World Renowned Argentine Musicians to Perform Special Concierto de Tango at Carleton College
Latin Grammy-winning musician Raul Jaurena will be joined by keyboardist Maurizio Najt, bass player Jorge Longo, and violinist Leonardo Suarez Paz, to present an intoxicating evening of traditional and contemporary Tango music on Friday, May 21 at 8 p.m. in the Concert Hall on the Carleton College campus.
Rooted in the colorful Tango tradition of Buenos Aires, these world-renowned New York City-based Argentine musicians will present a concert that traces this unique musical genre’s evolution from its humble origins at the beginning of the twentieth century, to the classic composers and orchestras of its golden age, and into the “Nuevo Tango” legacy defined by master composer and performer Astor Piazzolla, while spicing things up with elements of jazz and inventive improvisations. A not-to-be-missed performance by four fantastic musicians, the Concierto de Tango is free and open to the public.
The eclectic program will feature a repertoire of old and modern Tangos, milongas, and Tango-waltzes, including performances of El Choclo, Verano Porteño, Michelangelo 70, Palomita Blanca, Milonga Sentimental, New York Gotan, and the famous La Cumparsita. As described by maestro Raul Jaurena, the music “…is at the same time melancholy and provocative, bittersweet and tender – it lets your blood boil and makes your feet twitch.”
In conjunction with their appearance, the four acclaimed musicians will also host a workshop on Saturday, May 22 at 11 a.m. in the Concert Hall, performing and discussing the instruments and compositions that define the roots and continuing evolution of this important and ever-popular musical tradition.
Master of the Tango and winner of the Latin Grammy for Best Tango Album, Te amo Tango, Raul Jaurena is considered one of the world’s most prominent players of the bandoneón, an instrument similar to a concertina and particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. Jaurena’s music is heavily influenced by his South American roots and the work of Astor Piazolla, whom he shared the stage with at the Montreal Jazz Festival and who once called Jaurena “one of the greatest bandoneónplayers ever.” As a composer and performer, Juarena has played in various Tango-ensembles in Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Venezuela, and, having recently relocated to New York City, continues to perform as a soloist for prominent ensembles and orchestras in the United States, including collaborations with Cuban jazz saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera, Yo Yo Ma, and Giora Feidman.
Keyboardist Maurizio Najt was born in Milan, Italy, to a family of musicians. He grew up in Argentina, where his father was a tenor soloist at the Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires, and studied piano and composition at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música in Buenos Aires. After moving to New York in 1983, Najt became the pianist for the legendary orchestra "Los Amigos del Tango,” a cultural organization dedicated to the preservation of Tango culture, music and dance. Najt is also passionate about South American folkloric music; his CD “Andean Songs” with the Andean ensemble "Takillacta,” a collective of musicians from different countries of South America, received excellent reviews and is distributed worldwide by Naxos World Records. Najt has toured with legendary American folk musician Pete Seeger and Argentine folk hero Leo Gieco. His eclectic background also includes an extended tour ofJapan and Hawaii with Japanese Tango diva Anna Saeki, for whom he arranged and recorded traditional Tangos and Asian folks songs. As a composer and arranger he has written music for short films, industrial videos, documentaries and off-Broadway musical theater including "Don Quixxxote," which was nominated for an ACE Award in 2002 for best direction and original script. Recently he arranged and recorded a song for the film "Lust Caution," from Academy-Award winning director Ang Lee. Najt’s son, Lorenzo, is currently a freshman at Carleton College.
Violinist Leonardo Suarez Paz, son of Fernando Suarez Paz -- for many years Astor Piazolla’s violinist, is one of today’s most sought-after Tango musicians and has toured with countless renowned international orchestras and companies. Suarez Paz attended Juan Manuel de Falla Conservatory, studying with maestros Miguel A. Bertero, Saul Costentino, and Patience Higgins of the Duke Ellington band. As a solo violinist and Tango dancer, Suarez Paz has traveled to the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Japan, and Mexico to perform in various ensembles and shows. Also a renowned Jazz musician and composer who has worked with Wynton Marsalis, Regina Carter, Stanley Jordan and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Suarez Paz regularly performs in Broadway productions and records music with his original music groups, The New Acoustic Jazz Quartet and the Leonardo Suarez Paz Jazz Quintet. In 2002, his recording “Tango Bar” received a Latin Grammy Award nomination.
Bass player Jorge Longo was born in Argentina, where he studied at the National University of Cuyo under Salvador Amato, as well as with renowned Argentine musicians James Raportt, Jose Luis Ferreyra, and Sergio Oliveira. At a young age, he performed with the National University of Cuyo Symphonic Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Mendoza, Argentina. Since moving to New York City, he is a prominent member of the Tango musical community, recording and performing with a variety of talented artists. He has also toured extensively across the United States and around the globe. Longo is a founding member of the acclaimed Quinteto Cuidad, whose performances and recordings have been widely praised by critics and the musical press. Today, Longo remains one of the most celebrated and admired musicians in Mendoza, Argentina.
The Concert Hall is located on the Carleton College campus off First Street, between Nevada and Winona Streets in Northfield, Minnesota. For more information on the concert, including disability accommodations, please contact Gao Hong Dice at (507) 222-4475 or ghong@carleton.edu.
