On Friday, we went to see Tonolec at Konex.
I have been a Tonolec fan since their first album, but I have to say, I wasnt overwhelmed.
However, I was pretty much the only one there who wasnt, so, you probably shouldnt listen to me.
Charo was looking fabulous as always, wearing some sort of couture Wonder Woman Aztec Princess outfit, with 4 feet of braid. If it wasnt a fall, then her hair must be about 7 feet long now.
She has obviously been taking intensive voice lessons- where the first tonolec album, from way back in 2005, showcases her amazing voice and incredible range, now, she sings every phrase with vibrato, every R is rolled, every note is ennunciated within an inch of its life. The entire show, she sounded like she was auditioning for Teatro Colon- it was very over the top- but she can really sing, so it kind of works, in a baroque operatic kind of way.
She is the granddaughter of a Gurani chief, and she sings a lot in Gurani.
Live, they are stripped down to a three piece- a great percussionist, and her partner in the band, Diego Perez, who plays various guitars, keys, and synths, along with having laid down a lot of prerecorded backing tracks.
The sound is big, the stage set was very dramatic, with dozens and dozens of freshly cut branches and leaves and grasses, making the entire stage a jungle.
I would recommend seeing them live, its quite a show.
Me, I will stick to the albums, as I think they are more spontaneous, and less scripted, but hey, nobody, not even my wife, agrees with me.
Here is a cut from the new album- more stripped down, folkloric, and less electro than their earlier work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB-eukxuRjU