World Cup of Tango

Wait. What?? There's a "World Cup" of Tango? How totally awesome and unexpected is that?



Here's my personal "Tango" playlist from the Pop Impulse YouTube Channel. You knew we had a YouTube channel, right?

European Sounds

While I was listening to the sweet sound of Martin Taylor's guitar last night, I realized that I had not yet posted about my European Sounds playlist. Yes, I know. There are like a million styles of European music, and I've posted about a bunch. Even Balkan Gypsy Tango, here. Not to mention several posts on the music of Spain and Portugual. Each have their own playlists. So what's in my European Sounds playlist?

A lot of Gypsy jazz, punctuated by a little tango and musette. I am particularly fond of French Manouch-style guitar, popularized by the late Django Reinhart and the Hot Club of France. Martin Taylor plays Django as well as most, and is a personal favorite. His version of Musette for a Magpie just knocks my socks off. In the same vein, French Gypsy guitarist Romane is a technical and stylistic virtuoso. He evokes the kind of tangible passion that the Spanish Gitano guitarists wring from Flamenco. But in Romane's case, it is oh so sweet passion. Download Selene to see what I mean.

I've also blogged about, of all things, the accordian...here. I've included two of my favorite squeeze-box players in European Sounds. Richard Galliano, and an Argentianian master named Alfredo Marcucci. Marcucci trained in Paris, and plays an instrument invented in Germany, the Koncertina - call a Bandoneon in Argentina (image above). This man is the master of the tango. Watch him play here and here.

Rounding out my European Sounds playlist are some all-American artists and bands, including Madeleine Peyroux performing La Vie en Rose; Winton Marsalis playing April in Paris, and Pink Martini doing Sympathique.

Balkan Gypsy Tango

If you haven't heard the Earth Wheel Fire Band from Serbia, you're missing some really great music. The band was recognized recently by the pioneers of World Music distribution, Putumayo, with the inclusion of the band's tune Gypsy Tango on the company's recent release "Tango Around the World." Thanks to Jefferson Public Radio for playing the tune this morning, and my partner for having the taste to get me up from the keyboard to listen. The band has two disks of their own, which can be found in Circuit City's online catalogue or on the overstock.com site. Why should you care?

Serbia is known for its brass and especially its trumpet music. Pair one of the country's premier trumpet players with Olah Vintze's renowned band from the Vojvodina region of northern Serbia and you've got all the ingredients for musical magic. The sweet sound of Gypsy guitar, the gravel-like passion of a strong Gypsy voice (not unlike the Flamenco singers of Spain) and the soul of the Balkan Roma. Ahh, bliss.

I confess a fascination for the Roma people, their unusual language, culture and history. Gypsies, as is now well documented and known, started out in the Indian state of Rajastan - then migrated to virtually all parts of the Middle East and Europe. Read my post about Gypsy Music here, then head over to the band's web site (in Serbo-Croatian) and download a free tune. You may also want to check out the band's profile page on MySpace. You won't be sorry.