[Tango-L] New Gotan Project release

[Jeff Gaynor]

Sergio Vandekier wrote:

>
>
> What do you think about Tango mixed with electronic music?
>
was a professional musician for several years and play organ. These 
sorts of purity debates have been raging in that community for many 
years. So is organ music (oldest unbroken lineage of any instrument 
except voice) to be revered to the point it becomes a museum piece? The 
consensus that formed there is that if it does, then it will no longer 
be seen as a part of the current culture and will wilt. Now organ is 
often the only live instrument most people hear on a regular basis and 
that gives us a special status. Especially with the introduction of -- 
you got it -- heavily electronic music in most places where organs were 
used it has becomes important to hop in there and hold our own. The 
point is that if people see that it is part of the landscape, it is 
actively being written for and is well-loved then it will remain viable. 
I thing large parts of this argument carry over in to the discussion of 
new tango music. Tango is also in the same boat as classical music. In 
truth, classical music is *not* part of the popular landscape and is a 
completely foreign import (in all the New World too). As such people 
rightfully think of it as alien.  We don't want to let people get 
comfortable with the idea that it is something done as a performance 
medium in a distant land, for it will surely stay that way.

So, onto tango proper and your question: I think it might be 
unavoidable.  The current style of heavy bass and synthesizers is what 
most people associate with current pop music. Practically, synthesizers 
are much easier to find (and learn) than a bandoneon. Now the outward 
sound of the music is a matter of current taste and is apt to change in 
a few years. As long as whoever writes danceable tangos that are 
otherwise stylisticly accurate I personally don't have much of an issue 
with it. After all, if you played what we consider to be a Golden Era 
tango (say, di Sarli ca. 1950) for someone living in about 1900 they 
would probably find it overdone (di Sarli used up to 3 bandoneons at one 
point).

These changes *should* reflect that tango is alive & well & still a 
valid, growing medium. This means that people will experiment and 
sometimes that may or may not work which is the price you pay. Be 
thankful they are trying and be supportive too.

My $.02,

Jeff