Sitting in a cafe/restaurant in Colonia, Uruguay last month, Emily and I were introduced to Bajofondo. One of their concerts was flashing on a wall-mounted flat screen TV and blasting through some stereo speakers. At first it sounded like the typical trip-hop, electro-tango jam. But then I realized it wasn’t. It had phat beats and beauty.
Bajofondo also uses real instruments, such as upright bass, violin, bandoneón, drums, and piano (along with some electronic gadgetry, of course), and they create real melody rather than looping fragments of existing songs. A handful of talented guest artists, including some well-known singers (such as Elvis Costello, Nelly Furtado, and Julieta Venegas, who, by the way, if you haven’t heard of her is really worth checking out), are also involved in the project. By the time we finished our dessert, I had made up my mind to buy their album as soon as I got home.
If you’re looking for something fresh and cross-cultural (specifically Argentine/Uruguayan, seasoned with a rich mixture of Milonga and Tango) then I highly recommend Bajofondo’s latest album, Mar Dulce.
I was about to reply to your reply when I caught sight of this & got side-tracked. The mention of Colonia brought back a flood of memories. What a gorgeous place, and we spent just a day there!
We will go back one day, & to Buenos Aires. I will also (rather sooner) reply to your reply – for which many thanks.
Chris
thinking makes it so
We love Colonia! And are “annoyed” by the “inconvenience” of having to travel there every three months in order to renew our tourist visa (why we don’t have more permanent visas takes a while to explain). Actually, sometimes I do get frustrated by the interruption in my schedule, but that frustration quickly dissipates every time I step off the ferry from B.A. and into the lush tranquility and old world charm of Colonia’s historic district.
Hope you are able to find time to enjoy it again some day,
George