Customer Reviews

Mar Dulce

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Formerly Bajofondo Tango Club, this is a South American music band consisting of seven musicians from Argentina and Uruguay.
The group - initially a studio project only - is essentially the seemingly unlikely combination of the Argentine Gustavo Santaolla -- probably best known as the new millennium's Ennio Morricone, having provided the scores for movies such as "The Motorcycle Diaries", "Babel" and "Brokeback Mountain" -- with the Uruguayian rock musician and producer Juan Campodónico.
Their first record, the hugely acclaimed and ground-breaking Bajofondo Tango Club, an inspired blending of tango with electronica, was launched in 2004 with great success.
In 2005 Bajofondo Remixed, employing several DJs and friends like pianist/DJ/composer Luciano Supervielle, further deconstructed the genre.
Often compared to Gotan Project, their music is a fusion of acoustic tango and electronic music, part of an evolving tango genre which is known as "electrotango" or "tango fusion", which is greatly helping to bring tango back into the mainstream.
The band, which prefers to refer itself as a "collective of composers, singers and artists", has a characteristic style that can be considered, besides the aforementioned mixture of tango and electronica, as an innovative form of DNB, house, chill out and trip-hop.
This newest installment in the Bajofondo oeuvre features guest performances by Elvis Costello, Nelly Furtado, Julieta Venegas, Gustavo Cerati, Ryota Komatsu, La Mala Rodriguez, Santullo, Juan Subira and the final recorded performance by legendary Uruguayan tango diva Lagrima Rios.
"With Bajofondo", says Santaolalla, "we don't like the label "electronic tango" because we try to make a contemporary music of Rio de la Plata (the river that forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay) music from Argentina, from Uruguay. Obviously, if you want to do music that comes from there or represents that part of the world tango is going to be part of it - but, in our case, so is rock 'n'roll, electronica and hip hop. Hopefully a new language, not pure tango".
"It recently reduced the name to Bajofondo, in recognition of the fact that the music the band is creating nowadays is reaching beyond simply tango. That's evident with opener "Grand Guignol," which blends a heavy drum'n'bass bottom end with the sweeping flourishes of tango. It's an unexpected pairing of visceral beat and florid romanticism, but it works awfully well. Tango remains the constant for Bajofondo, but the 17 tracks offer quite a few variations on a theme. Elvis Costello delivers a guest vocal on the dreamy tune "Fairly Right," and singer Veronica Loza is strong on the uptempo "Tuve Sol." Shrewd electronics endow the tango theme of "Pa' Bailar" with quite an extraordinary sting". -- Philip Van Vleck
The album is a fine blend of relaxed club beats, electronic sounds and perfectly danceable tangos, this is great CD to have in a tango collection to get the `cutting edge' end of the scale as a contrast to all the traditional stuff.
My favourite tracks : "Borges y Paraguay" , "Chiquilines' which has a Salsa feel and the complex "Pa' Bailar".
This is a great album to surprise people with as background music for a dinner party as well.
Fascinating stuff, but not tango, and not even trying to be tango.
Supervielle
Lunático

For those who are not familiar with traditional Tango nor heard any of the current representatives of its electro-forms, it worth knowing that Gustavo Santaolalla's production and leadership as well as Daniel Melingo's voice in a couple of tracks, makes this album something you ought to explore immediately.

Just like it happened with Astor Piazzolla--I'm comparing reactions to new versions of a traditional musical form, not suggesting that these guys are as revolutionary nor seminal as the great Piazzolla--any innovations performed on a genre as beloved like Tango will breed as many critics as new worshippers. I think this is equal parts respect for its traditonal forms as the unwillingness of some to accept the evolution of a powerful musical form.

That said, Bajofondo--along with Gotan Project--is a band to listen to if you are thinking of immersing yourself in the archetypal Argentine music' state of affairs. This particular album, to me, has built on their first and famous album, and taking it to a new level of depth. This is not an experiment, it is good music.

Besides Melingo's vocal contributions, there's a number of powerful tracks here, whether instrumental like Cristal, Zitarrosa or Borges y Paraguay, or thanks to some dead-on choices for vocals such as Elvis Costello in Fairly Right, Juan Subira--the song of the album--in Hoy , and Mala Rodriguez and Gustavo Ceratti's turns at the mike.

Santaolalla, as committed to Tango's classic composers as he is to exploring its outer edges, manages to keep things faithful to the mood of Buenos Aires without compromising the proverbial "pushing of the envelope." Whether you find winning two Oscars a respectable feat or not, it should say something about Santaolalla's capacity to create impressive soundscapes. As far as I'm concerned, he's the Rick Rubin of Latin America, more for his talent in recognizing the true sound of an artist than a comparison of career' successes.

All in all, if you are hooked on dancing Tango, go to Anibal Troilo, Horacio Salgan or Osvaldo Pugliese--all gods of the original form--because Bajofondo will disappoint you there. But if you were stung just as deeply by Buenos Aires and like to listen to the intricate evolution of a genre, this is a place to visit.

Saw this group in SF at Stern Grove. Went to the event to see Si Se (who was wonderful), thought they would be the headliners. Was surprised that this group was the headliners. They had so much energy and fun on stage. Bought the CD as soon as I left the concert, the CD is equally fun. I haven't a clue what they are saying, but I love the music!!!!

Mar Dulce is another outstanding release by Bajofondo. They are the best electrotango musicians around. Excellent album. Highly recommended.

This disk made me very happy- very interesting mix -some not usual - could listen endlessly

I am a big fan of fusion type sounds (Cafe Tacuba = modern pop/rock + Mexican folklore; Aterciopelados is the same but with Colombian traditional music; similarly Carlos Vives from Colombia)!

With Argentina being a mecca of "rock en espanol" as well as the center of Tango, I think this does a great job to capture one essence of a mixed Buenos Aires. I'm a big fan of Gustavo Santaolalla and he does well here!

As if the tango rhythm wasn't pleaseant enough, mixing it with eletronic made this song so delicious to listen and to dance to!!!!!...Veronica (Cesar's wife)...:)

Being born in Uruguay but raised in Venezuela I thought I did not have any links with Tango. However this album showed me the link was there, uncounscious. This music wake it up. Great pieces I only wish i could dance as my parents did. Highly recommended for everyone. Relaxing although crisp. Enjoy!

This album is a good addition to a latin music collection, with music inspired by Argentinian/ Uruguayan tango, mixed with modern electronica. The song Mareo is particularly good, with a terrific beat, excellent as a backdrop for a slideshow. If you know how to tango, this music is great, of course, but otherwise, if you are a fan of latin music, it's just fun to move to and enjoy. Not all songs are great, but there are about 3-4 that are real keepers!!

Always difficult to know what lies in store from a CD bought over the net, so I was truly delighted with Bajofondo's 'Mar Dulce'. Tango roots blend sublimely with electronica to make the result a joy to the ear (& the feet, if dancing's your thing). If you like traditional types of music with a modern twist, then I heartily recommend this album.