ENCORE: Tango Nuevo Project is all set to win Doha once again at the Katara Opera House.
By Anand Holla
For violinist Soledad, cello player Christoph Schmitz, and pianist Joris Laenen, joining the illustrious Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) was in itself a matter of great privilege and superior musicianship.
But their shared passion for the tango compelled them into firing up an appetite for a new artistic experiment, or as they put it, “inspired them to awaken the Argentinean soul in Qatar.” And soon they met Mia Buchignani, a singer from San Francisco with an enchanting voice, and Tango Nuevo was born.
With their show Emoción, an emotional journey with timeless tango music from the world over, the group is all set to win Doha once again at the Katara Opera House at 7.30pm on Wednesday. A Portuguese video artist has created some beautiful background videos to go with their live performance. The Argentinean Embassy is hosting the event in co-operation with Katara. The tickets are priced at QR100 and QR200 and are available on Q-Tickets.com.
Ask Tango Nuevo Project to describe their music and they say: “A mixture of Milongas and Waltzes, Tango Nuevo and Tradicional; captivating melodies from Buenos Aires and Paris intertwined with a bit of mystery from Damascus and Bombay, all put together in a mesmerising performance with music that goes straight to the heart.” Community caught up with pianist Laenen to know more:
Your show is called Emocion. Why do you think tango music manages to express and explore emotions to the fullest?
There is a quote which we all love: Other music exists to heal wounds; but the tango, when sung and played is for the purpose of opening them. That might sound a bit heavy but it’s the absolute truth. The rhythm of the tango combined with its distressing harmonies suggests the passion and melancholy which everybody associates with this music. The reason lies in its roots; the tango for a long time has been a close marriage between music and dance. It invites you into an embrace whose arms you never want to leave. It’s a dance of intertwined bodies engaged in a dialogue of limbs, creating a moving seduction.
How difficult is it for your group to reinvent or put a spin on the traditional tango music with fusion elements? How do you figure that?
Due to our various musical backgrounds, this comes very natural to us. But also, living in Qatar has had a big impact. Soledad (violin) and Kiko (cello) have their roots in Peru and Venezuela whilst Ferdi and myself bring in a European feel. The tango itself has a long history of travelling around. It was born on the border between Uruguay and Argentina but soon got very popular in Paris and the rest of the world. So in a way, we are trying to expand that legacy and trying to add some more spices. Also, living in Qatar, aren’t we all forced to interact with different cultures and thereby get to learn to appreciate them?
Yes, we do. But can you give us an instance?
A few years ago I was travelling around Nepal when I found this wonderful Indian organ. It has a beautiful warm sound, and it vaguely reminds of the Bandoneon. So we decided to use it in our performances. Our Syrian friend Maias Alyamani also loved what we were doing and wrote an Arabic tango for us. Basically, we are like a bunch of children, playing around with whatever we can get our hands on.
What’s the most important element of tango that makes it stand out from others? What does tango mean to you?
Some music styles require your brain to understand it first in order to fully appreciate it. Our music is the complete opposite; it goes straight to the heart and is very soulful. With this kind of music, you have only one option: to put your heart in it. Music is our inspiration and we want to inspire audiences world-wide; to reflect the search for quality and inner truth.
How has Tango Nuevo Project’s experience of playing in Doha been?
The response has been immense. We just started to play this music out of our own conviction to play the pieces that we absolutely adore. We try to capture our audience and take them on an emotional journey. So far, our audience has always loved it. I must mention here that we have always enjoyed our intimate relationship with our audience.
Can you share one of your fond memories?
We have very fond memories of playing at the Jazz at Lincoln Center, where we have performed with extremely talented jazz musicians from all over the world. Although we speak a different musical language, we could immediately connect and understand each other. There was always a deep respect for each other’s musicianship and we have had some fantastic musical experiences there.
