I Went To See A Band...

[Ries]

I am back in the Southern Hemisphere, and happy to be here.
I arrived early Tuesday morning, and, Tuesday, of course, is La Grande.
Which I never miss if I can avoid it.
An interesting evening- First, a modern version of Boladera, the Gaucho dance with Bolos- danced by a woman, whose name I havent found yet, but who is pretty likely a modern dancer, who performed with light up Bolas, in a stark black trouser/ white shirt, not at all in a Touristic Gaucho way, on a wooden platform in front of the bandstand, beginning solo, but, soon enough, joined by the band- which added jazz/funk/improv to her bolas hitting the floor, and made a song of it. The audience, of course, had to stand way back from the spinning Bolas, and it became a performance that was uniquely argentine, yet completely unlike a gaucho- you wouldnt think it would work, but it was magical- kinetic, musical, physical and a bit scary all at once.

The house band, of course, can play anything, and make any musician or performer shine, and they did this again with the next guests- The folkloric band Alerta Pachuca. 4 of the band members came up, with Charengo, accordian, and percussion, and began to sing one of their songs, in a pretty and folky manner, and then, Santiago and the band began to add to their music- it was like a giant hand began to lift the band up, not overwhelming the original song, but embracing it and adding to it. Again, unexpected and amazing- a synthesis that I wouldnt have imagined.

Alerta Pachuca, in their natural format- they will be playing at Sala Siranush in Palermo on the 8th of December.

The band was in fine form, playing a more adventurous and edgy jazz, trading solos, layering the interplay between the electric cello and the bass with extended funk guitar, the three drummers overlaying beat upon beat, as they ran thru a set of music without any guests. The range of styles they can hit in one song is amazing, and the jump from afro caribbean percussion to twin trombones in a heartbeat is something you cant see anywhere else I know.
Plus, a great bondiola sandwich.

For the second set, as the house filled with a dancing crowd, they began to rotate thru a range of guest invitados- always new drummers on one of the three drum kits, as well as the accordianist from Alerta. There was a great interplay between a young, fiesty rapper, and an incredible woman jazz/soul vocalist, trading "verses" over the raging band. There was Milo, the human beatbox, laying down rhythms that you cannot believe are human. Every song different, all great.

there is no band like this, anywhere. and when the guests start coming up to the stage, anything can happen- and often does. unique hybrids, elements that should not be able to exist under earth's physical laws, and which evaporate into memory pretty quickly- but while they exist, I am transported.

 

[RichardP]

Yes, it's freezing in the PNW and Ries is back in the saddle delving into the soul of Argentine music . I enjoyed Alerta Pachuca.

 

[Rich One]

Thanks Riese for this descriptive narrative of the show.. Will make sure to attend next time this band plays, a first for me a female dancer with Boleadoras.... Sorry cant make it Dec. 8th


" ....which added jazz/funk/improv to her bolas hitting the floor, and made a song of it."

 

[MikeB12]

Ries,

Any opinion on the band for next Tuesday at La Grande?

I went a couple years ago. It was a great time. Ping pong, good music, drinks, etc.

 

[Ries]

The dancer was part of the La Grande show, not Alerta. So I dont think she will be at Siranush.
I dont know who the guests will be next week, but its always somebody good. I was there one time when Julieta Vinega dropped in, no advance notice. Juana Molina is often there. There will only be two more nights until the summer break, resuming sometime in late Feb, I think. Its been getting crowded for the second set, which usually runs from about 10:30 to midnight, but its usually less so for the 8:30 set. But there are places to sit if you dont want to be in the press of the dancing crowd.

 

[Ries]

In my first week in Buenos Aires, I attended art openings, (quadro galeria in la boca- interesting show of 4 woman artists) I went to the closing party for the Grupo Bondi exhibit at Museo Artes Decorativos, I went to Mercado Las Pulgas and the Sunday Feria in San Telmo, and not much music. I was planning on going to the final night of the Dias Nordica, at CCR in Recoleta, where a variety of musicians from the Aland Islands, the Faroes, Greenland, and Scandinavian countries would perform with argentine musicians- but that was a night of tremendous thunderstorms, and the concert was outdoors on the terazza, so we decided not to risk it. I understand it went on, but not without rain issues and slowdowns and truncations, and I was not ready to stand in the rain for a few hours.
Its an interesting event- funded by the scandinavian governments, which spend money on art, it features films, lectures, and concerts by nordic artists. I went to some last year, I liked it. This year, for instance, this Finnish musician performed-

Instead we went to another event that featured a variety of local and not so local music- Federale, which is also in its second year, a concert featuring women musicians from Mendoza intermingled with women from Buenos Aires. It had events earlier this month in Haedo and Quilmes, and sunday was the final night, at Congo in Palermo. It was comfortable and intimate on a rainy sunday night- there were at least a half dozen musicians from mendoza, and another half dozen from CABA, each only doing 2 or 3 songs, all different. All acoustic, usually guitars, or maybe a charengo, some acapella. Its interesting to me that now that hiphop is 40 years old, pretty much any musician under 40 considers it as just another part of the musical landscape- so you hear early 20 something women who are essentially singer/songwriters with an indie/folk direction effortlessly incorporating hiphop and rap into their writing and performing. One of my favorite bands in Argentina right now, Femina, are 3 women from Patagonia who play guitars, and rap. In a quintessentially Argentine way.
This night, there were several women who integrated the influences of Joni Mitchell with A Tribe called Quest, unselfconsciously and quite successfully. Plus an awesome Patti Smith cover.
Things like this.

 

[Ries]

Hip Hop is also a big influence on native people from Greenland- Da Bartali Crew, from Greenland, performed a CCR a couple of times last week.

 

[RichardP]

Ries, Quadro is meters from where my wife grew up. I hope that area is improving because it was no-man's-land after dark for years. A chinese woman who had an almacen in that same location for quite a while finally gave up after she was robbed so many times she had to hire somebody to peak through the locked door whenever a customer came and decide whether it was ok or not to open.

 

[Ries]

Ries, Quadro is meters from where my wife grew up. I hope that area is improving because it was no-man's-land after dark for years. A chinese woman who had an almacen in that same location for quite a while finally gave up after she was robbed so many times she had to hire somebody to peak through the locked door whenever a customer came and decide whether it was ok or not to open.

Since Usina Del Arte has opened up, the area around there has changed a lot. I am sure its still La Boca, and you must be cautious, but its not the same as it was even 5 years ago. There are new businesses, and many artists have their studios there. Barro, which is a huge modern gallery showing some of the most well known modern artists in Argentina, is very near there as well, on Caboto, a couple of blocks away.
And Usina has been bringing throngs of people, tourists, but also many Argentines, to the neighborhood all the time, with music, art, and performance. The performance spaces and concert halls in Usina are world class, as is their programming.
I still watch myself when I go to Boca, and dont carry valuables or fancy watches or cameras, but since the first time I went there, in 2007, it has changed a lot for the better. Even the Riochuelo doesnt stink anymore, and all of the sunken boats have been removed. I am sure its still polluted, but progress has been made. I go to Proa, on the river, every couple of months to see the shows there. I was there a few years ago, when over 100,000 people came to see the fireworks of the chinese artist Cai Guo Qiang- now THAT was a show. And I didnt feel unsafe at all, at night, in that huge crowd.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

Since Usina Del Arte has opened up, the area around there has changed a lot. I am sure its still La Boca, and you must be cautious, but its not the same as it was even 5 years ago. There are new businesses, and many artists have their studios there. Barro, which is a huge modern gallery showing some of the most well known modern artists in Argentina, is very near there as well, on Caboto, a couple of blocks away.
And Usina has been bringing throngs of people, tourists, but also many Argentines, to the neighborhood all the time, with music, art, and performance. The performance spaces and concert halls in Usina are world class, as is their programming.
I still watch myself when I go to Boca, and dont carry valuables or fancy watches or cameras, but since the first time I went there, in 2007, it has changed a lot for the better. Even the Riochuelo doesnt stink anymore, and all of the sunken boats have been removed. I am sure its still polluted, but progress has been made. I go to Proa, on the river, every couple of months to see the shows there. I was there a few years ago, when over 100,000 people came to see the fireworks of the chinese artist Cai Guo Qiang- now THAT was a show. And I didnt feel unsafe at all, at night, in that huge crowd.

I've been there several times, for exhibitions and a concert and I think it has improved the neighbourhood no end. Even the local residents seem to have breathed a collective sigh of relief and are living more-or-less normal lives at long last. If you have any qualms and don't want to take any chances there's a GetMeTheHellOuttaHere bus stop right by the entrance. I don't know which bus or where it goes because the stop we use is about four blocks away through a peaceful residential area with neighbours chatting to each other in the open. Mind you, I did suspect that the fella figiting in a parked car might have been stealing the radio.....