What does midnight look like in the Paris of South America? For those of us cursed with a golden-age mentality, Buenos Aires can be a reprieve from all the baggage that comes with modern reality.

This city is captivated by nostalgia, and even if a venue wasn’t born decades ago, many owners pay close attention to details in the hope of capturing a little of the magic of bygone eras. The bar at the Sofitel hotel transports customers to Montmarte with themed evenings every Thursday, whilst Sunday strolls in San Telmo’s markets act as a gateway to the past.

But once all of yesteryear’s magic gets into your system, where does one go when the lights go down? And just where, prey tell, do you plan to wear that poodle skirt?

From the city’s shadowy jazz bars to sultry milonga halls to lively peñas folklóricas, this week’s Top 5 brings you our pick of places to live out your dream era.

Disco Night at Club 74

Legend has it that the 80s stunted the growth of Club 74. Born in 1958, the club progressed with the ages until deciding to remain in a disco time capsule a few decades ago. The white stucco walls match the white stucco couches, giving the whole place an igloo-like feel.

The Saturday night fever is still burning every weekend, with a DJ who pretends he’s never heard of Lady Gaga. A surprisingly mixed crowd boogies on the dance floor – some dancing to remember, and some channeling moves they’ve surely only seen on TV.

The club has a celebratory atmosphere – there are usually several birthday parties going on – and it’s a refreshing escape from the moody indie-rock scene of today.

Saturday is definitely the night to go, as it’s the only night of the week when the dance-floor lights up, in true retro fashion like a flashing Rubix cube. And really, what good are revolving mirror balls without the neon lights?

Club 74 is also renowned for its themed parties, and April’s Madonna/Michael Jackson tribute doesn’t sound like one you can miss.

For more information on Club 74 visit club74.com.ar

Swing Dancing at Teatro Mandril

There’s more than one way to swing in Buenos Aires, and if you choose the kind on offer at San Nicolas’s quirky Teatro Mandril, cameras are even allowed.

A little alcohol helps to loosen up limbs as the crowd make eyes at each other around a dimly-lit, college fundraiser-style bar. Every brand of hipster seems to be gathered there on a Friday night; the retro hipster, the punk hipster, the popular girl-turned hipster, even the odd Dad hipster.

Around midnight everyone starts to gather in the back room, near the stage and dance floor. Drinks are abandoned and tables shuffled against walls to allow for the gyrations of 200 or so guests.

Guys and girls are split and line up facing each other as a male and female instructor teach the sexes their corresponding steps. After a few minutes of learning basic steps the couples grab a partner and the room transforms into a fire inspector’s nightmare. Patrons spill into every spare corner and the dance floor becomes a mere suggestion of where you should be. After about 10 minutes of practice, the sea of men and women splits again to learn more complex moves.

The party loosens up around 1:00am when the swing orchestra starts playing, and those with less ability slink back to their drinks. A few men and women own the dance floor into the early hours, while the rest watch in awe or just abandon the moves and dance with friends.

To see a video of the type of music on offer at Teatro Mandril, click here.

Tango Milonga at Centro Región La Leonesa

A gentleman lets his fingers walk up the bare back of his partner; the woman’s platinum-blonde bob allowing for full exposure of her elegant shoulder blades. Only when she is spun around do you realise the woman is pushing 60 years old, and dancing better than anyone you might have seen at more touristy milongas.

Welcome to La Leonesa, where the only clues to people’s ages are their faces and their elbows. Both men and women dress to impress. Some arrive in pairs and are seated at the black and white-clothed tables surrounding the dancefloor by a burly bouncer-type host in a velvet blazer. From then on, eyes dart around the room hoping to be caught.

After receiving their cue to dance, the women’s eyes take a rest, with many choosing to follow their partner’s lead with their eyes closed.

The large hall lends a slightly eerie, echoed quality to the music, and its yellowed Victorian wallpaper only adds to the authenticity for traditionalists.

Vendors seem to have found their target market here, as you can’t escape the kiosks of tango heels, posters and apparel positioned on the way into the hall.

Regulars say the best times to go are Thursday night’s Niño Bien event, or Saturday afternoons. You can dance if you want to, but you should know it’s very likely you’ll be out-shined by someone. Something about this place suggests it was no one’s first spin around the floor.

To read more more information on Centro Región La Leonesa click here

Jazz Evening at Virasoro

Although not included on our Top 5 Jazz Clubs, Virasoro has a quaint appeal for a more tightly-knit, interactive jazz experience. Before going on stage, the band greets and jokes with the incoming crowd in the nook of a lobby. After a few beers they get up to play, leaving sheet music strewn about the floor. The venue’s unpretentious, art deco space holds a small crowd of mostly young enthusiasts who come with a small group of friends or as a pair.

The band performs in front of a continuously rolling, black-and white projection that plays jazz performances and interviews by yesterday’s great players.

The screen casts a blue-grey light on the seven band members, who play about three steps away from an audience consisting of only around eight crowded tables.

After a few glasses of wine, the candle-lit ambiance and gentle beats put you in a more subdued state, making it hard to focus on film screenings.

The only downside was the impatient waiters. Make sure you have your selection ready, and with a solid Spanish accent to hand, or be expected to, well, wait.

For more information on Virasoro Jazz Bar, visit virasoro.com.ar

Peña Folklórica Los Cardones

When a gringo pictures Argentina, Los Cardones is likely what he sees. Peña folklórica originated in the northern provinces of the country (Salta in particular) in the 1950s, and the culture has trickled down to Buenos Aires and beyond.

This large bar has walls block-coloured in bright yellow and orange, windows framed by flowery vines, and a photo of Jesus on the cross hung prominently behind the stage. The club pays homage to Salta by featuring a small menu of traditional regional fare, and a large photo of Salta’s cathedral that blankets nearly half of the wall.

Traditional folklórica is performed with three guitarists, one drummer, and perhaps a violinist. This is frequently varied however, with some acts featuring only one smiling guitarist, and an occasional drummer that seemed to be part of the crowd until he was given the nod to go up on stage. The atmosphere is friendly, loud and proud. The audience is frequently encouraged to join in by clapping with the music, and is never told to “shhh” like in other bars.

Raul, the club’s MC, introduces each performance with the same enthusiasm you’d expect if he were opening for his own son.

“We’re the first peña folklórica in Buenos Aires,” he boasts several times before the musical acts begin, and encourages the crowd to sit so close to the stage they’re almost on it.

For more information on Los Cardones, visit cardones.com.ar

Multi talented and multi-instrumental, the Uruguayan artist Hugo Fattoruso has kept Latin America entertained with his versatile music style for over 50 years.

Currently a solo artist as well as a member of several other musical projects, including a reformed family jazz trio, he seemed destined for a life in music.

Born in Montevideo in 1943, he was encouraged by his father to learn the piano when he was only four years old and by nine years old had been enrolled by his father as the accordionist in a family group.

Comprising of Hugo, his younger brother Jorge Osvaldo on drums, and their father Antonio playing an inverted bucket bass made up of broomstick and string, ‘El Trio Fattoruso’ performed in street festivals all over Uruguay.

This early musical experience, gave Hugo exposure to a diverse range of musical styles such as Uruguayan boleros, tangos and murgas that would later influence his music.

After six years, he made a brief departure from family formed groups and joined a swing band named The Hot Blowers. Together with the band, he toured Latin America and became well practised in improvisational music techniques, but left four years later to begin a new and very different project.

Adapting to the trend of rock and roll that swept the Uruguayan music scene in the 1960s, Hugo elected to reunite musically with his brother and formed a new group called Los Shakers.

Combining Roberto “Pelin” Capobianco on drums and vocals, and Carlos “Caio” Vila on bass and vocals, the brothers’ new band was a huge success and their unique blend of Latin American styles and rock music backing beats proved contagious.

As one of the most influential rock and roll groups in the ‘Uruguayan invasion’, Los Shakers spurred on the growth of rock and roll in Argentina and all throughout Latin America.

Modelling themselves on their British counterparts, and covering several Spanish language versions of their songs, the group were, for five years, Latin America’s answer to the Beatles.

But not content with his success in South America and looking to expand his musical horizons, Hugo took his Afro-Uruguayan and jazz infused portfolio to New York, where he formed another band, Opa in 1969.

Fusing rock, jazz, and Afro-Uruguayan candombe with other Latin American rhythms, the group was, once again, a musical venture made up of close family and friends.
His brother Jorge returned to play drums, as he had done in the original family formation, and childhood friend, Ringo Thielmann, joined them on bass.

With the longest career of all of his bands, Opa were a distinctive voice in the Latin American jazz scene for over 30 years, coming to an end only as recently as 2005.
Their albums ‘Golden Wings’ and ‘Magic Time’ undoubtedly influenced the generation of Uruguayan musicians that followed, and earned them international recognition.

Having toured various cities and collaborated with numerous musicians whilst he lived in the United States, Hugo chose to settle afterwards in Brazil, where he continued to work and record with renowned Brazilian artists such as Milton Nascimento. The acclaimed album ‘Nascimento’, which they composed together, was awarded a World Music Grammy in 1997.

In 2000, Hugo and Jorge decided to reform a family trio – this time with Hugo’s son, bassist Francisco Fattoruso, taking the place of the original trio’s founder, Antonio.

More than ten years on, the Fattoruso Trio are still going strong, while Hugo continues to be a big name. Never forgetting his colourful background, he recently competed on behalf of Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup of Music.

Genre: Rock, jazz and a unique blend of Afro-Uruguayan

Dates Active: 1952 – present

In their own words: “I’ve been lucky to be close to people that play music seriously – for me it is always a learning experience, infinite, without end and with an open future.”

Most Famous Song: ’Rompen Todo’

Best lyric: “You forget you’re tired, you forget you’re sad, can I shake and dance, with friends tonight!”

Famous for: Forming part of the Uruguayan group of musicians and artists whose pervasive influence on Argentine rock and roll was dubbed the ‘Uruguayan Invasion’.

Best to listen to: On a sunny rooftop terrace

Compared to most capital cities around the world, Buenos Aires does not have many jazz clubs, although the jazz music scene is thriving in smaller venues and cultural centres across the city. Everybody tends to have their own image of a jazz club, be it a sophisticated modern bar or a smoky dimly lit wooden hall and this list of five venues provides a variety of choices. It is worth noting that entry prices vary in all venues depending on the artist and therefore the agenda should be looked at for each venue before heading down if this is of concern.

1. Thelonious

When searching for a jazz club in Buenos Aires, most people will be directed towards this beautiful bar, located on the first floor of a street corner in Palermo. With only a plaque on the wall marking the entrance, it would be easy to miss were it not for the saxophone wails floating out of the window and through the trees down into the street below. Ascending the staircase and having passed the the small ticket counter, one walks into a long, dimly lit room, with a band playing at the far end, and a 13-metre bar stretching most of the way down. Tables and chairs line the wall with looming windows opening out onto the balconies above the trees outside.

Inspired by jazz bars in New York, Thelonius opened in 2002 but has rapidly become the most popular place to regularly come and listen to high quality jazz. An impressive array of international musicians are invited to play, while still offering the stage to talented local acts. Lit up by a hanging squid-like collection of bulbs and some backdrop christmas tree lights, the band can feel somewhat distant if one arrives late and cannot secure a seat nearby. This does nothing to deter people, however, who are happy to fill the staircase at the back leading up to a balcony. The early birds are able to occupy leather sofas which lie around the stage. A sophisticated cocktail menu is served by adept barmen, who keep a tab for the evening as opposed to charging for each drink. Thelonius offers high quality jazz to a mixed crowd of young, old, foreign and local.

Open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 9.30pm onwards. Price varies according to artist. For more information, click here.

2. Jazz & Pop

The oldest jazz club in Buenos Aires, Jazz & Pop has been delighting locals since 1978. Originally located in San Telmo, the owners moved to San Nicolas, near Plaza Congreso, three years ago, although the new location retains a sense of having existed for many decades. Passing the easily visible sign outside, a staircase sweeps down into an underground hall filled with tables, chairs and photos of old jazz musicians with beaming smiles. Although maybe not noticed immediately, the roof is lined with opened umbrellas of all colours, which the owner claims assist with the acoustics.

The bar has a very homely feel to it, with table service and simple decorations and lighting. The regulars smile when the other jazz clubs of Buenos Aires are mentioned and say that this place is more informal than anywhere else. It certainly does not try to be modern and the charm of Jazz & Pop is its intimacy and friendliness. The tables are all within five metres of the band, which creates a strong connection to the music, as is noticed in the delighted faces of the listeners. Although international acts occasionally play, mainly the stage is taken by local musicians, of whom the greatest jazz musicians which Argentina has offered have at some time played in this venue. For those looking for a down to earth, dusty, genuine jazz club, Jazz & Pop is strongly advised.

Open every day of the week, from 9.30pm onwards. Price varies according to artist, between $15 and $40. For more information click here.

3. Boris Jazz Club

From old to new, with the recently opened Boris. The club, in the heart of Palermo Hollywood, caters for a well dressed crowd. The bar is lit in a modern style with black and blue being the predominant theme throughout. The venue is large, holding up to 200 people, although it still manages to retain an intimate feel.

Well-known artists, both Argentine and international, take to the stage. A decent food menu complements the cocktails available. Tickets are not cheap in this jazz club, but everyone enjoys the high quality music which is played, and the new venue has a modern sound system with great acoustics allowing for the recitals to be recorded live. The bouncers on the door and the neon lights calling from the street render Boris Jazz Club a traditional Palermo bar, but once inside, the jazz clearly defines it apart from most of its contemporaries.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, from 6pm, music from 10pm. Price varies greatly according to artist and seat, between $40 and $200. Click here for more information.

4. Notorious

Alongside Thelonius, this jazz club is the most well known in Buenos Aires. Entering through a CD/DVD store, one may expect to come across a storage room with a stage in the corner, but this could not be further from the truth.

Pulsating with glamour and sophistication, Notorious is a high end jazz club. Elegantly dressed waiters and waitresses serve the 35 tables which somehow manage to fit into this small venue. Dimly lit, it would be easy to forget that it is a jazz club while eating the pre-show meal, which most people seem to do. Apparently an elegant restaurant, a small section is cordoned off for the musicians to play, although the chances are that they themselves are busy tucking into a plate of food before they take to the stage. Despite the restaurant feel to the venue and the slightly difficult seating arrangement, it is an enjoyable jazz club for those who would like to enjoy the cream of international jazz, for this is where it tends to be found when in town. Making reservations in advance or buying the ticket is highly advisable to ensure a good view in this classy joint.

Open every day of the week, from 9,30pm onwards. Price varies according to artist. Discounts are available with CD/DVD purchases in the shop. For more information, click here.

5. Café Vinilo

This suave bar can be found in the southern area of Palermo and stands out as the building with the best architecture of the block. Entering into a small lobby filled with plants, one can then pass into the picturesque bar although it is necessary to buy a ticket to proceed through to the venue.

A wide variety of music is played in this club, so it is important to check beforehand on the website to see if it will be a jazz night or not. The bar offers excellent food alongside the music, as well as art shows and much more. Relatively new, having only been around for two years, the bar is slightly harder to find than the traditional Palermo destination. For those who like to listen to jazz in an intimate setting, Café Vinilo is ideal. It is worth booking a ticket in advance, and if done so before the day of the show, there is a discount of $5. It is worth noting that even with a reservation, seats are filled in a first come first served basis, so one should still arrive early if a seat close to the performers is desired.

Open Monday to Sunday, with music from 9pm onwards. Price varies according to artist. For more information, click here.

Originally from New York City, Michele Kadison has travelled extensively around the globe, from Europe to Japan before landing in Buenos Aires to absorb the city into her wealth of experiences that range artistically from acting, jazz, contemporary dance, tango and music. Qualified by Hamiliton and Connecticut colleges in the United States, Michele now teaches ‘Contemporary Jazz for the Stage,’ working with some of the most renowned names in the performing arts in Argentina.

What brought you to Buenos Aires?

Well there is the superficial reason and then there is the real reason. I was asked to choreograph a TV series in The States and one of the episodes was based on tango. I had zero concept of tango but I said ‘Oh sure! No problem!’ Fortunately it was a comedy so I got away with it, but in apology to the art form I started to learn how to dance tango. At one point I felt I should come here to see how I stood with the locals.

I really fell in love with the sensation here, I came here alone, stayed here for ten days and danced like a banshee, then I came back again and I decided that it was time to make a big change. The pace here is so different. I was finding that my life in the States was on more of an exterior level and I found that by coming here I could focus on something that was on more of an interior level. It changed my approach to my teaching and to the art form.

Can you tell me a bit about your dance programme?

I feel like it’s a compilation of contemporary dance and ballet. The class is constructed in a similar way to a yoga class. It starts in a very rational way to warm up the body so it’s not a shock to get into the later movements that we do. All the stretching in the beginning is to create space in the spinal column and all the places where we have a lot of tension. After that, we go to the floor and start working on strengthening exercises to work on the abdominal muscles. Then we get back on our feet and combine the stretching and the strength and work on the axis.

The principle behind my technique is to cut through space efficiently and quickly so the whole concept is working the secondary muscles of the body as opposed as the primary muscles. We are developing the spindle muscles such as the muscles inside the biceps. For me is a metaphor for life because working on the external as opposed as really feeling our emotions, it’s the difference between living an authentic life and a superficial life.

Do you borrow from different art forms?

I don’t even know if it’s borrowing. I started dancing when I was three so it’s sort of an osmotic process – you just absorb all of the things that you are exposed to, not just dance, art, theatre, music, poetry, the street, being bruised…all of those things go into the work .

How does the jazz scene here compare to New York?

I don’t know how to compare it. I just think it is on a smaller scale. There are really good dancers here and they’ve got the sensuality, the rhythm and the desire to dance. I think in many ways there are certain elements of various art forms that are still a little bit behind the times and maybe it is because there is not enough exposure – we don’t have a lot of different things coming in all of the time from all over the world like in New York – there is some very good jazz here, but maybe not enough of it. I come from New York so I come with a very specific voice, attitude towards training.

I think a lot of the dangers that are in jazz are about getting your legs up higher at the expense of the health of one’s body. I don’t do that, I say be more humble – I would prefer a low leg that is really well placed, I want to see a balance because you crawl before you walk. I taught at one of the best studios in New York called Steps, it is very renowned and there was a time when everyone would say that my class was pretty much the hardest one around. I know that I demand a lot from students but in a way that is observing the health of the trajectory – we are working slowly to achieve an inner strength; that the expression comes from within and all the rest is like an adornment.

What have you done in the past?

A couple of years ago, I asked the question ‘why isn’t tango used to tell other stories other than the normal stories? Why can’t we use it as another language?’ I developed a concept for a tango ballet based on Orpheus. It was very well received at a festival called Cambalache which is a modern tango festival. Also, I was in a movie with Rita Cortese, where I was in the movie as a dance teacher where I coached her, which was not much of a stretch for acting!

And now?

Now, I’m working on a project called ‘The Love Project.’ The aim is to take sixteen classical poems in Spanish and unite them with four really amazing DJs. The classical poetry is being united with techno and chill out music. The idea is to create a cd project where kids can be exposed to classical poetry through the music. Alongside that I am doing performance, choreographing my dancers, which will be available to download to create a sort of virtual party.

Eventually what I want to do is have a whole series of CDs from every country, taking the poetry from each country, mixing it with cool music, creating a party, creating a cd and making it a worldwide experience with a lot of dance.

“Walter, he’s the Piazzolla of Argentine jazz!” This is how an organiser of the ‘Jazz Al Fin’ Festival in Ushuaia recently characterised Walter Malosetti to an unenlightened reporter. If you don’t get the reference then you should really do yourself the favour of digging into the rich musical history of Argentina – Walter Malosetti would be a great artist to start with.

Walter Malosetti is jazz guitar virtuoso, his expertise equals that of his greatest influences: Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, Oscar Alemán, Joe Pass and Jim Hall. Like these other masters of the craft, Walter is thoroughly steeped in the jazz and blues canons, and he uses these foundations as points of departure into chirpy, mesmerizing improvisations. He often murmurs along to his solos, weaving his way through sweet melodies that words would be too clunky to support. His big, worn carpenter’s hands nimbly glide over the fretboard, occasionally pausing to let a single tone ring out, and then plunging back into a meandering solo.

Walter was born in 1931 in Córdoba, and spent his early years in the Buenos Aires suburb of El Palomar. His father and older brother both played the guitar, and he developed an early love for the instrument. He used to listen to the famed big-bands of the ’30s and ’40s on the radio. By age 14 he and his band, appropriately named ‘Jazz Walter’, were giving regular weekend performances at a local dance hall. Every so often, famous jazz artists of the national scene would perform in El Palomar and let young Walter sit in with them. Among others, Walter proudly shared the stage with saxophonist ‘Gato’ Barbieri, pianist ‘Baby’ Lopez Furts and bassist ‘Negro’ Gonzalez—apparently, no matter the country, jazz musicians always carry hip nicknames.

During ’50s Walter began recording and performing with several different groups: Guardia Vieja Jazz Band, California Ramblers, Blue Strings and the Swing Timers. In the ’60s he formed the trio Swing 39, with Carlos Acosta y Héctor Basso. Swing 39 played what Walter describes as “French, Hot Club” style. The music greatly resembles, in style and calibre, that of Django Reinhardt. The band gained notoriety and toured throughout the country during the ’60s and ’70s. Swing 39 was the first jazz band to play at the venerable Teatro Colón.

Seeking to augment his musical proficiency, Walter studied classical guitar with the well-known performer and teacher Irma Costanzo. An eternal student of music, Walter explains, “my passion and my mind were always with jazz, but I like to improve myself and learn new things.” Walter decided to share and encourage this love of learning with others, and became a certified guitar instructor.

Teaching and sharing his love of jazz became a major part of Walter’s career. He founded one of the first jazz institutes in Argentina, ‘La Escuela Superior de Guitarra y Jazz’. At the institute, he and other prominent figures of the national jazz scene offered classes for many different instruments. Many of the most distinguished Argentine jazz artists today attended classes at ‘La Escuela Superior’.

During this period Walter also began to publish guitar method books. Today, he has published 11 such books. His knowledge and mastery are in constant demand and he still teaches, including many lessons given via skype to students all over the country and abroad. He is enthusiastic about teaching and promoting jazz in Argentina. When asked about the scene today he said: “Jazz is flourishing; today the amount of young musicians who play professionally has greatly increased since I started 64 years ago. Also, there are many more fans of the genre.”

In more recent years, Walter has been travelling abroad to perform, gracing stages from New Orleans to Norway. He travels to Spain at least once a year, to tour and visit his daughter. In 2005, he was invited to perform at the International Guitar Festival of Barcelona, which annually hosts the best guitarists in the world. That same year, Walter was honoured with the Clarín award for person of the year in the jazz category.

Today, at age 79, Walter still maintains a full schedule. He teaches classes, composes and records new tunes, and performs with his current band, ‘The Walter Malosetti Trio’. Joining him in the group are Mauro Vicino on rhythm guitar and Guillermo Delgado on upright bass. The three are linked with a tight chemistry and their shows are exhibitions of improvisational virtuosity.

Following a recent Malosetti Trio performance at the Buenos Aires jazz institution, Notorious, numerous members of the audience hummed and whistled jaunty little melodies as they exited the venue. They had spent the last few hours wrapped up in an engrossing conversation – a conversation free of words – that had inspired them, and that they weren’t yet ready to let end.

For more information on Walter Malosetti, his music and upcoming performances, visit www.waltermalosetti.com.ar

You can catch The Walter Malosetti Trio on 24th July at Notorious, Callao 966. For reservations call 4813-6888. In August, The Walter Malosetti Trio will be playing Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at the Torquato Tasso Cultural Centre, 1575 Defensa. For reservations call 4307-6506.

Lisandro Aristimuño is a young singer from Viedma, in Río Negro province, Patagonia. At the age of 31, he is releasing his fourth album ‘Las Crónicas del Viento’ and has already toured several times in Europe. Music critics like to compare him to an Argentine version of Radiohead singer, Thom York. The singer has had an unusual career worth knowing to better understand independent music in Argentina.

He released his first album ‘Azules Turquesas’ edited by the independent label Los Años de Luz Discos in 2004. It was cited as one of the 50 best albums of the year and Lisandro was selected as Best New Artist by Argentina’s Rolling Stone and Les Inrockuptibles. He was also a finalist at the Carlos Gardel award in the new forms of folk music category.

In November, Lisandro gave four concerts to present his new double album, which is divided in two chapters. Chapter 1 was recorded in a Buenos Aires studio and is closer to electronic music. It involves Lisandro’s band (also called Los Azules Turquesas)  and a few guests. “This is more a group album, made by friends, it’s more like a chat, a symbol of communion,” says the singer about the first part of his new album.

The second chapter was recorded in a house in Spain. Lisandro claims his intention was to produce a more rustic and homely sound. In the past, the singer has always recorded his music at home. “It gives an amazing dimension of imperfection to the sound,” he says. “In the background, you can hear the sound of the street, your breath or just your own silence … That’s what gives originality and authenticity to a record.”

Lisandro describes his new album as the tale of his Patagonian childhood recounted by the wind. “Being born in Patagonia, I have been told when I was younger that the wind tells you lots of things, and I have chosen to sing them to people.” The singer compares himself to a bird, lifted by the wind and observing his land from different view points.

After attending one of Lisandro’s concerts at ND Ateneo, I realised that although a bird can fly on its own, it often needs to fly in a group, and Lisandro’s band plays a big part in his work.

From the first song, ‘Es todo lo que tengo’, I can tell the prominence of his voice is clear. However, I thought the mix of electronic effects and jazz instruments was very enjoyable. The band consists of five musicians, composed of a clarinet, a double bass, a saxophone, drums and a keyboard. Every musician was also a backing vocalist. The folkloric music was brightened up by various electronic effects which made it more experimental and even more exceptional.

Lisandro has always been into the independent distribution scheme, a mode that is getting bigger and bigger in Argentina. Independent labels represent 23% of the music industry in the country and sell three million records a year for $41.2m.

A music production is said to be independent when it does not belong to a multinational company. It may include some self-produced artists although some labels have a market insertion comparable to the multinational enterprises. The two types of labels are mainly differentiated by the selection they make in their catalogue. Multinationals look for safe bets, basing their offer on large-scale launchings of similar products. They want quick results on their investments which reduces cultural diversity.

The importance of independent labels is recalled by Carlos Ulanovsky, music journalist and head of Radio de la Ciudad, when he sings the praises of Los Años Luz Discos. He says, “how difficult should it be to build a balanced catalogue that call attention and generates diffusion, public relations, sales and stays authentic. It is genuine public interest.”

Many of the large record companies in Argentina are not looking for new artists anymore. This important mission now relies on independent labels. However, independents have always had a tough life in competing with multinational record companies. They often lack the resources to sell through several media (records, video, movies, TV and the Internet). Mainstream Argentine radio, for instance, is known to be mainly talked-based radio and the music slots are already dominated by larger labels.

For a long time, the government has kept quiet about the topic but the recently approved media law has a few promises for independent artists. In radio broadcasting, 30% of music will now have to be Argentine music, with 50% of those artists being independent. For law makers, it is the artists who own the commercial rights of their own recordings. The government has also recognised the necessity of creating a fund in favour of the music industry of which 2% will be intended for the creation of a national music institute.

Another issue is distribution. In order to have your distribution to work you need two main investments. The first is advertising, but prices are too high for independent labels since the cost for an ad broadcasted twice a day for a month can reach the price of $5,200. This is a major investment for small labels that does not guarantee an effective promotion of their product. The second is distribution fees that take between 25 and 30% of the selling price and make it a hard job for small companies to survive off their sales.

But there is some hope as there are a large number of independent labels already in existence – there are some 70 in Buenos Aires alone – something that guarantees large musical diversity.

Lisandro’s career is an important inspiration for Argentine independent artists. The singer represents international success while applying the rules of independent labels. His four performances in the ND Ateneo and the one in Rosario have been the only way he has promoted his album. On the day I went to discover the singer, there was hardly a free seat. Much of the audience was already fan of the Patagonian singer and sang along to the songs they knew.

Independent labels are more and more accepted as a working alternative to commercial distribution. In the international music industry, well-known artist have shown great support to the concept. Back in 2007, British band Radiohead released their album ‘In Rainbows’ through their own website a few months before the physical release. Customers could give whatever payment that they wanted including nothing. The site only said was “it’s up to you”.

Resemblance between Lisandro Aristimuño and Thom York was right to be tackled. Not only are the two artists linked by their music style but also by being both ambassadors for independent music. When Radiohead would be more on the international scale, Lisandro’s move is an important step forward for independent artists in Argentina. It will hopefully make people turn their back on commercial labels and convince them to support more fair-minded practices.

For more information about the artist, visit www.lisandro.biz For upcoming tour dates go to www.myspace.com/lisandroaristi

14:00 h Clínica de guitarra a cargo de Ben Monder

Ben Monder

Café Vinilo Gorriti 3780

17:00 h

Calle 54

Centro Cultural Recoleta / Microcine

Junín 1930 17:00 h

Documentary retracing Fernando Trueba’s favourites latin Jazz bands. The various artists draw a portrait of themselves through conversations with the director.

Director: Fernando Trueba
(Spain, France 2000, 105’)
Starring: Paquito D’Rivera, Eliane Elías, Chano Domínguez, Jerry González, Michel Camilo, Gato Barbieri, Tito Puente, Chucho Valdés, Chico O’Farrill, Israel López “Cachao”, Orlando “Puntilla” Ríos, Bebo Valdés y Carlos “Patato” Valdés.
Duración: 105 minutos.

Músicos x Músicos

Fernando Tarrés Gorka Benítez Rodrigo Domínguez

Centro Cultural Recoleta / Espacio Living

Junín 1930

Saxophone
Gorka Benítez y Rodrigo Domínguez

18:00 h

Sergio Poli Cuarteto

Sergio Poli Cuarteto

Jazzología Centro Cultural Recoleta / Terraza

Junín 1930

Sergio Poli (violín)
Pepe Angelillo (piano)
Luis Carcacha (double bass)
Daniel Viera (drums)

19:00 h

López Ruiz – Fraga – Boco Trío

López Ruiz – Fraga – Boco Trío

Jazzología Centro Cultural Recoleta / Terraza

Junín 1930

Manuel Fraga (piano)
Jorge López Ruiz (double bass)
Germán Boco (drums)

20:00 h

Trío Mora – Etchenique – Ibarburu (Uruguay)

Trío Mora – Etchenique – Ibarburu

Centro Cultural Recoleta

Junín 1930 20:30 h

Nicolás Mora (guitar y bandoneón)
Andrés Ibarburu (bajo y cello)
Gustavo “Cheche” Etchenique (batería y percusión)

Ernesto Jodos 6tet: La música del Gato Barbieri: tomando lo que a uno le sirve

La Trastienda Club > Balcarce 460 21:00 h

Ernesto Jodos (piano)
Sergio Wagner (trompet)
Carlos Lastra (saxo tenor and soprano)
Natalio Sued saxo (tenor)
Hernán Merlo (double bass)
Luciano Ruggieri (drums)

D’3 Pardo – Posé – Roper (Spain) y Steve Cardenas Trío (U.S)

D’3 – Pardo – Posé – Roper Steve Cardenas Pablo Motta Sergio Verdinelli

Complejo Cultural Cine Teatro 25 de Mayo

Av. Triunvirato 4444 21:00 h

D´3 Pardo-Posé-Roper (spain):
Jorge Pardo (saxos y flute)
Francis Posé (double bass)
José Vázquez “Roper” (drums)

Steve Cardenas Trío (U.S):
Steve Cárdenas (guitar )
Pablo Motta (double bass)
Sergio Verdinelli (drums)

Oscar Feldman Cuarteto

Oscar Feldman Hernán Jacinto Jerónimo Carmona Oscar Giunta

Centro Cultural Recoleta / Terraza

Oscar Feldman (saxos)
Hernán Jacinto (piano y keybords)
Jerónimo Carmona (double bass)
Oscar Giunta (drums)

Junin 1930 22:00 h

Roberto y Félix Lecaros (Chile) + Manuel Ochoa y Ramiro Penovi (Argentina)

Contracuarteto Manuel Ochoa Ramiro Penovi

Café Vinilo

Ramiro Penovi (guitar)
Manuel Ochoa (piano)
Roberto C. Lecaros (double bass)
Félix Lecaros (drums)

Goritti 3780 22:30 h

Nicolás Ospina Trío (Colombia) + Andrés Pérez y Cristian Gallardo (Chile)

Contracuarteto Andrés Pérez Cristian Gallardo Nicolás Ospina Trío Ezequiel Dutil Alejandro López

Club Lounge Reconquista 974 23:30 h

Andrés Pérez (saxo tenor)
Cristian Gallardo (saxo alto)
Nicolás Ospina (piano)
Ezequiel Dutil (double bass)
Alejandro López (drums)

Jam session con Gillespi & amigos

La jam La Trastienda Club Balcarce 460

Eleonora Eubel and Trio are presenting songs from their latest album “Mirrors of Water”, taking their sounds to a new and different level, with hints of the artists Horacio Silver and John Scofield. Show your support for independent music by going along. Notorious, Callao 966. It starts at 9.30pm.

Discover the Miguel Sinagra Cuarteto, with Ruben Ferrari playing bass, Mariano Seiguerman on the drums, Juan Correa on the piano, and the eponymous Miguel Sinagra singing and playing trumpet (but not simultaneously, we’d imagine…) Admission is $20, and starts at 10.30pm. Head along to El Perro Andaluz, Bolivar 852, San Telmo.

Enjoy this unusual cultural mix of musical styles. If you like jazz, pop, funk or a combination of the three then this instrumental event is for you! NoAvestruz, Humboldt 1857. Entrance $20, from midnight