Donnerstag, 8. Dezember 2016

Juan José Mosalini, Jorge Rodriguez, Sandra Rumolino: Alma de Tango




For this album with a CD and a DVD (featuring the dancers Jorge Rodriguez and Maria Filali), I will focus on the music only. We hear an exquisite quartet consisting of Juan José Mosalini (bandoneon), Diego Aubia (piano), Sébastien Couranjou (violin) and Leonardo Teruggi (contrabass) – completed by exceptional singer, Sandra Rumolino. They pull all the stops to attract their audience, ranging from energetic verve and accentuated dynamic to cautious frailty. Their 15 interpretations of classical tangos and modern compositions all convince me. Several of these are quite familiar, i.e., Caldara´s Pasional, Mores´ Uno, Gardel´s Volver or Piazolla´s Oblivion and Balada para mi muerte. But they are presented here with such heart and passion, that there is no doubt these songs were orchestrated exclusively for this ensemble.

It is difficult to resist their vibrant version of Pugliese´s Bordeno y 900, or Sandra Rumolino´s touching interpretation of Gardel´s Volver. Mosalini´s own compositions (i.e., La Voz De La Libertad, Miloga para dos and Apretonados) can easily be compared with those of Astor Piazzolla.

For me, this album should be counted among the most relevant recordings within the past few years. Musical director Juan José Mosalini (*1943) is outstanding, of course, and the ensemble playing, taken together with Sandra Rumolino’s voice, sets this CD/DVD apart from the crowd.