Bulletins From BA #36
06 octubre 2014
¡Hola! there… Rodger
French here.
Living in a city of 12 million
people is not without cultural advantages. Although we don’t go out as often as
we could (there being, after all, the day job thing), we do venture forth to
events of particular significance. For example, we had the opportunity to
attend, in the space of one week, concerts by two of the greatest accordionists
on the planet. How could we not.
Raúl Barboza - Barboza is the undisputed master of Chamamé, a type of folk music
from the Argentine northeastern provinces. Born in 1938 in Buenos Aires, he began
playing at the age of seven, made his first recording at twelve, and formed his
own group at fifteen. He has lived and performed all over the world, made
dozens of recordings, and accompanied vocalists as varied as José Carrera,
Mercedes Sosa, and - my favorite - Cesaria Evora. Raúl Barboza is a musical
virtuoso of the highest order.
Barboza performed with a
guitarist (Nardo González) and
bassist (Roy Valenzuela), both
excellent players. I recognized most of the selections as having their origins
in Chamamé, but he took the music in so many different, interesting, and
unexpected directions that it hardly mattered. The audience was composed of
fans and, as is always the case in Buenos Aires, they were not the least reticent
about shouting out requests. Barboza is also a real showman, so of course he obliged.
And, after four or five encores, he ended the show by bringing his chair to the
front of the stage and playing, without amplification, a very quiet and
haunting selection. Perfección.
[Sidebar - As a child in Buenos Aires, Barboza naturally wanted to
play the bandoneon. But since they are made only in adult sizes, he settled
instead on the chromatic button accordion.]
Chango Spasiuk - Born in 1968 in La Provincia de Misiones, Spasiuk grew up playing
polkas (Ukrainian grandparents) as well as Chamamé. He plays a standard piano
accordion and is just terrific. He is also a wonderful composer and the
concert, an album release event, consisted in the main of his original work,
both for his sextet and the equally outstanding 11-piece Ensamble Estación
Buenos Aires, conducted by Popi Spatocco, who also did the excellent arrangements.
[Sonic Sidebar - When will sound mixers ever learn that it is
entirely inappropriate to amplify bass and percussion to Rock & Roll levels
for an acoustic ensemble? Seriously, that shit is disrespectful, distracting
and totally uncalled for.]
The music itself was
alternately high-energy and quietly emotional, usually within the same
composition. It was also great fun and the audience was exuberant and fully
engaged. For me, the high point of the performance was reached during a hushed
duet between Spasiuk and guest violín solista Rafael Gintoni, a thrilling
instrumentalist. There came a moment of aching beauty when the two musicians
seemed to be holding each other’s breathes in their hands. Delicadeza sublime.
Seeing artists of this
caliber in person just reinforces for me an unavoidable truth: After 60 years,
más o menos, I still have so much to learn if I’m going to up my game as an
accordionist. Fortunately, living in Buenos Aires doesn’t hurt.
¡Adelante!
Rodger
Rodger
