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CD 9167-2
"12 Tangos - Return Ticket to Buenos Aires"
A film by Arne Birkenstock
The movie
In "La Catedral", a 200-year-old granary in Buenos Aires, the guests of the weekly tango ball dance to the music of an Argentinian tango all-star orchestra.
The film's main attention focuses on the 71-year-old professional tango dancer Roberto Tonet, the 20-year-old dancer Marcela Maiola and the four children of Yolanda Zubieta. Roberto lost his savings during the banking crisis, his dancing partner Marcela is preparing her emigration to France. Yolanda Zubieta also travels to Europa in order to earn money for the mortgage on their modest home. Thus, the 11-year-old Fabiana now lives alone with her three brothers and sisters. The film shows the farewell of the mother and how her kids manage to live by themselves.
In the hottest tango hall in town, we also meet the members of the trash-rock band "Las Munecas", five freaky characters who live in the "Catedral", organise tango balls there, and interpret Gardel-songs on their electric guitars.
The stories of these tango dancers symbolize the very nature of the tango as an expression of crisis and hopelessness. All the protagonists have lost jobs, incomes and savings in the present crisis.
The film narrates the stories of these dancers and their ancestors in 12 tangos, including feelings of failed hope, crisis, imm- and emigration. The past, the present and the future of our protagonists also reflect the history of the tango itself, and give an accurate portrait of present-day Buenos Aires.
The film combines wunderful music and spectacular choreographies with the images of a declining city and the touching stories of tangodancers from three generations.
The music
For the film "12 Tangos", the composer and guitarist Luis Borda assembled an orchestra consisting of some of the best Argentinian musicians. 16 tangos were exclusively arranged and recorded. The orchestra for "12 Tangos" deliberately brings together several generations:
Maria de la Fuente was the first singer who brought the tango to Japan. Today she is 92, and sings a duet with Lidia Borda, whom the "Rolling Stone" described as "the best tango singer of the present". Other songs are performed by Gabriel Menendez, Jorge Sobral and Eduardo Borda.
The film shows the last pictures of the legendary bandoneonist José Libertella and the great singer Jorge Sobral - both died shortly after the end of filming. In the film, Libertella performs together with Julio Pane and the young Pablo Mainetti, who has just been nominated for a Grammy Award.
The solo-violin is played by Mauricio Marcelli, the Teatro Colón's concert master. He is supported by Humberto Ridolfi (violin) and Elisabet Ridolfi (viola). With the pianist Diego Schissi and the Salgán-bassist Oscar Giunta, the rhythm group also brings together different generations. In addition, excellent musicians play instruments that are rather unusual for the tango:
Juan Cruz de Urquiza (trumpet), Pablo La Porta (percussion), Fabián Keoroglanian (vibraphone), Diego Pojomowsky (electric bass) as well as the saxophone-quartet "De Coté".
The repertoire of this unique and spectacular all-star orchestra includes popular tango classics such as "Adios Nonino", "Sur", "La Cachila", "La Puñalada" and the "Milonga de mis amores", but also lesser-known gems such as "Pampero", "En carne propia" and the wonderful waltz "El Paisaje", as well as new compositions such as "Ironía del Salón" and "Nocturna Buenos Aires" or "4 vampiros banqueros".
Production: Fruitmarket Arts & Media / Tradewind pictures and ZDF in cooperation with ARTE
Musical Director: Luis Borda.
Solo-Bandoneon - JOSÉ LIBERTELLA; Bandoneon - JULIO PANE, PABLO MAINETTI;
Geige - MAURICIO MARCELLI; HUMBERTO RIDOLFI; Bratsche - ELISABETH RIDOLFI;
Saxophon - SERGIO PALESTRINI; NICOLAS PORLEY; GUSTAVO HUNT; MARTÍN PANTYRER;
Klavier -DIEGO SCHISSI; Kontrabass - OSCAR GIUNTA; E-Bass - DIEGO POJOMOWSKY;
Trompete - JUAN CRUZ DE URQUIZA ; Vibraphon - MARCOS CABEZAS; Perkussion - PABLO LA PORTA;
Gitarren&Gesang -"Las Muñecas"- MARIO BULACIO; AXEL MASTRONARDI; DANIEL RANZUGLIA; FEDERICO PRADO; JUAN RICAUD
Gesang - LIDIA BORDA; MARIA DE LA FUENTE; JORGE SOBRAL; EDUARDO BORDA:GABRIEL MENENDEZThe DVD with the long version of the film and many extra features will be released in january 2007 and the CD with the soundtrack is available already at Enja Records. See http://www.jazzrecords.com/enja/
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