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  Entertainment   Music  13 Nov 2018  Argentina’s Tango treat

Argentina’s Tango treat

THE ASIAN AGE. | PRIYANKA CHANDANI
Published : Nov 13, 2018, 12:14 am IST
Updated : Nov 13, 2018, 12:14 am IST

Hailing from the 20th century, Tango became every house music.

Martin Palmeri’s famous Argentinian Misatango featuring bandoneon player Dario Polonara, is all set to perform at the NCPA under SOI Chamber Orchestra.
 Martin Palmeri’s famous Argentinian Misatango featuring bandoneon player Dario Polonara, is all set to perform at the NCPA under SOI Chamber Orchestra.

After several dance performances in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, the United States, Israel and in various European countries, a Tango musical performance ‘Misa a Buenos Aires’ also known as Misatango is all set to make its debut in India and transport the audience to the lanes of Africa, Milonga and Argentina. Inspired by the style of ‘Tango Nuevo’ in terms of form and harmony, ‘Misa a Buenos Aires’ is a Tango musical composed by Argentinian composer Martin Palmeri. He combines the text of the Latin mass with traditional music of his homeland making it appear in new apparel.

According to Martin, this piece was composed back in 1996 when he was the conductor of an orchestra in a law university. However, over the years the composition has gone through many changes and updates to make it more contemporary. “I always try to do something new that nobody has done because that’s how you create a revolution,” says the multiple award-winning composer Martin.

Combining three different music forms and Latin texts to sync well with the present time is not an easy task. However, Martin’s wide musical education and experience of working with Mozart and Beethoven’s symphonies helped him bridge the gap. “I was into experimental music and learnt folk and classical music in Argentina and then I realised that it’s the time for Tango,” recalls the musician.

With 15 musicians playing piano, flute, violin, and Dario Polonara on the bandoneon, this ninety minutes performance is led by Martin and he assures that all the musicians remain intact with the music since it involves a lot of improvisation. As the composer says that Tango, in particular, is very good when performed with one singer. “Group performance is difficult because you have some rules to follow to be in the tune,” he explains. Dario, on the other hand, agrees that performing Tango requires a lot of experience because this music does not have a particular musical tempo and it’s based on a lot of improvisation. “Every performer is experienced and they know how to understand the beats and modules of the music,” says Dario, who is playing bandoneon since he was seven.

Hailing from the 20th century, Tango became every house music. Back then, Piazzolla, a music composer from Argentina, composed his first contemporary Tango music with multiple music forms and since then he is a synonym for any Tango performance. “Piazzolla changed the Tango music and now it is played everywhere, it’s a classical Tango,” says Dario. As Dario explains further, the Tango music is not just played in Argentina but across the world and in last ten years the form has seen a great revolution.

On their first visit to India for their Misatango performance, Martin and Dario are sure that the audience will accept the new musical form, which they haven’t heard live before. “Melodies are easier to understand than the Indian classical music, so they will enjoy a new kind of music,” says Dario. Adding to that Martin says, “The music has a beautiful harmony and will be a new experience for the Indian audience.”

Certainly both the musicians find Indian classical music difficult than other forms of compositions and when asked if they would plan to compose any performance combining with Indian classical music, Dario shows apprehensions, saying, “Indian classical music is very difficult and has many notes,” while Martin interrupts, “Everything is possible and music should be interconnected and we should build a bridge between all music forms.”

Tango Tryst
November 13, 7:00pm

Tags: martin palmeri