[1993] Sexteto Canyengue.
The tango reflects more than just the curdled everyday frustration in a miserable harbour district or a choreographic sublimation of this. The nature of the tango makes it the Latin-American variant of the blues, with a common universality: flexible, realistic, theatrical, erotic, introvert, exuberant, bitter or charming and usually a combination of these. The tango is taken from the lives of everyone.
Sexteto Canyengue forms a supple unity in which emotions are unimpeded in finding their own outlet: trilling sighs or lyrical outbursts from the string musicians alongside hysterical sobbing or peals of laughter from the bandoneons.
The discrete, restrained tinkling from the piano with the tremendous, rolling bass ensure the canyengue of the clipped, challenging tango rhythm which binds the whole. The heavily imposed, growling double bass adds the finishing touch.
The singers Menéndez and Russo represent two extremes within the rich Argentinian tango tradition with their distinct styles of singing. Sextet Canyengue is musically tributary to the two undisputed maestros, Astor Piazzolla and Osvaldo Pugliese.
The sextet upon this album pays hommage to them both.
With the title track ‘Tiburonero’ (shark-man) the composer Carel Kraayenhof pays a tribute to Astor Piazzolla who passed away in 1992, and whose greatest passion other than music was shark-fishing upon the open sea. ‘Malandraca’, by Osvaldo Pugliese, forms part of the renowned trilogy, along with ‘La Yumba’ and ‘Negracha’, though it is by far the least well-known of the three.
‘Taxi!’ Is dedicated to the countless darned taxi drivers of Buenos Aires ‘who tear around curves with their radios blaring full-blast.
This album was produced in October 1993 in such a way that a ‘live-as-can-be’ sound was created by using acoustics and ‘whole-track-recording’. Under the artistic direction of Kraayenhof and Vervelde, Sexteto Canyengue proves itself on this album to be a warm advocate of the tango; highly recommendable for misunderstood souls overcome by the violent emotional turmoil brought on by another season creeping up.
Tracklist
- Malandraca – O.Pugliese
- María – A.Troilo/C.Castillo *
- Recuerdo text Osvaldo Pugliese
- Recuerdo – O.Pugliese
- Baldosa flora – F.Sassone/J.Bocazzi, lyrics D.Gilardoni **
- Tiburonero – C.Kraayenhof
- El gordo triste – A.Piazzolla/H.Ferrer *
- Nunca tuvo novio – A.Bardi
- Mimí Pinsón – A.Roggero/J.Rotulo **
- Soledad – A.Piazzolla
- Barrio de tango – A.Troilo/H.Manzi **
- 1Taxi! – C.Kraayenhof/lyrics F.Russo ***
*cantante: Fabián Russo
**cantante: Gabriel Menéndez
***duo de cantantes: Russo & Menéndez
