--Astillero
Tango, August 16, 2007, Amsterdam, the
Netherlands
Allard van der Hoek made photos of
Astillero Tango in 'De Badcuyp',
Amsterdam. The guys play because they feel an
enormous drive to do so. The songs are
about the people who live in the margins
of the society, who just manage to
survive, and about other people's cry for
a strong leader who'll save their country
from the downwards spiral. The projected
video ads pictures to the lyrics.
Tango de Astillero does not pretend to
come with solutions. The video however
bears a clear warning for the kind of
strong leaders that the masses may help
support, showing fragments of the movie
'The Great Dictator', by- and with Charly
Chaplin, where Chaplin plays the role of
the suppressor as well as the role of the
suppressed ordinary man.
I experienced their music as violent
and beautifull. There're only few moments
where the audience get's a chance to
relax.
Julian Peralta, the pianist, told me
that he thinks a pause in the middle of
the concert, for the audience to get
themselves a drink and have a chat, and 'a
break' would also cause an undesired break
in the buildup of the concert. When you go
to a gallery, you don't look at one half
of a painting, have a break, have a drink,
and then look at the other half. For them,
a concert is one story, one image, one
feeling, one idea, that is best shared in
one piece.
I must say, after this one hour and 20
minute concert, I was completely
satisfied. I had not felt any necessity
for a break, nore had I any idea of what
could still be done áfter a break.
The concert was so intense, that I think I
felt like every note played found its way
to my mind and body, causing disturbance,
pleasure, fear and trust, emotions,
exitement. The experience could not be
bettered, only be worsened by adding any
stuff.
The music was, although mostly violent,
always played delicatly, meaning: mighty
skilled. The singer knew exactly what he
was doing with his microphone. He found
the perfect distance in regard of the
varied volume of the instruments of the
orchestra, and during the very silent
phrases he would not even use the mike at
all. Every word was heard, never he
shouted, never he seemed to fake emotion.
The music is in their heads, in their
arms, in their feet, in their hearts. The
guys express themselves small sheets of
paper in front of them just showed the
order of the songs, not the notes. The
music came out of thém. I immagined
myself dancing, horizontal movements, as
in a knife-fight, building up tension and
releasing it, controlled. The music
surprises me, but never puts me on the
wrong leg. It feels natural from the first
to the last note. This is the Tango music
of this moment. It all feels right in
place.
They left me worried.... Will they
exite me the same next time, next concert,
next year, and in a few years from now?
How are they going to solve that problem?
What will become of their music when the
world has solved its problems and became a
better place? It was one of the rare occasions theses
days, that I was exited even about there
being a CD sold. Why is that so exiting?
Because these guys played all new songs,
all their own new music. Most new
orchestras play arrangements of already
wellknown tunes, and often all they show
is their playing skills on pieces of well
appreciated, but dead composers. Tango de
Astillero is alive now, and kicking. The
11 pieces of the CD are all newly written
original outstanding pieces of art. Played
at home, from your stereoset, it may not
be that exiting as during the live concert
in De Badcuyp, but I was darn happy that I
was able to take a souvenir home, with all
the pieces of this concert!
The music is even quite danceable,
although violent, as said before. Let's
see how the dancers in a next milonga
respond to it...
Rob Nuijten, August 18, 2007
---------
Orchestra: Astillero Tango See also the review of their concert
in Visit the orchestras website for
samples of its music.
Rob Nuijten wrote about his 'Tango de
Astillero experience'.
"Good question" the pianist says, while
undergoing a Belgian beer tasting
experience, later in the bar. "I have no
idea. We now play what we play because we
feel a need to express ourselves, as
artists. We do not think about where we
want to go with our music. What we'll play
in a few years, time will tell".
singer: Peyo, bandoneons: Patricio
Bonfiglio + Mariano G. Calo
piano: Julián Peralta
violin: Martijn van der Linden (for this
tour through Europe)
violonchello: Leonhard Bartussek,
double bass: Felix Arcángeli
astillerotango.com.ar
London, July 20
Negracha Tango Club (4 Wild Court,
Holborn, London)
Click
here
astillerotango.com.ar