Tango in The Black Diamond: The Sound of Buenos Aires

The Argentine musicians and composers Astor Piazzolla and Eduardo Rovira are regarded as pioneers of tango music.

At the opening concert for the new concert season, the SONICO ensemble will explore the music which laid the foundation for modern tango - with space for both familiar and forgotten pieces. The international team of outstanding musicions plays tango without clichés, combining a raw energy, irresistible soundscapes and infectious artistic boldness.

The Birth of Modern Tango

In the 1950s, Piazzolla and Rovira each led their own legendary tango ensembles. Dissatisfied with the genre’s established conventions, they sought to develop traditional tango in a more experimental and avant-garde direction. Their artistic vision proved decisive in shaping the evolution of modern tango.

The foundations were laid by Piazzolla in 1955 with the Octeto Buenos Aires. The following year, Rovira joined Octeto La Plata, led by bandoneon player Omar Rufino Luppi, for which Rovira wrote arrangements and played the bandoneon. Rovira saw an admirable colleague in Piazzolla and always referred to him as such, and Piazzolla considered Rovira a valuable innovator for whom he had great respect; he spoke of him in these terms on many occasions.

About SONICO

SONICO is an international ensemble with a core of Argentinian musicians based in Brussels. Founded in 2015, the ensemble has dedicated its artistic work to reviving and performing the music of Eduardo Rovira.

Their rediscovery of modern tango classics, combined the the exceptional artistic level, invited international attention and media coverage in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Chile and, not least, the birthplace of tango, Argentina, where SONICO has been highlighted in numerous interviews and articles.

Cast:

SONICO:
Lysandre Donoso (FR/CL) – bandoneon
Carmela Delgado (FR/ES) – bandoneon
Stephen Meyer (USA/BE) – violin
Daniel Hurtado Jimenez (ES) – violin
Bartosz Korus (PL) – viola
Guillaume Lagravière (FR/BE) – cello
Alejandro Schwarz (AR/BE) – guitar
Ariel Eberstein (AR/BE) – double bass
Ivo De Greef (BE) – piano