.
A hallmark of Tangalanga's style was the use of various alter-egos, like Tarufetti, Lic. Varela, Santoro, Rigatuzzo, Cadorna. In every set-up he would raise a fictitious complaint about the poor quality of services sold to his brother or nephew. In an notable example he said: "My nephew went to get two "matafuegos" (Spanish for fire extinguisher; literally: fire-killer) for the car, but they didn't kill the fire, they didn't even injure it". The resulting quarrel ranks this call as one of his most memorable in 40 years.
Fitness Center Saga
Beginning in 1998 Tangalanga made various calls to Octavio, a gym manager. The first call was published in "Dr. Tangalanga es mundial" with Octavio appearing in a few other compilations that followed. There were a total of 12 calls - the last-one was performed live in 2011.
Discography
- Los llamados telefónicos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 1 (1989)
- Los llamados telefónicos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 2 (1990)
- Los llamados telefónicos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 3 (1990)
- Los llamados telefónicos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 4 (1990)
- Los llamados telefónicos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 5 (1991)
- Los llamados telefónicos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 6 (1991)
- Los llamados telefónicos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 7 (1991)
- Los llamados telefónicos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 8 (1992)
- Los llamados telefónicos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 9 (1993)
- Los llamados inéditos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 1 (1994)
- Los llamados inéditos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 2 (1995)
- Los llamados inéditos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 3 (1995)
- Los llamados inéditos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 4 (1996)
- Dr. Tangalanga: Cuentos con amigos (1996)
- Los mejores llamados telefónicos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 1 (1996)
- Los mejores llamados telefónicos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 2 (1996)
- Los mejores llamados telefónicos del Dr. Tangalanga vol. 3 (1997)
- Los llamados de oro del Dr. Tangalanga (1997)
- Dr. Tangalanga es mundial, first Octavio's appearance (1998)
- Dr. Tangalanga en vivo (1998)
- Dr. Tangalanga: Llamados violentos (1998)
- Dr. Tangalanga: Cuentos con amigos (1998)
- Dr. Tangalanga: Colección privada vol. 1 (1998)
- Dr. Tangalanga: Colección privada vol. 2 (1998)
- Dr. Tangalanga: Colección privada vol. 3 (1999)
- Dr. Tangalanga: Colección privada vol. 4 (1999)
- De parte de Tangalanga (2000-2001)
- Tangalanga ataca de nuevo (2002)
- ¿En qué sentido me lo dice? (2002)
- ¿Me da su teléfono? (2003)
- WANTED (por matar de risa) (comp. 1980 - 1999) (2003)
- 40 Años Currando - Solo editado en Mexico - Para el show del Hard Rock Cafe, only released in Mexico (2004)
- Tangalanga en México (2004)
- Maestro 2005 (2005)
- 10 de noviembre de 2006 La Trastienda Club (Official Bootleg) (2006)
- Noventa pirulos y todavía te rompo (2006)
- Rioplatense (2006)
- Te sobra un número (2007)
- ¿Me puedo tomar confianza? (2007)
- ¡Olé, olé, olé! ¡Doctor! ¡Doctor! (2008)
- Mil gracias Uruguay (2008)
- Dr. Tangalanga: Colección privada vol. 5 (comp.) (2009)
- Dr. Tangalanga: Trapisondas (2010)
- Dr. Tangalanga: cuentos con amigos 2 (2010)
- Dr. Tangalanga: Tejemanejes (2011)
External links
References
- 90 Tangalangas (Página/12).
- "Tal vez ya sea un poco conocido" (Clarín).
- Argentina answers to the crazy call of Dr. Tangalanga, Matt Moffett. Wall Street Journal. December 15, 2007.
