Collaboration of Japanese Traditional Music and Tango: A music that connects Yokohama and Buenos Air

[English translation] *This is unofficial translation.

A Latin Grammy-winning Argentine pianist Pablo Ziegler who participated in the Quintet of the "Revolutionist of Tango", Astor Piazzolla will perform at Minato Mirai Hall on February 27th and 28th. This concert will be a world premier of his new composition "12 Horas" a suite written with an inspiration of the port of Yokohama and Buenos Aires with a melody of Japanese traditional music and rhythm of tango.

Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), the bandoneon player tried to revolutionize the tango music by implementing the element of jazz and rock music to tango and he created different groups to present his work.

Pablo Ziegler started receiving the classical music training at the age of five at Buenos Aires Conservatory and participated Astor Piazzolla Quintet from 1978. "Before I had an encounter of the music of Piazzolla, I used to think that tango music was for old people and I wasn't interested in." says Ziegler. "The honor of being selected for a musician of Piazzolla is just like being selected for an Argentine's national soccer team."

Libertango

Libertango is the composition of Astor Piazzolla composed in 1970's and is widely performed by different musicians. However, Piazzolla didn't like this music. "Astor used to say that it is one of the most simple and boring music. So, we convinced him to play at the concert" Ziegler mentions. "It's not a fun piece to play actually. As a composition, it is very simple and there are so many richer composition written by Piazzolla. But the audience like this tune, so I add some intro with my style and play." Of course, we'll get to hear Libertango at the concert.

New Revoution

The concert is titled "Music Revolution". Ziegler will perform with the shakuhachi player, Dozan Fujiwara who has been exploring the possibility of a traditional Japanese music by introducing through a classical music. Yokohama Noh Theater was intrigued by those artists who are deeply involved in revolutionizing the music.

"This is going to be a new challenge for me." Ziegler replies. Since the proposal was made in 2013, Ziegler has been studying the traditional Japanese music every time he visit Japan and he finally finished the composition of the suite "12 Horas" 3 years later.

The theme of this new piece is Yokoaham and Buenos Aires. These two cities are located exactly the other side of the world and has 12 hours of time difference. There is a connection between the port of Yokohama and Buenos Aires through the history of immigration from Japan to Argentina.

The suite has three movements of "Dos Puertos", "Los Oceanos", and "Reencuentro". Each movement has the element of a traditional Japanese music and Nuevo Tango. (Article written by Mika Hasumi from Kanagawa Newspaper)

Ziegler resides in New York, the mecca of jazz. He mentions that the city of Yokohama also has the scent of jazz with a smile.