Late Nite Lounge Vol. 30 - Forma, by Bajofondo

This eight-person band composed of musicians from Argentina and Uruguay and headed by Argentine musician and film composer Gustavo Santaolalla creates some of the most alluring music of the Rio de La Plata region. I had the opportunity to see them live on two occasions, the first being an unforgettable performance in front of the Obeliso in Buenos Aires and the second a more intimate affair in Boston's Paradise Rock Club. Their electrotango sound is similar to Gotan Project's, but this particular song, Forma, is a bit different than their usual fare. It's a song that, despite being devoid of words and entirely instrumental, has a lot of character. It displays emotion. The soft piano loop is in constant dialogue with the mournful violin, against the backdrop of the relaxed but rhythmic electronic canvas. Electronica at its best: live instruments mixed with scratches and attitude. It's a song that manages to evoke emotion without saying a single word, and it's perfect for those quiet Sunday nights.

*If you ever get the chance, go to a Bajofondo concert. They are a phenomenal band to see perform live.

Forma

Esta banda, formada por oito elementos argentinos e uruguaios e liderada pelo famoso músico e compositor argentino Gustavo Santaolalla, cria talvez as melhores músicas contemporânesa da região do Rio de La Plata. Tive a oportunidade de os ver ao vivo em duas ocasiões, sendo a primeira no feriado argentino "25 de Mayo" em plena Avenida 9 de Julio de frente ao Obelisco em Buenos Aires, num concerto de massas, e a segunda em Boston no muito mais íntimo Paradise Rock Club. O electrotango deles vai-te fazer lembrar dos Gotan Project, mas este som em particular, Forma, é um pouco diferente do normal dos Bajofondo. É uma música que, mesmo sendo instrumental e não contendo uma única palavra, consegue ter bastante caráter. Consegue exprimir emoção. O piano está em constante diálogo com o lamento do violino, a desenhar a melodia por cima dum canvas electrônico e rítmico. O beat tem atitude e o som é um bom exemplo de música electrónica como deve ser: instrumentos reais misturados com uma produção de nível. É uma música que consegue ser emotiva sem usar uma única palavra, e é perfeita para aquelas noites calmas de domingo.

*Se alguma vez tiverem a oportunidade, aconselho vivamente a assisterem um concerto dos Bajofono. É um grupo fenómenal.

-Photo: Bajofondo instrumentalist, by daMusic.be

Bajofondo Comes to Boston

My good friends and I had seen Bajofondo perform live on Av. 9 de Julio, smack in the center of Buenos Aires, with the Obelisco as a magnificent backdrop, on occasion of 25 de Mayo, one of the most important Argentine holidays. So when we learned that Bajofondo would be coming to Boston to play at the Paradise Rock Club, we were excited, to say the least. But we all thought that their performance would never top the spectacle we saw in Buenos Aires, where the setting, the emotion, the amazing energy and the fact that it happened to be May 25 all contributed to the uniqueness of that particular concert. We were wrong.

It might have been the fact that we were two steps away from the stage. Or that the band members at various points of the show left the stage to come dance with the sizeable Argentine and Uruguay contingent at Paradise. It might have been the fact that band member Veronica Loza kissed my hand. It was probably a combination of all those things. What I know for sure was that their show was one of the best concerts I have ever seen in my life. The bandoneónist Martin Ferrés was out of this world. I have seldom seen deft skill like that. I pretty much stared in awe at him and the violinist Javier Casalla all night. Casalla did things with the violin that I didn’t know violins did, especially for the track Grand Guignol included below. And Gustavo Santaolalla was his usual self, effervescent and thoroughly enjoying his creation, his music. One of the highlights of the night was seeing the basist perform a rap for the song Ya No Duele, also included below. But Bajofondo really brought the house down when they played their last song, the inevitable Los Tangueros, and invited a bunch of women from the audience to go onstage and dance with them, which, of course, lots of dudes did as well. I won’t forget this concert that early.

Ya No Duele (Con Santullo)
Grand Guignol

-Bad quality photos taken with my crummy iPhone camera