In the Key of Pisces: Astor Piazzolla

Wednesday March 16th 2016

Thanks to Rachel for suggesting Astor Piazzolla, the late great Argentinian maestro of tango. Loss, plangent longing, melancholy love — so romantic — that’s one side of Piazolla’s work. Uncompromisingly avant-garde, experimental and cutting edge — there’s an utterly different side too.

Data from astrodatabank

Data from astrodatabank

Piazzolla was a composer and multi-intrumentalist, but the sound he’s most associated with is that of the bandoneon — a kind of accordion that’s essential to the distinctive tango sound. Interestingly, like James Taylor, he has a powerful Mercury-Uranus contact, and again he has incredible speed and dexterity.  But his musical choices are also so daring, so revolutionary. He mixes jazz and folk and Bartok. He seems completely fearless, digging deep into that painful Chiron-Moon conjunction to make something completely new.

Listen for yourself to the weaving sound, the powerful emotion, the deep soul that we’re becoming accustomed to hearing this month — so beautiful.

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  1. Sunis says:

    Wow, that’s lovely. Thanks for introducing me to this Rachel and Christina.

  2. Sunis says:

    Here is another song, by Yasmin Levy, sung in the Spanish Jewish dialect, with the same weavy sound. Una Nocha Mas. I saw her at Ronnie Scott’s in Soho, then was beaten up on the nightbus back to Northolt (evil alien form of transport). That was that last straw in me leaving UK. It’s been 8 years since I’ve been able to listen to her.

  3. Sunis says:

    Oops! Sorry Christina didn’t mean for that to spread across the page like that.

    • Christina says:

      Wow — It doesn’t normally do that!

      • Christina says:

        … and thanks for this great song & introducing me to this singer. Love her voice…

        And on the subject of night buses — that was always an issue going out in London: so glad I can walk now.