Caroline Demers
Quebec ’ s World of Tango Music
Caroline Demers
Rooted in the soul of the Argentine people , the tango has conquered the whole world , as much by its music as by its dance . This musical culture that originated in the Rio de la Plata at the end of the 19th century was exported around the world at the beginning of the 20th century . The dancers , for their part , have appropriated three musical styles proper into what is commonly called the Argentine tango — the milonga , the vals and the tango . The names Osvaldo Pugliese , Anibal Troilo , Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla resonate across the international tango community . Many other musicians and composers have contributed to the evolution and actualization of tango . Amongst them are several Quebecers who are presented here .
Within the tango music groups of Montreal , there is usually at least one person of South American origin . Most studied music without ever thinking that one day , they would be playing tango music . But their cultural heritage was so deeply implanted in them that tango became quite natural .
This was the case with Damian Nisenson , a saxophonist who recognized that his childhood memories in Argentina of the sixties , had a tango soundtrack . People danced to this music played on their radio or in the popular venues with live orchestras of as many as thirty musicians .
The pianist Victor Simon grew up in a family of folk musicians , in Santiago del Estero in northern Argentina . At the age of three , He was playing the guitar with with his brothers in Los Hermanos Simón By seven , he had improvised folk music on the piano .
For Romulo Larrea , born in Uruguay , being a tango musician was a dream transmitted by his father . He had the privilege of studying bandoneon with one of the best pedagogues in Montevideo and listening to live orchestras of Anibal Troilo , Juan D ’ Arienzo , Alfredo De Angelis and Astor Piazzolla .
The Quebec bandoneonist Denis Plante was very young when he was seduced by the music of Astor Piazzolla , whom his parents listened to at home . He loved the music so much that he went to listen to it at the 1984 Montreal International Jazz Festival , going alone on his bicycle at the age of thirteen !
Astor Piazzolla is a musician-composer who has profoundly marked the twentieth century , both in Montreal and throughout the world . His arrival in Montreal , deeply touched the heart of Quebec and contributed to the appearance of tango musicians in Quebec . His music still exerts a great influence on the style of many of today ’ s musicians .
Pablo Bonacina , guitarist emeritus , says that his music is well written , accessible and easy to play .
Piazzolla , at the end of the story , has added an entire chapter for himself . This is the last , we are only epilogues . ... Astor Piazzolla remains the most important figure , because of his work , his qualities as an interpreter , his global distribution , the place that his repertoire gave to well-written music and his vast general culture which , combined with His curiosity , allowed the evolution of the tango repertoire .
— Denis Plante
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