In 1957, Louis Armstrong performed ten shows at a theater in Buenos Aires: 69 years later, his songs are played by candlelight in San Telmo

In October 1957, hundreds of fans surrounded Louis Armstrong’s plane on the tarmac at Ezeiza. According to reports, firefighters sprayed water at the crowd to keep it under control, and the trumpeter was unable to descend the boarding stairs. That’s how his visit to Buenos Aires began, as part of a South American tour. The love for jazz in Buenos Aires, which began nearly 100 years ago, remains as strong as ever. And you can experience it during a unique night out in San Telmo.

That week, Armstrong gave ten concerts at the Teatro Ópera, between October and November, organized by the venue’s owner, Clemente Lococo, and by Fernando Iriberri of Casa Iriberri. The craze for Satchmo in Buenos Aires was so intense that the city remembers it as “Armstrongmania.”

Among the anecdotes from those days, the most oft-told is the one about the “protector.” Armstrong’s lips were chapped from the trumpet mouthpiece, and he feared that a fan might hit him in the mouth. That’s why, as the story goes, he wore a baseball catcher’s mask whenever he left the hotel and arrived at the theater.

Almost 69 years after those ten concerts, a live band plays the songs of Armstrong and Sinatra at Torquato Tasso, the candlelit music club in San Telmo. “The Jazz Room: Tribute to Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong” is a tribute in which neither artist participates: the songs are performed by other musicians.

Torquato Tasso is located at Defensa 1575, in San Telmo, across from Lezama Park. It’s a music club dedicated to tango, folklore, and other genres, and one of the most important venues for tango in Buenos Aires. Horacio Salgán, Mariano Mores, Leopoldo Federico, and Alberto Castillo have all performed on its stage.

The tables are lit by candles, and those in the know say that walking in feels almost like a ritual. Reviews mention one more detail: sometimes the audience sings along with the musicians. With a repertoire like the one in this tribute, it’s easy to see why.

The program includes “Fly Me to the Moon” and “My Way” by Sinatra, and “What a Wonderful World” and “When You’re Smiling” by Armstrong.

• When: November 22 through December 6, 2026.
• Where: Torquato Tasso, Defensa 1575, San Telmo.
• Duration: about 60 minutes.
• Age: 18 and older only.
• Price: tickets starting at ARS 34,000.
• Seating: first-come, first-served within each section.

Since seating depends on your arrival time, if you want a good table, you’ll want to get there early.