Infectious rhythms from the brothels of Buenos Aires

THE Road Theatre’s partitions are about to echo to that particular fashion of music that grew out of the bordellos of Buenos Aires – tango.

Guests to The Road would be the Latin Grammy award-winning Quinteto Astor Piazzolla, who collectively pay homage to the reminiscence of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla, the person who single-handedly transported the artwork type from the brothels and cafes to the live performance platforms of the world.

Modelled on Piazzolla’s personal ’60s quintet, the ensemble was based by his widow, Laura Escalada Piazzolla, with the mission to guard and promote her late husband’s legacy.

As we speak’s line-up options Pablo Mainetti on tango music’s distinctive bandoneon instrument, Bárbara Varassi Pega on piano, Serdar Geldymuradov on violin, Armando de la Vega on guitar and Daniel Falasca on double bass.

Piazzolla’s music is an unorthodox mixture of conventional tango, classical, jazz, and in style music like Neapolitan songs and klezmer.

His model of tango has attracted admirers and emulators within the classical world, from jazz masters akin to Gil Evans and Al Di Meola and dance music’s Grace Jones, who turned Piazzolla’s “Libertango” into the membership hit, “I’ve Seen That Face Earlier than”.

Tour supervisor Cristian Pilditch has been working with Canberra entrepreneur Frank Madrid’s Pura Vida Roadshow for round 10 years bringing Latin acts into Australia. He guarantees “fiery depth, infectious rhythms and seductive melodies”.

Pilditch considers it “a little bit of a coup“ to have the quintet at The Road, telling me: “These guys are normally performing on the Philharmonie de Paris or Carnegie Corridor, so to have them performing in an intimate theatre the scale of The Road will probably be one thing fairly particular.”

Quinteto Astor Piazzolla, The Road Theatre 7.30pm, March 15. Photograph Mauricio Velez