Prototype Issue
Viva Argentina! Nuevo Tango Y Tanghetto Soar At The Ford
Posted by LatinaLady
Electrifying The Classic Art of Tango Under the Stars
If you weren’t at The John Anson Ford Theatre on Saturday night, August 18th, for Fiesta Argentina you missed a treat. It was sold out, evidently every Argentine in Los Angeles was there, packing empenadas y vino de campa.
On the stage for the second half of the three hour program, the OTERO DANCE CO and the six -piece ‘nuevo tango’ band, TANGHETTO, tore it up; reinventing the unique rhythm and flavor of Tango for an appreciative audience.
Tango is a tough dance to master and so most people end up just watching. Guilty! The free tango lessons offered on the patio pre-showe show went to somebody else- i know great tango and would hate to butcher it. And onstage, starting fashionably late, there was some very good tango. The Ortero Dance Company, composed of 3 couples, is dazzling.
Each couple has their own style, a lot of it driven by body types. The company has two ‘divas’ the elegant, classic chignoned Elizabeth Roccella, and the feather weight Vanina Mendez. Well-partnered with Damian Romera, Mendez has balletic, rapid fire precision extensions and amazing, extended lifts full of fresh movement and virtuosity. For couples looking to emulate some strong tango moves at the milongas, Gloria Otero and James Eisman’s more accessible style is a good example of playful, energetic yet grounded tango.
The band, Tanghetto, is a revealation. The Argentine group, led by Max Masri [synths and programming] and Diego Velazquez [guitar] , includes four other great musicians; Antonio Boyadjian on piano, Federico Vazquez, on Bandoneon, Daniel Corrado on drums, and Chao Xu onviolincello and erhu [Chinese bow instrument]. Formed in 2001 to create what they call Electrotango; the name Tanghetto comes from the communities of exiled Argentines. Living overseas in small pockets of Argentine culture in foreign countries this is a world which Max was once part of, and never forgot.
Tanghetto sears the air with their precision, and harmonies. The band is tight, the players are all on their game; it is a delight for the spirit. Federico’s bandeleon never feels dated, his passages are like listening to the words of the song breathed through the nose of the instrument. Antonio’s piano sparkles; every note’s a jewel. The drums were well balanced, and the guitar of the emotional Diego, well, it plays like a second heart. The acoustics of the Ford have rarely sounded this good. Somebody took the time to tweek levels and it paid off.
Still influenced by the past, with an ear for the unique beat and intonations of tango but inspired by the modern electric sound, Tanghetto did phenomenal covers; ‘Blue Monday’ from New Order and Depeche Mode’s ‘Enjoy the Silence;’ were ideal choices; lightly nostalgic, upbeat yet balmy on the night air. Big stars in Argentina, Tanghetto has performed for crowds of 15,000 people, opend for the South American Games to a crowd of 9,000. Tanghetto’s album Emigrante was nominated for a 2005 Latin Grammy in the Best Tango Album category.
The dance which accompanied Tanghetto was still searching for it’s newness, much of it felt too classical, however beautiful it may have been. I was expecting new steps; a Hip Hop tango, and didn’t see it. The best and most cohesive dance to the elctronic tango was performed by Elizabeth and Claudio, they found their soulful, tango groove on Una Llamada.
Whatever you do, catch Tanghetto while they are still on the west coast, and get ahold of their ‘Emigrante’ to change your perception forever of what tango is.
www.gloriatango.com www.tanghetto.com
Discussion