Unraveling the Tango Enigma
Founded in 2018 by bassist, Chloe Ann Williamson, Tango Enigmático trio was created to respect tango’s rich tradition yet at the same time highlight tango’s constant innovation. The trio, which is made up of Chloe on bass, Flora Wong on violin, and Cara Tran on piano, has remained true to their mission of presenting contemporary tango that retains tango’s stylistic conventions through the release of their first EP, “Nuevo y Vivo.” The title translates to “New and Alive,” and each track is an original composition by a contemporary composer, which was either written specifically for the trio or rearranged for their formation. On the track, “Inmensidad, they were joined by the flutist, Jo Lagerlow, who added another unique color to their sound.
For those who follow me on social media, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn how much I love this album for its beautiful playing and choice in repertoire. As a contemporary musician myself, I too have a strong desire to perform music that is new and alive, and the energy and soulfulness I hear in this album reinforced for me why contemporary music is important and should be highlighted. Curious as to Chloe’s view on her album I asked her a few questions:
H: Why did you want new compositions and arrangements?
C: Our vision is to produce tango music with influence and innovation and as this is our first recording, we wanted the end result to reflect this. It was important to us to have new compositions and arrangements as it is the contemporary musicians that are keeping tango alive and bringing fresh new ideas to the genre.
H: What was the inspiration behind Tango Enigmático’s name?
C: Tango Enigmático is named after the piece, “Enigmático,” by Camilo Ferrero. “Enigmático” was one of the first contemporary tango pieces that I played and it made me want to play more! So it made sense to name the group after one of the pieces that inspired the start of this ensemble. I also resonated with the name because when he wrote it, Ferrero was at a personal crossroads – he was experiencing a personal enigma so to speak. And when I started Tango Enigmático I was still playing in the Mendoza Tango Quartet (another ensemble I co-founded and directed from 2014-2018) and experiencing my own personal crossroads as I wasn’t sure what the future would hold for me or my former group with the bandoneonist having moved to another city.
H: Why has tango been the future for you, having studied it so intensely for so long? What future goals do you have for the group?
C: As classical musicians, all three of us came to tango by playing the music of Astor Piazzolla, as his nuevo tango style is a fusion of classical and jazz music ideas with traditional Argentinian tango. It’s a unique sound that most classical musicians and music fans equally love. As someone who is inclined towards approaching music from a HIP (historically informed performance) perspective, I wanted to learn more about how Piazzolla would have played Piazzolla. Now, having learnt more about the nuances of tango over the years, I find Piazzolla’s music even more powerful when performed with the stylistic conventions that are not marked on the page. Not to mention all the other incredible music outside of Piazzolla’s oeuvre that I have now discovered and continue to discover! I think it is important for audiences to experience this too. So our long term goal is to keep sharing music from the past with new arrangements as well as highlighting the fantastic contemporary tango music available.
Chloe, like many contemporary tango musicians, continue their own personal journeys in constantly trying to unravel this tango enigma. The path leads into unexpected places and can result in beautiful creations like this EP, “Nuevo y Vivo.” I look forward to what other discoveries Tango Enigmático will uncover in their musical careers. Please delve into their mysteries by listening to their EP. Links to their album and social media are below.
Tracks/Composers/Arrangers
Nuevo y vivo
Music by Ignacio Varchausky and Andrés Linetzky, Arranged by Camilo Ferrero
Hecho por Mano
Music by Owen Salomé
The Thrilling Encounter
Music by Cécile Elton
Inmensidad
Music by Exequiel Mantega
Enigmático
Music by Camilo Ferrero
Bachelorette
Music by Björk, Arranged by Tango Enigmático