Tangocentric – Self Titled

Tangocentric by John Williams

Tango is back! It is spreading everywhere. There is even a Blue Mountains Tango Festival now. There is currently a real tango revival and it is being introduced to a new generation through exposure on TV shows such as Dancing with the Stars. It’s great that dancing is becoming cool again with a wider audience, especially younger people. This CD will transport you back to a more elegant era and is beaut to listen to even if you don’t want to trip the light fantastic. Tangocentric are one of Sydney’s premier exponents of this style of music. The group was formed in 2006. You may have caught up with them at the 2007 or 2008 Nationals in Canberra or one of the many other festivals they have performed at in the past couple of years. The line-up varies but the four musicians named on the CD cover are Jacinta McPhillamy (violin), Ann Palumbo (classical guitar, mandolin, vocals), Paul Laszlo (double bass) and Ben Palumbo (vocals). They blend beautifully musically to create a memorable sound. The CD opens with “Felicia” a traditional tango sound with its strong beat. The strong sounds of the violin are a feature of this track. “Palomita Blanco” is another beautiful track. “Gallo Ciego” features the double bass and creates a sound you won’t easily forget. “Chiquilin de Bachin” is a slower, almost mournful sounding track. It once again shows off the musical abilities of the performers with the quite lovely vocal track being a highlight. “Ann-Maree de Tango” brings us back to a more traditional sound that dancers will love. It was composed by Ann Palumbo from the band. She also composed the haunting “Tierce de Tango” on which she also does the vocal. “Desde el Alma” is a beautiful track where all three instruments combine to create a truly lovely sound. “El Choclo” would be another favorite to dance to. “Picante” is a quite lively track with a great blending of the instruments and was one of my favorites. “Por Una Cabeza” is another great track to dance to. The final track on the CD “La Camparsita” is a great finale and just what you expect a tango to sound like. I can recommend this CD as either one to dance to or one to listen to. Either way you’ll get value for money.