Maria Volonte was inducted into the Argentine National Tango Academy in a ceremony officiated by the celebrated tango lyricist Horacio Ferrer.
In his speech, Ferrer lauded Maria’s “distinguished contributions” to tango, her role as an ambassador of tango around the world and her constant incorporation of other music from across Latin America into her repertoire, “just as Carlos Gardel — tango’s first international star — did in the 1930s.”
In the photo, Maria receives a diploma from the National Tango Academy from Ferrer and Gabriel Soria. Ferrer is the author, together with bandoneonist Astor Piazzolla, of some of the the most beloved tangos, including “Balada por un loco,” “Chiquilín de Bachín,” and the tango opera “Maria de Buenos Aires.”