Artista Enrique Perg

Enrique Perg (1933-2017) pertenecía a una familia grande de descendientes de alemanes. Sus padres y abuelos inmigraron en la primera década del siglo xx. Después de haber pasado por Argentina y Brasil, se afincaron en el departamento de Paysandú. La familia trabajaba en la agricultura. Su padre y su tío tocaban el acordeón de botón. Su tío, quien había nacido en Alemania, tocaba polcas y valses al estilo de su país de origen. Él enseñó a sus sobrinos y todos los hermanos de Perg terminaron tocando el acordeón de dos hileras.

El entorno musical de su familia era de música alemana, muchas veces con la animación de Leo Bart y Nicolás Bart, quienes tocaban violín, acordeón de botón y cantaban en alemán en las reuniones bailables —como bodas— de esa colectividad étnica.

Perg relata que en su generación y la de sus hermanos hubo más integración con la sociedad criolla uruguaya. Recuerda que tenía muchos amigos criollos que tocaban acordeón —como un tal Simón Mirazo— de los cuales aprendían muchas melodías criollas. Según Perg, empezaron a mezclar «de todo un poco». «Después el tango y esas cosas, muchísimos tangos y milongas y esas cosas, y fuimos entreverando nosotros después».[1]

Aprendiendo melodías de oído, Perg silbaba para registrarlas en su memoria y luego sacarlas en el acordeón de dos hileras. Ya a los nueve años de edad tocaba en los bailes de la zona como acordeonista de relevo. Cuando el acordeonista contratado quería descansar, bailar con una dama o ingerir alguna bebida, Perg tocaba cuatro o cinco piezas. Recuerda que en esos bailes «se entreveraban» uruguayos y alemanes. «Todos juntos, porque antes era una cosa tan linda, éramos todos tan unidos que nos juntábamos uruguayos, alemanes y rusos y todo entreverado y era toda una cosa sola […]. Éramos toda una familia».[2]

Perg relata que en aquellos años «con un lechón o un cordero y veinte litros de vino se armaba el bailongo […]. Se juntaban entre un lote de muchachos, amigos, vecinos y entre todos ponían un poquito y se hacía el baile […], siempre con acordeón de dos hileras».[3]

En los casamientos era donde más se tocaba, bailaba y comía, recuerda. Por ejemplo, la fiesta de casamiento de su hermana duró tres días y tres noches, y estuvo siempre animada con acordeón de dos hileras. Para que siguieran los festejos y que no faltara comida para los convidados, era común que los padres de los novios y otros colonos robaran pavos, lechones y gallinas de los vecinos. «No chillaba nadie, era una armonía total», sostiene.[4]

En su carrera profesional de trabajador rural y albañil —y también en su carrera musical—, Perg tuvo la oportunidad de compartir con importantes acordeonistas como el afamado Bocha Fagúndez de Cerro Chato, Paysandú, el chamamecero entrerriano Abelardo Dimotta, y también un acordeonista de la zona de apellido Andino, de quien aprendió esta polca, Federico, y otras piezas.

[1] Comunicación personal, 2003.

[2] Comunicación personal, 2003.

[3] Comunicación personal, 2003.

[4] Comunicación personal, 2003.

Enrique Perg (1933-2017) belonged to a large family of German descendants. His parents and grandparents immigrated in the first decade of the 20^th Century and, after first trying their luck in Argentina and Brazil, they put down roots in the interior of the department of Paysandú. His family worked in agriculture, and his father and uncle played the button accordion. His uncle, who had been born in Germany and played polkas and waltzes in the style of his home country, taught his nephews to play, and all the Perg brothers ended up playing the two-row button accordion.

The musical environment of his family setting was German music, oftentimes performed by musicians Leo Bart and Nicolás Bart who played violin, button accordion and sang in German at dance parties, such as wedding celebrations, of that ethnic community.

Perg recalls that it was in his and his brothers´ generation that there was more integration with the surrounding Uruguayan criollo society and he remembers that he had many criollo friends that also played the button accordion, such as Simón Mirazo, from whom he learned many criollo melodies and styles. According to Perg, «they began to intermingle later on, a little bit of everything, and then tango and those kind of things, then we began to mix everything».[1]

Learning by ear, Perg would whistle to register melodies in his memory to then figure them out on the two-row button accordion. At nine years old he was already playing accordion in local dances as a «back-up musician», performing four or five songs while the hired accordionist would rest, dance with a lady, or have a drink. Perg remembers that in those dances «Uruguayans, Germans, Russians were all together, it was a beautiful thing, everybody together […] we were like one big family».[2]

Perg recalls that, «in those days with a suckling pig or a lamb and twenty liters of wine we would have a big old dance […] a bunch of young people would get together, friends, neighbors and everybody would contribute something, and we would have a dance […] always with the two-row button accordion».[3]

He remembers that it was at wedding parties that people would play accordion, dance and eat the most. For example, his sister´s wedding party lasted three days and three nights, always fueled by the two-row button accordion. In order that the festivities would continue and that there would be no lack of food to offer the guests, it was common that the parents of the bride and groom and other farmers would steal turkeys, suckling pigs and chickens from their neighbors. According to Perg, «nobody complained, it was complete harmony».[4]

In his professional career in rural professions and as a construction worker, as well as in his musical career, Perg had the opportunity to interact with important accordionists such as the famous «Bocha» Fagúndez from Cerro Chato, Paysandú,  chamamé accordionist Abelardo Dimotta from Entre Ríos, Argentina, and also an accordionist of the last name Andino from whom he learned this polca, Federico, and numerous other melodies.

[1] Personal communication, 2003.

[2] Personal communication, 2003.

[3] Personal communication, 2003.

[4] Personal communication, 2003.

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