Saludos desde Buenos Aires!

I am placing the blame of my recent inactivity here at Caipirinha Lounge squarely on the shoulders of this beautiful behemoth of a city, Buenos Aires. Maybe beautiful isn’t the right word to describe it; striking and vivacious are better words. I have been in Argentina for a little over a week (it’s my first time in South America), and finding the time to sit and write about beautiful music in Portuguese has proven to be elusive. I thought madrileños partied hard; clearly I had not yet experienced a night out in Buenos Aires. I will be a Porteño (person of the port, as native Buenos Aires residents are called) for the next 2 months, perfecting my Spanish and interning for an online magazine of sorts. My interest in Argentina, and of course its music, started a bit less than a year ago - here’s who I had been listening to while counting down the days ‘til I came:

Bajofondo Tango Club – headed by the very, very talented and two-time Academy Award winner (and a host of other awards) Gustavo Santaolalla, I had the pleasure of seeing Bajofondo perform Los Tangueros, my favorite jam of theirs, live, in downtown Buenos Aires, right in front of the Obelisco, on the national holiday of 25 de Mayo. An emotional and energetic Mr. Santaolalla made the night unforgettable. This 8 person electrotango collective will remind you a lot of Gotan Project.

Los Tangueros

Federico Aubele – signed by Thievery Corporations label 18th Street Lounge Music, I like Federico Aubele’s music almost as much as I like Thievery, and Thievery is one of my favorite bands. I took an immediate liking to Federico’s soothing guitar and voice, and the only thing better to listen to as you peruse the streets of Buenos Aires might be Manu Chao. Aubele's En Cada Lugar is a great tune, simple and elegant.

En Cada Lugar

Natalia Clavier – Also signed by 18th Lounge, Natalia features heavily in Federico Aubele’s albums, but her own debut effort, Nectar, is pretty damn good. Check out Azul, my favorite song of hers. Her voice is like honey. Oh, and she happens to be married to Federico Aubele.

Azul

Kevin Johansen & The Nada – Kevin Johansen brings a fresh, folksy approach to Argentine rhythms, and he might remind you of Jehro. Born in Alaska but to an Argentine mother and an American father, he moved to Buenos Aires when he was 12 and later in life got involved in the local rock scene. His music spans a variety of genres, but my favorite is La Cumbiera Intelectual, featuring the cumbia rhythm, native to Argentina.

Cumbiera Intelectual

Anyways, enough with the diversion (but I can’t shake the feeling that diversions like this one might happen again). Back to music in Portuguese!

- Photo by Yeraze