“All About Gout…” I believe that was the broadcast title for a Takeda show, yes? Well, it seemed a fitting post title for Buenos Aires, Argentina…land of red meat – rare – and red wine, which I fully indulged in…but not as much as my brother when he came to visit, because he went home and learned “ALL ABOUT GOUT.” HAHAHA…I think it’s kind of funny.
Buenos Aires is also very well known for its night life – clubs, secret bars, underground speakeasies and milongas (tango bars) full of live music and tango until the early morning hours (legit, like 8am).
Of all the cities I’ve been to this year, BA had the BEST local music scene and I tried to get in on it all.
When I first got there with friends who were visiting, we stayed in San Telmo (the oldest area of BA) and that was the start to my BA music tour. This was the more hipster area with tiny bars and restaurants, tango shows featuring just one dance-couple, an accordion or guitar player and maybe a singer…and choripan stands along the streets. We walked into a place one night – it didn’t have a name, but was an antique shop by day, bar/jam session by night. There were about 4 tables and the space was maybe the size of “Heat,” yet 4 dudes – 2 guitars, standup bass, drums – were playing in the front.
At a track event, we went to a local record/production company to specifically learn about the BA music scene. Grant, the owner who is originally from the states but moved to BA 11 years ago, started his own record label/company featuring a variety of artists. More about that in a second…but the highlight of the event was a performance by one of their DJs who uses a Reactable – it’s insane…and this is where being on the digital team has turned me into a nerd, but I geeked out over it. You basically program sounds into colored cubes and place them on the table in different positions, pull up different browsers of tracks and create songs by moving these puzzle pieces around…it’s hard to explain so just watch. Maybe something different to bring to the table (pun intended) instead of just your average DJ during walk-in?
As part of Grant’s many projects, he has set up music tours that bring you to the unknown music venues of BA where some of his artists play. On this tour is where I learned about Santiago Vasquez – a composer who literally made up his own sign language to direct percussion jam sessions (his big projects are La Bomba de Tiempo and La Grande…La Grande is better IMO, I went to both). It was so impressive to watch – and see how all the musicians follow him based off these hand signals.
We also got to meet one of the guest musicians, Gaby Kerpel, who just happens to be the composer of Fuerza Bruta – the interactive cirque show that originated in Buenos Aires (I also went to that, and it was SO fantastic…if you ever get the chance GO! It travels to the states).
This percussion-heavy and varied arrangement of music is called Cumbia…originating from Colombia, but huge all over South America (and in many parts of the world these days). Cumbia was started and danced to by the lower class and looked down upon, but – like tango – that’s all changed. Now artists like Santiago, Gaby, Dat Garcia are changing it up, adding electronics to it and evolving it. Some people hate it…I think it’s fun, at least it’s not at all like Regaetton.
We also went to a hidden milonga, located in an old warehouse in the up-and-coming neighborhood, Almagro. We just happened to be there on a night one of BA’s famous tango singers was performing with a full orchestra…I was on cloud nine.
On another late night out in BA, we found one of those secret clubs – one where you just have to knock on the door and see what happens…then you might be led downstairs to a venue that opens up to a huge stage and bar with an incredible live band of 10 people with horns, sax, drums, guitar and amazing singers.
Buenos Aires – the city that made me feel totally ok about missing Lollapalooza this year.