A milonga orchestra of two: Duo Ben & Winnie celebrates tango’s creative treasons with the release of La Próxima Traición
Billboard Top 10 musicians and tango composer/educator team Ben & Winnie is masterful at taking the raw energy and complex interpretive pathways of the full tango orchestra and distilling them down to the intimate interpersonal connection of a duo performance. Whether tracing stylistic developments throughout the genre’s history with unique arrangements of traditional tango pieces or suggesting innovative musical disruptions with their own fiery original compositions, the duo’s music is always about human connection and inspiration.
With their latest album La Próxima Traición (to be released May 15th, 2020), Ben Bogart (bandoneon) and Winnie Cheung (piano) pay homage to tango’s tradition of revolutionary innovation at the pinnacle of their musical expression. In the process, tango becomes the vehicle to transport audiences from wildly disparate walks of life to the musical common ground of the global citizen -- with a message to galvanize positive social change and climate awareness with a call to action to do everything we can to leave the planet in better shape than we found it.
Recorded in the heart of Buenos Aires at Fort Studios (the studio historically known for its role in the counterculture element of Argentina) and mixed and mastered at El Jardin del Furor, the album’s tracks range from traditional Argentine tango pieces of the 1920s, superbly stripped down and rearranged for bandoneon and piano, to the newest title track number composed specifically with Ben & Winnie’s piano, bandoneon, and banter-filled creative dynamic in mind.
La Próxima Traición could be translated literally as "the next treason” or “the upcoming betrayal" and the title speaks to Ben & Winnie’s attraction to the revolutionary nature of how tango has developed over time. The genre’s process of evolution has always been instigated by rebel artists breaking through the baseline. It is an aesthetic transformation via periodic creative ruptures in the paradigm of the time; artistic upheavals that often mirror cultural or political discord in society.
Ben & Winnie notes that current trends in tango are indicative of what is currently happening in Argentina, where the tango is getting a little rough, a little loud, a little heavy in the bass. Surface elements of Ben & Winnie’s music are resonating with what is new in tango, and what is being created in Argentina now. The time is right for the next traición.
The duo describes it as a ‘dumping out of the drawer’ to reorganize or declutter, socially, politically, and artistically. “To us, the most important part is turning the everyday upside-down,” says the duo. “You take the drawer out and you dump everything. Not always just to throw everything away. You can sort it, you can reorganize it, you can take out the crap and put back what you need, or you can create a whole new system to organize. There are many things you can do ...but the one thing we have to do is periodically turn the drawer upside down.”
As artists, both have been deeply inspired by those giants of tango history whose work is featured on the CD, including Aníbal Troilo, Osvaldo Pugliese, Juan D'Arienzo. Though initially at creative odds with their contemporaries, each is now celebrated for having taken some social or musical element of the tango of their time and revolutionizing it.
“They embraced the tango they loved and then did something new, maybe even scandalous to it,” reflects Ben. "They were all courageous and unapologetic, and they initiated changes that were focused and piercing in their genre. Each believed in their path, and executed their beliefs with charisma and personality. We want to do the same.”
That disorderly spirit of creation is the defining thematic thread stitched so skilfully through La Próxima Traición and is perhaps most explicit on the album’s title track. Penned specifically for the duo by contemporary composer and Indiana University professor Aaron Travers, “La Próxima Traición” is a piece that reflects their vision of a new tango sound for today. Ben & Winnie breathes easily in the traditional tango elements of the song, yet incorporate with vigor the new tango inspirations that inform the traición that is their latest work.
One of the many creative ways the duo has devised to make their tango a participatory collective experience, is to fit “La Próxima Traición” with optional parts for amateurs, young children, or beginning instrumentalists to join Ben & Winnie in playing what is a rather difficult piece. They endeavor to support and encourage musicians of all levels and ages to participate in tango, and this is one of their many efforts to showcase that support.
Connecting with their audiences on a deeply human level around the causes that are important to them is a central element of Ben & Winnie’s philosophy. Whether making conscious efforts on their tours to achieve a negative carbon footprint or raising funds for climate action and positive social change, Ben & Winnie always gives their all -- when playing for dancers and listeners who can attend their shows, and for those who cannot. With a mission to make tango accessible and to share artistic expression with people whom they might not otherwise encounter in life, the duo regularly puts on voluntary shows and educational workshops at prisons, schools, hospitals, dementia homes, and assisted living facilities.
“Ben and Winnie should not even know each other, but in fact we know each other quite well, all because of tango. We want to share this with audiences and bring everyone together -- children, seniors, Argentines, non-Argentines -- whoever you are. We are in this "traición" together, whether you want it or not. There are urgent and sweeping matters -- like saving the planet -- that require you to immediately leave the inertia you live in, and indulge in your own traición, now.”
LINKS:
Showing posts with label Hong Kong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hong Kong. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Saturday, February 18, 2012
HONG KONG: Get in the groove for JAZZ FUSION with Asia Drum Master Don Ashley on stage!
Asia’s only surrealism-inspired hotel, The Luxe Manor, has just turned five. To celebrate, the hotel’s much-loved Dada Bar + Lounge (Dada) will be playing host to a series of three amazing Sunday night concerts presented by Kongo Rikishi. Having ROCK FUSION concert successfully held in early February, JAZZ FUSION concert (26 Feb), with Asia Drum Master Don Ashley on stage, and WORLD FUSION concert (25 Mar) will soon be live on Dada stage and further underline its status as TST’s premier musical showcase.
Get in the groove for JAZZ FUSION!
Solid and highly accomplished, the JAZZ FUSION quartet Dada has assembled for the second of its three evening shows on 26 Feb, Sunday, promises to explore both ultra-technical and incredibly melodic ground. If you love musos who believe in pushing harmonic envelopes to the very limit, guitarist Esan Shi, Asia Drum Master Don Ashley, bassist Alex Katsumata and New York keyboard wizard Jim Schneider promise you a truly unforgettable night.(Travel Blackboard)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 2011
Details: First time ever in Hong Kong that a music festival is staged with over 300 artists coming from 24 countries for more than 60 performances and workshops in an 8-day period between 25 September and 2 October.
With the range and genre so diverse and unprecedented in Hong Kong, the atmosphere and music content will go way beyond our understanding of WHAT JAZZ SHOULD BE.
Programme:
http://www.hkijf.com/en/programme/wkcd-concerts
Lineup:
http://www.hkijf.com/en/line-up
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/hkijf
SOURCE : www.hkijf.com
With the range and genre so diverse and unprecedented in Hong Kong, the atmosphere and music content will go way beyond our understanding of WHAT JAZZ SHOULD BE.
Programme:
http://www.hkijf.com/en/programme/wkcd-concerts
Lineup:
http://www.hkijf.com/en/line-up
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/hkijf
SOURCE : www.hkijf.com
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The fourth Hong Kong International Jazz Festival: Grammy-winning trumpeters and 300 artists
The annual Hong Kong International Jazz Festival (HKIJF), to be held from September 25-October 2, will be a masterclass of musical improvisation.
At least, that was the impression when the artists' line-up was announced for the first time.
"The major difference of this year's event from previous ones is that we have invited a broader range of jazz musicians, especially those from Eastern Europe, to come this time," said Peter Lee, president of the Hong Kong Jazz Association, which is organizing the festival.
The festival will feature 300 jazz artists from 24 countries, performing Jewish wedding songs, gypsy swing, Moravian folk, Afro-Cuban, a cappella, Brazilian jazz and much more.
The festival will include open concerts in the vacant land of the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), indoor concerts in Hong Kong City Hall, as well as free exhibitions, jazz seminars and poetry jazz workshops for kids.
Local jazz icon Ted Lo, who also composes Cantonese pop songs for singers like Justin Lo and Eason Chan, will bring a jazz strings ensemble to this year’s festival as their world premiere.
The festival will also feature five-time Grammy-winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard and percussionist Poncho Sanchez performing their project Cubano Be Cubano, a tribute to the legacy of the original Conga King, Chano Pozo and his co-conspirator in Latin Jazz, Dizzy Gillespie.
From the Czech Republic comes the Emil Viklický Trio, who are said to combine elements of Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson with a deep infusion of Moravian soul. Other highlights include Portugese band Maria João & Mário Laginha, French group Chico & the Gypsies, the Freddy Cole Quartet and Kurt Rosenwinkel from the United States, Nguyên Lê’s Saiyuki, whose three members are from Japan, India and France, and local talents like Ginger Kwan and SIU2.
For vocalist and band shows at the WKCD, a two-day pass to square stage concerts will cost HK$580-1,000, while circle and mobile stage shows and marching bands are free.
This is the first time that venues in the long-awaited West Kowloon Cultural District will be put into use.
Louis Yu, the WKCD’s performance arts executive director, said: “Although the arts facilities in West Kowloon will not be completed for a few years, we hope we can give the public a taste of what it will be like -- the atmosphere of our future arts hub."
Peter Lee added: “Jazz has the closest character to Hong Kong people among all genres of music. Hong Kong people are famous for being flexible and this is also a feature of jazz.”
The festival also aims to provide jazz education, with renowned storyteller and poet Uncle Hung holding children's jazz and poetry workshops.
Source: cnngo.com
At least, that was the impression when the artists' line-up was announced for the first time.
"The major difference of this year's event from previous ones is that we have invited a broader range of jazz musicians, especially those from Eastern Europe, to come this time," said Peter Lee, president of the Hong Kong Jazz Association, which is organizing the festival.
The festival will feature 300 jazz artists from 24 countries, performing Jewish wedding songs, gypsy swing, Moravian folk, Afro-Cuban, a cappella, Brazilian jazz and much more.
The festival will include open concerts in the vacant land of the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), indoor concerts in Hong Kong City Hall, as well as free exhibitions, jazz seminars and poetry jazz workshops for kids.
Local jazz icon Ted Lo, who also composes Cantonese pop songs for singers like Justin Lo and Eason Chan, will bring a jazz strings ensemble to this year’s festival as their world premiere.
The festival will also feature five-time Grammy-winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard and percussionist Poncho Sanchez performing their project Cubano Be Cubano, a tribute to the legacy of the original Conga King, Chano Pozo and his co-conspirator in Latin Jazz, Dizzy Gillespie.
From the Czech Republic comes the Emil Viklický Trio, who are said to combine elements of Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson with a deep infusion of Moravian soul. Other highlights include Portugese band Maria João & Mário Laginha, French group Chico & the Gypsies, the Freddy Cole Quartet and Kurt Rosenwinkel from the United States, Nguyên Lê’s Saiyuki, whose three members are from Japan, India and France, and local talents like Ginger Kwan and SIU2.
For vocalist and band shows at the WKCD, a two-day pass to square stage concerts will cost HK$580-1,000, while circle and mobile stage shows and marching bands are free.
This is the first time that venues in the long-awaited West Kowloon Cultural District will be put into use.
Louis Yu, the WKCD’s performance arts executive director, said: “Although the arts facilities in West Kowloon will not be completed for a few years, we hope we can give the public a taste of what it will be like -- the atmosphere of our future arts hub."
Peter Lee added: “Jazz has the closest character to Hong Kong people among all genres of music. Hong Kong people are famous for being flexible and this is also a feature of jazz.”
The festival also aims to provide jazz education, with renowned storyteller and poet Uncle Hung holding children's jazz and poetry workshops.
Source: cnngo.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)