Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Orquesta Típica Fernandez Fierro at La Trastienda
Sunday, December 3, 2006
The Orquesta Típica Fernandez Fierro is the granddaddy of the contemporary orquesta típica movement in Buenos Aires, having pioneered the rough-edged approach to large ensemble tango that has served as a model for many of the orquestas tipicas playing today.
Tonight, the group was presenting their fourth CD, titled “Mucha Mierda.” A cultural translation of that title would be something like “break a leg.” However, judging by the set and props the band had on stage—a backdrop that made the wall look like a tiled bathroom, a giant chain for flushing the toilet hanging from the ceiling, a massive roll of toilet paper set to the side of the bandoneón section, and a large disco ball with fake flies attached to it—I think they had a more literal translation in mind: “lots of shit.”
I have seen this group play many times over the past several years, and am always impressed by the sheer power of their sound and performance. With their singer—Walter “Chino” Laborde, who is just fabulous—the band has a dozen members on stage. And though most of them play relatively “delicate” instruments like the violin and bandoneón, when the group gets going they can really shake the walls. The bandoneón players just smash the music out of their instruments, replacing the delicate bounce of most players with an aggressive thrashing that is wildly exciting visually and musically compelling as well. It may not be too healthy for the instruments, though. Towards the end of the set the band had to take a lengthy pause while one of the banoneonists fixed his instrument. He had been broken it during the previous song.
During the pause the singer talked and joked with the audience, asking the crowd of several hundred how many were seeing tango live for the first time that night, and how many were seeing Fernandez Fierro for the first time. Judging by the show of hands, a pretty high percentage of the audience were newcomers, both to the genre and to the band. (He also asked if there were any Argentines in the audience, receiving an enthusiastic but not overwhelming cheer in response. I would guess that about 40% of the audience was foreign.)
For those who had never seen this band play live before, much less not heard tango live before, the evening must have been quite an event. However, for a more dedicated fan like me, I fear that the band's once innovative and indeed revolutionary approach to tango might be descending into the realm of shtick. They have added some new and very original material to their repertoire—I especially liked a new arrangement of an Argentine zamba that featured the violin section accompanied by only the piano—but they also continue to play many of the same songs in the same way that they have for the past several years. That, of course, is no sin, just ask the Rolling Stones. But when the same songs also appear on several of their recordings, I begin to doubt. That said, and especially for newcomers, Fernandez Fierro probably still makes for one of the most exciting musical nights out in Buenos Aires, and should not be missed.
Related Recording
Orquesta Típica Fernandez Fierro, Mucha Mierda (Derechos del Autor) 2006.
Related Links
http://www.fernandezfierro.com/
http://www.latrastienda.com/
The Orquesta Típica Fernandez Fierro is the granddaddy of the contemporary orquesta típica movement in Buenos Aires, having pioneered the rough-edged approach to large ensemble tango that has served as a model for many of the orquestas tipicas playing today.
Tonight, the group was presenting their fourth CD, titled “Mucha Mierda.” A cultural translation of that title would be something like “break a leg.” However, judging by the set and props the band had on stage—a backdrop that made the wall look like a tiled bathroom, a giant chain for flushing the toilet hanging from the ceiling, a massive roll of toilet paper set to the side of the bandoneón section, and a large disco ball with fake flies attached to it—I think they had a more literal translation in mind: “lots of shit.”
I have seen this group play many times over the past several years, and am always impressed by the sheer power of their sound and performance. With their singer—Walter “Chino” Laborde, who is just fabulous—the band has a dozen members on stage. And though most of them play relatively “delicate” instruments like the violin and bandoneón, when the group gets going they can really shake the walls. The bandoneón players just smash the music out of their instruments, replacing the delicate bounce of most players with an aggressive thrashing that is wildly exciting visually and musically compelling as well. It may not be too healthy for the instruments, though. Towards the end of the set the band had to take a lengthy pause while one of the banoneonists fixed his instrument. He had been broken it during the previous song.
During the pause the singer talked and joked with the audience, asking the crowd of several hundred how many were seeing tango live for the first time that night, and how many were seeing Fernandez Fierro for the first time. Judging by the show of hands, a pretty high percentage of the audience were newcomers, both to the genre and to the band. (He also asked if there were any Argentines in the audience, receiving an enthusiastic but not overwhelming cheer in response. I would guess that about 40% of the audience was foreign.)
For those who had never seen this band play live before, much less not heard tango live before, the evening must have been quite an event. However, for a more dedicated fan like me, I fear that the band's once innovative and indeed revolutionary approach to tango might be descending into the realm of shtick. They have added some new and very original material to their repertoire—I especially liked a new arrangement of an Argentine zamba that featured the violin section accompanied by only the piano—but they also continue to play many of the same songs in the same way that they have for the past several years. That, of course, is no sin, just ask the Rolling Stones. But when the same songs also appear on several of their recordings, I begin to doubt. That said, and especially for newcomers, Fernandez Fierro probably still makes for one of the most exciting musical nights out in Buenos Aires, and should not be missed.
Related Recording
Orquesta Típica Fernandez Fierro, Mucha Mierda (Derechos del Autor) 2006.
Related Links
http://www.fernandezfierro.com/
http://www.latrastienda.com/
