Bajofondo


Tango, murga, milonga, candomble – but also pop, rock, electronica, hip-hop and jazz. These are the main ingredients criss-crossing Bajofondo’s innovative musical universe. This collective of outstanding solo artists is led by guitarist-composer Gustavo Santaolallo (Argentina) and composer-DJ Juan Campodonico (Uruguay). They’ve assembled artists from Uruguay and Argentina with the bold claim of hoisting tango and other local genres into the 21st century As a result, the scratching Luciano Supervielle vies with Martis Ferrès and his bandoneon ; the bass of Gabriel Casacuberta swirls futuristically under the vocals of Veronica Loza ; the DJ/sequencing of Campodonico give new tones and colours to Javier Casalla’s violin ; and so on.

For a long time, Bajofondo was pigeonholed as creators of « electronica tango » or « tango fusion », labels they reject as simplistic and inappropriate. For Santaolallo and Campdonico this zone has given far more to the world than the legacies of Gardel, Piazzolla and their many inheritors. Naturally, Bajofondo have also paid homage to the two maestros with their take on Piazzolla’s « No Quiero Otro », for example. But their incessant world touring and esotoric reflection have allowed them to develop their horizons far beyond Latin America. One critic compared their freshness and innovation with « listening to Piazzolla in the 50s. A sense of new beginning, of ideas, of musical journey full of surprises. »

Just now, the collective consists of eight members, seven musicians and a VJ who plays with images in real time to coincide with the music. Their 2005 CD Mar Dulce was also recorded in real time and improvised in the manner of a jazz band. It was recorded in Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo and Madrid. It included the noted appearance of former punk pop idol Elvis Costello. Streaked by a certain melancholy, the album reflected a great mastery of this composite music which includes a genre Santaolalla calls « cosmic tango ». Bajofondo thrives on the independent meeting of its talented parts, rather than the uniform whole encountered in groups they are often compared to, like Gotan Project. The group has already won a Latin Grammy for « Best Instrumental Pop Album » and is likely to broaden their international appeal even further.

Daniel Brown