Our new album, UN VEINTE, is out in both physical media and streaming!
Listen on Bandcamp ➤
Available in both physical CD and digital download.
Los Chantas formed in NYC over twenty years ago and have been performing ever since. With original compositions and arrangements within the Argentine tango tradition, Un Veinte commemorates this 20 year journey in the world of NYC tango, and vividly showcases the innovative style and creative energy developed throughout this era.
Buy now on Bandcamp ➤
Featuring David Hodges (bandoneón), Sergio R. Reyes (violin), Emilio Teubal (piano), Pablo Lanouguere (bass), and special guest Ivan Barenboim (clarinets).
Recorded at Big Orange Sheep Studio in Brooklyn NYC. Mixed and mastered by Antonio Boyadjian. Photos by Pedro Wainer. Album design by David Hodges.
About The Songs
A José Rubén Zamora (Sergio R. Reyes): “The music is inspired and dedicated to Guatemalan journalists, especially to José Rubén Zamora, founder of ElPeriódico/GT. Guatemala is going through tough times of unjust smear campaigns, persecution, and criminalization towards journalists who have covered and denounced rampant state corruption. The music conveys Zamora’s audacity but also his satirical sense of humor. Musical influences include Horacio Salgán and the legendary Quinteto Real.” [SRR]
Milonga triste (Sebastian Piana; arr. E. Teubal): A lush and meditative arrangement of this tango classic of the slow “milonga campera” style, with guest artist Ivan Barenboim on B-flat and bass clarinets.
La Bordona (E. Balcarce; arr. D. Hodges): “The ‘bordona’ refers to a folkloric style of playing a fluid bass line on the low string of a guitar, which is emulated in a recurring theme. This arrangement borrows heavily from interpretations from Troilo, Pugliese, and Balcarce himself. The opening section in the arrangement is played without piano as if by a chamber ensemble.” [DH]
Milonga brava (Francisco Canaro; arr. E. Teubal): Classic up-tempo milonga made famous by Canaro’s orquesta típica, featuring Ivan Barenboim on clarinet.
La luz de un fósforo (Alberto Suárez Villanueva; arr. E. Teubal): A rarely heard gem of the classic tango repertoire.
Un veinte (Emilio Teubal): “A tango composed to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the formation of the Los Chantas Tango group. The piece was conceived from a melodic motif very characteristic of the tango tradition, and from there the piece develops into rhythmic figures more typical in modern tango composers such as Astor Piazzolla.” [ET]
Rosa (Pixinguinha; arr. E. Teubal): A well-known tune from the chorinho tradition of Brazil, this vals by the legendary clarinetist and composer Pixinguinha is reinterpreted in the tango style.
El lloron (Juan “Pacho” Maglio; arr. D. Hodges): El Llorón, a popular tango-milonga of the “old guard” era (ca. 1890), is usually attributed to the innovative orchestra leader “Pacho” Maglio but also sometimes to Ambrosio Radrizzani or other anonymous creators. The tune (“The Cry”) features chromatic runs and raucous rhythms. This arrangement brings in Ivan Barenboim on clarinets to lend a “guardia vieja” flavor, and repurposes the famous “moresco” variación from La cumparsita in the milonga style.
Romance de barrio (Aníbal Troilo; arr. S. R. Reyes): Famous tango vals by the legendary bandleader Aníbal Troilo, arranged with folkloric flourishes.
Inquieto (David Hodges): “Inspired by the feeling of walking up the stairs to a milonga and hearing an indistinct tune that you can’t quite identify but feel is familiar. After beginning the piece with some basic themes it transformed after repeated listening to Pugliese’s “Negracha” and trying to capture the magic of melding very rhythmic and loose, fluid themes together into a coherent whole. The title implies an unsettled mental state that is working over an idea through different perspectives.” [DH]