Tanghetto Resume

      Tanghetto are not only pioneers in fusing tango and electronica but
also absolute trend-setters in the new tango scene of Buenos Aires.
The band took beyond the very concept of electrotango, adding to the
mixture some elements of traditional tango, jazz and diverse South
American influences.
After 9 years, with 4 studio albums, a live DVD, soundtracks, platinum
and gold albums, tours in more than 20 countries worldwide, awards
and nominations, Tanghetto still surprises from the studio and from the
stage, with innovative recordings and a powerful audiovisual live show.
The “Tanghetto sound” is unique; it's a fusion of diverse sources of
inspiration, both contemporary and traditional, that converge in Buenos
Aires with the bandoneon (the nostalgic and characteristic instrument
of the tango). Bandoneon takes the singer's role and is surrounded by
diverse acoustic instruments and a sonic wall of synths and samplers.
The band's music has been defined as “(...) distinguished by its
singular combination of simplicity, sophistication, sensibility, energy
and no prejudices”.
The band started out in 2001, based on an idea of Max Masri (the
youngest and last disciple of tango legend Virgilio Exposito before his
death). Max brought from Germany, as early as in 1997, the idea of a
music of mixed origins. Having lived among argentine emigrants and
refugees made him understand what rootlessness was about. This
music was to synthesize the spirit of tango, the feeling of nostalgia and
the current panorama of the european electronic music. In 1998 Max
met Diego S. Velazquez and together (in moments stolen to other
projects in common) they started developing the material that
eventually would become the first Tanghetto album.
The release of "Emigrante" two years later was the beginning of an era
of acknolwedgement for the band. The album was nominated for a
Latin Grammy Award in 2004 (sharing the category with violoncellist Yo
Yo Ma) and became platinum in 2005. “Emigrante” is a concept album,
inspired in the Argentine diaspora of 2001/2002. The songs recall the
experiences of migrants in the “Little Argentinas”, communities of
argentines living abroad.
The very name “Tanghetto” (the combination of the words “tango” and
“ghetto”) is a reference to that idea. “Emigrante” set the musical base for the
band's particular approach to the music.
In 2004 “Hybrid Tango” was released, as a side project from the band's
members. This album reached gold and was also nominated for a Latin
Grammy, along with artists such as Pablo Ziegler, Astor Piazzolla’s long time
pianist. “Hybrid” expanded Tanghetto's musical range including elements of
jazz and other south american rhythms. Nowadays that album is considered
to be part of the band's discography.
Between 2005 and 2007, after consolidating their live performances on
argentine stages, Tanghetto toured around the world, showing their music in
more than 20 countries. Tanghetto's world tour included dates in the USA
(with a sold out concert in Los Angeles’ Ford Amphitheatre and a festival in
the Chicago Symphony Hall), UK, France (Tarbes Festival), Germany, Italy,
Mexico (where they played 19 concerts with an attendance of more than
50,000 people countrywide), etc. In 2006 the first live DVD (“Live in Buenos
Aires”) was released. It showed a complete concert plus some videoclips,
some of them alredy in MTV rotation at that time. During the 2007 european
tour they recorded a BBC Unplugged in London for BBC's World Service.
Some of these gigs were important jazz or world music festivals, where the
band was headliner (Festival Cervantino in México or Sons & Sonidos in São
Paulo, Brazil, etc).
In 2008 “El Miedo a la Libertad” was released. The path started in Emigrante
and Hybrid Tango went even farther. The album featured famous argentine
guitarrist Esteban Morgado in three songs. “El Miedo a la Libertad” won a
Gardel Award, the argentine equivalent of the Grammy, in 2009. This work
includes, besides 9 original songs, the jazz standard “Cantaloupe Island”
(Herbie Hancock) and a curious tango / reggae / jazz version of Sting’s “An
Englishman in New York”, which became a favourite in the live set.
The 2008/2009 Tour (called “Tour de la Libertad”) includes cities such as
Buenos Aires, Montevideo, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, London
(Thames Festival 2008), Paris, Roma, Berlin, Munich, Amsterdam, Vienna,
Venezia, Torino, Napoli, Guayaquil, Quito, Santiago, Bogotá, Lima, Istanbul,
Thessaloniki, etc
In November 2009, Tanghetto released "Más Allá del Sur", a new studio work
in which the band reaches a balance between tradition and innovation,
acoustic sound and electric, danceability and listenability. Tanghetto never
was so close to the tango roots, and nevertheless, they carry on their task of
renovation of tango. In March 2010 the supporting tour for "Más Allá del Sur"
will start in Paris, France.
Contact / booking
javi
Updated:  May 11, 2010

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