Review | Songlines

Tango Ladeado

Rating: ★★★★

View album and artist details

Album and Artist Details

Artist/band:

Janne Rättyä & Patrick Demenga

Label:

Alba

Aug/Sep/2019

Finland's tango, while a spin-off of the Argentinian/Parisian original and almost as old, is a separate tradition altogether. Its cool, northern setting and exotic influences, from German marches to Russian waltzes, have given it a different texture and while ballroom dance remains a vital expression of it, there's not the emotive effusiveness of the Buenos Aires variety.

Cast a glance at this tracklist and curious names catch the eye: Erik Satie, John Cage, Igor Stravinsky, Domenico Scarlatti and Terry Riley – author of the taut, angular title-track (which translates as ‘leaning’ or ‘teetering’ tango, as portrayed on the sleeve). This is a cerebral, rather sober and at times ponderous study of tango. Yet, it also has something of the street busker quality, Rättyä's accordion and Demenga's cello wandering loosely around the compositions, and the sound given a wintry, Seine-banks echo production treatment. Moreover, these haughty tangos echo more familiar standards – a piece by Spanish post-romantic Isaac Albéniz sounds more than vaguely like Gardel's ‘Por Una Cabeza’. Only one trad Argentinian tango is included, and the album ends with an austere, astringent version of Piazzolla's ‘Le Grand Tango’. An invigorating virtuoso lesson, celebrating tango's global connections rather than its Río de la Plata roots.

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