English

A journey through the fundamental subject areas that inspired both the old Italian madrigal and the Buenos Aires tango. Through Argentina and Italy, with their musicians and music. Through the instruments of both worlds which sing and converse, each with their own voice, their different languages and shared stories. Through migrations, solitude, conflicts, absence, dance, dreams and death. Through the "places of the soul" of these people, united and marked by irreparable losses, voyages of no return, hopes on the other shore, exercises in nostalgia.

Español

Un viaje por las temáticas fundamentales que inspiraron tanto el madrigal italiano antiguo como el tango de Buenos Aires. Por Argentina e Italia, con sus músicos y sus músicas. Por los instrumentos de uno y otro mundo que cantan y dialogan, cada uno con su voz, con sus idiomas diferentes, con sus argumentos comunes. Por las migraciones, la soledad, los opuestos, la ausencia, la danza, los sueños y la muerte, por "los lugares del alma" de estos pueblos unidos, marcados, por pérdidas irremediables, por viajes sin retorno, por esperanzas de la otra orilla, por ejercicios de nostalgia.

Italiano

Un viaggio per le tematiche fondamentali che ispirarono sia il madrigale italiano antico che il tango di Buenos Aires. Per Argentina e Italia, con i loro musicisti e la loro musica. Per gli strumenti di uno e dell’altro mondo che cantano e dialogano, ognuno con la sua voce, con i loro diversi idiomi e i loro argomenti in comune. Per le migrazioni, la solitudine, gli opposti, la assenza, la festa, i sogni e la morte, per i "luoghi dell’anima" di questi popoli uniti, marcati da perdite irrimediabili, viaggi senza ritorno, speranze dell’altra riva, esercizi di nostalgia.

Français

Un voyage à travers les thèmes fondamentaux qui inspirèrent aussi bien le madrigal italien que le tango de Buenos Aires. A travers l'Argentine et l'Italie, avec leurs musiciens et leur musique.A travers les instruments de l'un et de l'autre monde, qui chantent et dialoguent, chacun avec sa voix, avec sa propre langue et des thèmes en commun. A travers les émigrations, la solitude, les antipodes, l'absence, la fête, les rêves et la mort, à travers les "hauts-lieux de l'âme" de ces peuples unis, marqués de pertes irremédiables, de voyages sans retour, d'espoirs dans l'autre rivage... Plus qu'un exercice de style: un exercice de nostalgie.

BUENOS AIRES MADRIGAL

Italian Madrigals from the XVII century and Argentinian Tangos

La Chimera, Furio Zanasi and Ximena Biondo  

"BAM" (Buenos Aires Madrigal) is an imaginary journey taken by three friends, two Argentinians (Eduardo Egüez and Francisco Gato) and an Italian (Sabina Colonna Preti), born of the meeting and mutual exchange of their cultures through time.

BAM is about "yesterday" with the Italian emigrants who were looking for a new land overseas and about "today" with the Argentinians who go to Italy in search of their origins. It`s about "today" with those Italians crazy about the tango, who dance until dawn in the most famous clubs in Buenos Aires, and about "yesterday" with the Italian-Argentinians who sang in the "boliches" of La Boca.

BAM is a journey through the fundamental themes which are present in these two worlds: migration, loneliness, contrast, absence, dance and death. It`s a journey which began a few years ago when Eduardo Egüez heard an Italian Madrigal from the XVII century performed by a consort of violas da gamba. At that time, the music seemed to have an Argentinian "flavour", something which took me back to Buenos Aires, to the bellows of a bandoneón.

BAM is an intense journey which passes through the soul and excites the emotions. After the first transcriptions, aimed at adapting the tangos to the sonority of the consort of violas da gamba, came the greatest surprise, with the reading of the tango texts and their similarities to the Italian Madrigal. Love: happy or betrayed, disillusioned or distant; departures: meetings and farewells; faces: loved, lost or desired.

BAM was thus born, with tangos and madrigals "singing", each in their own tongue, the great themes which have accompanied Man throughout his history and which accompany each man during his own personal history. In particular "absent love" is portrayed as an exercise in nostalgia.

Any art form is born of a fusion, that is why "early fusion" (the new collection from the MA Recordings label, with Eduardo Egüez in the lead) opens the doors to music without limits and invites old instruments (lutes, violas da gamba, cornets, dulcianas, etc.) to participate in a repertoire which goes beyond the horizon imagined for them, at the same time it allows the instruments of today to "wander" and improvise through the most beautiful pages of old music".

The musicians on BAM are as follows:

Furio Zanasi: tenor
Ximena Biondo: alto

They are supported by:

Eduardo Egüez: lutes and baroque / romantic guitars
Francisco Gato: lutes and baroque / romantic guitars
Sabina Colonna-Preti: viola da gamba, lirone
Andrea da Carlo: double bass, viola da gamba, harmonica
Sergio Alvares: viola da gamba
Martin Zeller: viola da gamba, baroque cello
Fabrizio Zanneli: violins
Gabriel Rivano: Bandoneón

 

MA RECORDINGS INTRODUCES THE "EMERALD AUDIOPHILE SERIES"

In our efforts to make for a more colorful sonic and musical experience, MA Recordings introduces the "Emerald Audiophile Series". It is well known among concerned audiophiles that light refractions of the optical laser thru the polycarbonate universally used in compact discs can make for a less than accurate reading of the digital musical content.

MA's "Emerald Audiophile Series" discs are actually made with a dark green polycarbonate, to help alleviate the potential problems associated with internal light refraction and enable a more accurate reading of the digital data from the optical disc, delivering the music with more finesse, and ultimately the original intention of the performer(s) and producer.

For an enhanced musical experience, MA invites you to audition our "Emerald Audiophile Series"