Jueves was Bellas Jueves-
Its the final thursday of each month at the Museo de Bellas Artes.
Bellas Artes is where you go if you want to see what the wealthy bourgeois of 1880 considered the best art- so its a bit behind Malba, Macba, Mamba, Proa, and a half dozen CC's in terms of contemporary credibility, so, to bring in the chicos and chicas, they do a night, once a month, for free, with bands playing.
We went early, which was good- by the time the fashionably late were arriving, there was a line outside a block long, hundreds of people waiting.
First band was Lulacruza, who are from Columbia, but have longstanding ties to Buenos Aires. They are similar to Tonolec, a folkloric sound with electronics. The lead singer has a wonderful voice, and their last album was recorded on Orcas Island, only a few miles from my home in the USA. They were one of the first groups recorded in the new studio built by Bruce Pavitt, one of the founders of SubPop records, and first label for Kurt Cobain. They played a 20 minute set in front of a 4 meter by 6 meter Aubouisson tapestry.
https://www.youtube....h?v=HkKa9eEqQDU
then, we moved down the hall to a room of 17th century nudes, where rapper CeHacheRespira performed. Cumbia rap, and, at the museum, he was site specific, rapping about academics versus the streets. Periodically, he would move to a different old master painting, to use as his backdrop.
http://cehacherespira.bandcamp.com/
he was backed, not by a prerecorded track, but by Milo Moya, who is a human beatbox. Beatboxing, when it first became known 35 or so years ago, was a novelty, like a sound effects record, but Milo is an artist, and it was, at times, easy to think he was actually a 303 and an 808, not a human being. He is really good.
here is an example of how Milo can be the band, for just about anyone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JilbAioFVD8
The third band in the museum was Femina- originally, they were more hip hop, but now, they are pretty folkloric too- playing charengas and Gibson SG's, along with flutes and electronic drum tracks, three women who all sing. They were a bit more electric than this track, but looked and sounded great, again, in front of a backdrop of old masters, with nervous guards every 3 meters along the walls, as the gallery was completely packed.
https://www.youtube....h?v=vE_RFgWRAR4
we left, but there was another set, on the rooftop terrassa, later, with free wine- needless to say, it was standing room only.
Once a month, the last thursday, the Museum puts on a similar show- its free, well curated to have a balanced mix of music, professionally run, safe and takes place early in the evening.
I totally recommend it to all- there were babes in arms, 20 something hipsters, and jubiladas in attendance.
