Imperio Argentina
María Magdalena Nile del Río (26 December 1906 – 22 August 2003) was an Argentine professional singer and movie actress, better known as Imperio Argentina; she became a citizen of Spain in 1999. María Magdalena Nile del Río was born to Antonio Nile (a guitar player, born in Gibraltar) and Rosario del Río (a native of Monda in the Province of Málaga). She performed onstage in her native Argentina, where she had a long and successful career. At that time, her stage name was Pettit Imperio. But her most successful moments came after she moved to Spain. It was there that she changed her name to Imperio Argentina, as a way to honor her "other country". While in Spain, del Río acted in many movies, and frequently worked in television and radio. She obtained Spanish citizenship in 1999. In 2001, she published her autobiography, "Malena Clara", written by playwright Pedro Víllora |
Birth and Death Data: Born Buenos Aires (capital and largest city of Argentina), Died August 22, 2003 (Benalmádena (town and municipality in Málaga, Spain) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1925 - 1936
Roles Represented in DAHR: mezzo-soprano
Notes: Née Magdalena Nile del Río.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | SO8580 | 10-in. | before 10/26/1936 | ¡Ay, Maricruz! | Imperio Argentina ; Orquesta Sevillana | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Victor | SO8581 | 10-in. | before 10/26/1936 | Maria Magdalena | Imperio Argentina ; Orquesta Sevillana | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | 0KA19 | 10-in. | November 1934 | Sevillanas Imperio (Viva Sevilla) | Imperio Argentina | Female vocal solo, with 2 guitars | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | 0KA20 | 10-in. | November 1934 | Peteneras | Imperio Argentina ; Vicente Gómez | Female vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | 0KA26 | 10-in. | November 1934 | Trentos (De no volverte hablar más) | Imperio Argentina | Female vocal solo, with guitar | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | 0KA45 | 10-in. | 11/2/1934 | Romanza rusa | Imperio Argentina ; Rafael Martínez ; Orquesta Casablanca | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble and violin solo | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | BS2135 | 10-in. | 12/3/1925 | Cada vez que considero | Imperio Argentina | Female vocal solo, with guitars | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | BS2144 | 10-in. | 12/4/1925 | Nubes de humo | Imperio Argentina | Female vocal solo, with guitars | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | BS2146 | 10-in. | 12/4/1925 | La cartita | Imperio Argentina | Female vocal solo, with guitars | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | BS2148 | 10-in. | 12/4/1925 | Dejame | Imperio Argentina ; H G. Pellarossi | Female vocal solo, with guitars | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | BS2569 | 10-in. | 4/26/1928 | Añoranzas criollas | Imperio Argentina | Female vocal solo, with guitars | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | BS2570 | 10-in. | 4/26/1928 | Negro | Imperio Argentina | Female vocal solo, with guitars | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | BS2574 | 10-in. | 4/26/1928 | Presumida | Imperio Argentina | Female vocal solo, with guitars | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | BS2575 | 10-in. | 4/26/1928 | Araca corazón | Imperio Argentina | Female vocal solo, with guitars | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | BS2589 | 10-in. | 4/30/1928 | San Juanina | Imperio Argentina | Female vocal solo, with guitars | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Gramophone | BS2591 | 10-in. | 4/30/1928 | Mi perro pinto | Imperio Argentina | Female vocal solo, with guitars | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Odeon | SO 8583 | 10-in. | approximately 1936 | María del Carmen | Imperio Argentina ; Joaquín Roberti | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Odeon | SO 8594 | 10-in. | approximately early 1936 | Bien se ve | Imperio Argentina | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Odeon | SO 8595 | 10-in. | approximately early 1936 | La segadora | Imperio Argentina | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Odeon | SO 8750 | 10-in. | approximately 1936 | Échale guinda al pavo | Imperio Argentina ; Miguel Ligero | Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Odeon | SO 8751 | 10-in. | approximately early 1936 | El día que yo naci | Imperio Argentina ; Rafael Martínez | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist, mezzo-soprano | |
| Odeon | SO 8752 | 10-in. | approximately early 1936 | Falsa moneda | Imperio Argentina ; Rafael Martínez | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, mezzo-soprano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Argentina, Imperio," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104912.
Argentina, Imperio. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104912.
"Argentina, Imperio." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Imperio Argentina
Discogs: Imperio Argentina
IMDb: Imperio Argentina
Britannica: Imperio Argentina
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Argentina, Imperio, 1906-2003 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85136108
Wikidata: Imperio Argentina - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q468806
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/50148357
MusicBrainz: Imperio Argentina - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/9e850b40-c138-4ca5-9679-565bc53c4663
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/1752788 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/1752788
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