Buenos Aires’ music scene is one of the most vibrant and rich of the region, if not the world; a place where music lovers of all genres can find what makes them tick, dance, ‘pogo‘, or just relax. Apart from being one of the main stops for many internationally renowned artists, Buenos Aires also attracts the best underground bands from all over the country as well as a number of small bands from Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Colombia and many more around the region.

Amidst this luxuriant landscape of music it is easy to get lost and it exploring the underground scene is an arduous task. With so many venues and flyer distributing hordes at popular nightspots and busy streets it’s sometimes hard to choose where to go. This is a list of five great places to go listen to live music, hopefully catering to pretty much any genre.

Obviously leaving aside the main venues were international artists play regularly, this list has also voluntarily omitted more borderline venues such as Niceto Club, Konex or La Trastienda. This has been done because although they still keep one foot in the underground music scene, bands that play those venues have mostly already achieved a certain level of recognition and are likely to be marketed much more visibly and hence easier to find…

Matienzo (photo courtesy of Matienzo)

Matienzo

Matienzo, set in the fringes of Palermo, is much more than a music venue. In a city where sometimes a lone room with two old pictures hanging in a corner is pompously dubbed “cultural centre”, Matienzo actually lives up to its name. It regularly houses theatre, photography, painting, often all at the same time, has a radio broadcasting from its rooftop, and of course is an excellent place to listen to music. It also has regular movie nights and themed film cycles. The place spreads over three floors with several spaces displaying different art. The variety and the juxtaposition of all these different forms of art make Matienzo a special space, curated with impeccable taste.

This place also serves some simple but tasty home-made food, so on busy nights if you want to be sure not to miss a particular show going early to enjoy some dinner and pick the best seats is a great option. Even if you don’t know the name of the artist, painter, collective, or musician that headlines the night, if you’re curious about exploring new art, you will very rarely go wrong at Matienzo.

Open every day from 6pm. For more information click here.

Zaguan Sur (photo courtesy of Zaguan Sur)

Centro Cultural Zaguan Sur

If your thing is screeching guitars, uncontrolled pogos and all round musical craziness and you haven’t yet found a place in Buenos Aires to blow off the steam with some proper rock and rolling, look no further than Centro Cultural Zaguan Sur. This small venue in Once is the Mecca of underground Argentine rock. Playing at Zaguan Sur is almost a rite of passage for any wannabe rockers looking to make it on the bigger stages.

The place emanates rock and roll spirit: the music is loud, the deco trashy, the crowd wild, and the nights long. The bands start playing at around 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, between 9pm and midnight on weekdays, and after each show the resident DJ keeps people moving until (almost literally) they drop. El Zaguan is also home to the best underground rock festival in Buenos Aires; Festipulenta concentrates the crème of the rock scene in a two-to-four day binge of music about twice a year. Well worth checking out.

For more information click here.

Plasma

Located in the southern neighbourhood of Barracas, near la Boca, Plasma is well worth the trip down for its great selection of artists and the quality of its sound. Keeping true to its tradition of uncovering musical gems, Plasma reached its tenth anniversary this year, still betting on new groups and launching them on to bigger stages. Catering to a wide audience, Plasma dabbles in many music genres but is best known for hosting great rock bands from Argentina and neighbouring countries.

The venue itself is located on the first floor of a converted house, and has a small and intimate feel to it. Coupled with what is probably the best acoustics of all the venues on this list, it is a must for music lovers of all genres. Drinks remain relatively cheap for these type of places and they have recently transformed the ground floor of the venue into another chilled bar where you can wait for the bands to start or a take a break from the music should you need to do so. The shows here start late, think 1am at the earliest, but as the venue is small it’s best to buy tickets in advance or to arrive early to make sure you get in.

For more information click here.

Virasoro (photo courtesy of Virasoro)

Virasoro

Set in Palermo, on the corner of Guatemala and Araoz, this small bar houses some of the best jazz gigs of the Argentine capital. Add to that the unique atmosphere and you’ll realise that Virasoro is arguably the best place in Buenos Aires to listen to the genre. Less pretentious than the two big name jazz clubs in Buenos Aires, Thelonious and Notorious, Virasoro represents the intersection of established jazz musicians and their students and disciples, sometimes on stage at the same time. The venue is on the ground floor and has a cosy feel to it, with tables going right up to within a few centimetres of the stage. The friendly staff also contributes to the home-like atmosphere.

The door fee is rather steep compared to most of the other places on this list (prices generally oscillating between $30 and $50), and you are also asked to have at least one paid consumption while you are there, but the quality of the music largely justifies this small investment, specially when compared with the prices of other jazz clubs in the city. The venue has a small capacity so booking in advance is important, while the seats are first come first serve so it’s best to get there early if you enjoy being close up to the stage.

For more information click here.

Ladran Sancho

Tucked away behind an innocuous black door on Guardia Vieja street in Almagro, Ladran Sancho is a bar with a small back room that doubles as a concert stage every night. Drinks are cheap and the music is good with the crowd generally a relaxed mixture of hipsters and jazz aficionados eager to hear an eclectic mix of tunes from folklore to rock, reggae, or jazz. The decoration is an odd mix, with an eclectic collection of objects hanging from the walls, ranging from traditional indigenous art to “pretty much anything you could find in your grandma’s living room” according to the man behind the bar.

Tuesday night jazz jams are a highlight of the week and are only $10 to get in, free if you’re willing to play a tune or two. Starting around 11pm the regulars kick off the night playing some catchy jazz tunes and then invite others to play, either with them or on their own, creating a constant flow of musicians on stage. The other regular nights include milongas on Wednesdays, Colombian cumbia on Thursdays, while the genre on Fridays and Saturday varies from week to week.

For more information click here.

The 60 senators present yesterday unanimously approved the Music Law, which establishes the National Music Institute (INAMU), promotes Argentine music live and on air, proposes private and state funding, and supports artists’ professional development.

INAMU will be responsible for “promoting and stimulating Argentine musical activity, the comprehensive development of artists, producing recordings, promulgating live music, and cultural and social inclusion in all regions of the Argentine territory”. The law will also establish a national audio library to “protect the patriotism that forms different musical styles”. Foreign musicians performing in the country are now required to choose Argentine opening acts.

A multiparty spectrum of senators received speakers in support of the law’s sanction enthusiastically. In turn, the law’s passage was met from above with jubilant applause from musician watching from the chamber balconies. Outside the congressional building, artists including Litto Nebbia, Teresa Parodi, Rodolfo Mederos, Vox Dei, Bersuit Vergarabat, El Otro Yo, Peteco Carabajal, el “Mono” de Kapanga, Lito y Liliana Vitale, Hilda Lizarazu and Juan Carlos Baglietto played an eclectic set to demonstrate their support.

The law is the result of a process that has lasted more than six years. After long delays, the bill lost parliamentary status last year and supporters like the Argentine Federation of Independent Musicians (Fa-Mi) had to start from scratch. Kirchnerist legislators reintroduced it last August, reminding their fellows that it enjoyed the support of Argentine musical legends like the late Mercedes Sosa and Luis Alberto Spinetta, and Gustavo Cerati before he suffered a stroke that rendered him comatose. The Lower House gave its approval in October.

Singer Diego Frenkel now anticipates “a new era” for Argentine musicians, saying, “It’s truly a force for elevating the musical and artistic quality of the country.” Miguel “Maikel” De Luna Campos of the rock band Kapanga, called the law’s passage “a triumph for all musicians and especially for kids who do not have a place to play, for professional musicians without record deals and do not have insurance.” Looking ahead, he added, “What we have to do now that it happened, is work so that everything is crystalized, the funds are utilized correctly, and they are distributed appropriately.”

Orchestra members are all ages, ranging from 6 to 18 (Photo: Athena Feldshon)

It is a humid, overcast morning at Primary School No. 26 Bandera Argentina, in Retiro. The modest, one-storey schoolhouse, wedged between a large drab post office and the looming grey shell of a building that was never completed, pulses with activity despite the fact that it is early on a Saturday. Children run through the big central courtyard lugging instrument cases, music stands, and folders full of sheet music. The calls of a French horn echo off the mural-painted walls, and from the cafeteria come running two young boys, drumsticks in hand, locked in a swordfight.

The children all live in Villa 31, the shantytown located near Retiro’s bustling transport hub. Ranging in age from 6 to 18, they gather at the school every Saturday (and weekdays after class, as well) to participate in the Orquestas Infantiles y Juveniles programme, offered free of charge by some of the city’s finest professional musicians.

“What we are doing is utilising music as an educational tool, as a tool of inclusion,” says Néstor Tedesco, coordinator of the Retiro Youth Orchestra and cellist in the Teatro Colón’s Orquesta Estable. He is energetic and full of enthusiasm as we weave our way through the sea of mini-musicians, some of them dwarfed by the large string instruments and trombones they carry.

“And what’s more, we are offering a different way of looking at life,” he continues. “Kids who come here every Saturday over many years are going to have an entirely different vision of things than if they were out kicking around a ball, or breaking glass, no?”

The Orquestas Infantiles y Juveniles programme began independently in 1998 as a way of offering free musical training to children growing up in some of Buenos Aires’ poorer neighbourhoods. It was absorbed into the Ministry of Education’s Zones of Priority Action (Z.A.P.) programme, and has since grown to 16 orchestras throughout the city, with about 1,700 students and 240 teachers.

When a child joins the programme they are introduced to the different instruments available and allowed to choose which they want to learn. Violin, cello, xylophone, trombone, trumpet, flute, percussion, clarinet, French horn, upright bass, and viola are all options, and in the Retiro Youth Orchestra, at least, the violin is the most popular choice. In the morning, students receive individual and group tutorship before coming together in the afternoon as a complete orchestra for combined rehearsal.

Some students have individual lessons (Photo: Athena Feldshon)

We walk past the various classrooms lining the courtyard where professors work with small groups of the more experienced students, reviewing and tackling the harder measures of songs over and over again. In one room, a clarinettist expertly practises the opening bars of The Beatles’ ‘Penny Lane’. In another, three teenage cellists play a brooding melody, all concentrating fixedly at the sheet music in front of them. The professor, like all others in the programme, is an experienced professional musician.

“For me, he is one of the best cellists in Argentina today,” says Néstor. “The clarinet professor, the flute professor, they’re all from the Teatro Colón! That is one of the premises of this project, that the children don’t just have any old teacher…The people who teach here, they are real professors. These kids are really learning how to play their instruments.”

Many alumni of the programme have gone on to professional music careers, a testament to the quality of education Orquestas Infantiles y Juveniles provides its participants. Today, it can boast of former students playing in the Teatro Colón Orchestra, the Lanús Orchestra, the National Symphony, and the City Municipal Band, among others. In May, ten students from throughout the city were chosen by audition to attend classes at the Leo Kestenberg Conservatory in Berlin as part of a cultural exchange between the two cities.

“After Berlin, the children changed,” says a volunteer involved with fundraising for the orchestra. “Before, some of the students didn’t want to go up on stage because they were so shy. After two weeks in Berlin, they looked so relaxed on stage, their posture was different…It was amazing, just that one little trip.”

Despite all these tangible benefits to the children and the community, the programme faces challenges financially. As a part of the city’s Ministry of Education, the orchestras all receive public funding; according to Néstor and others involved with the programme, however, these subsidies may soon dry up as the city government decreases spending in an effort to cut costs. Money needed to repair instruments, make photocopies, and provide lunch to the students – even the instruments themselves – may no longer be readily available.

“These are basic things,” Néstor says, incredulously. “We are not talking about huge sums of money; we are talking about the absolute minimum.” His disappointment is soon dispelled and a look of calm returns to his face, as we sit surrounded by the muffled sounds of screechy strings, a lonely flute melody, and children laughing. He fixes me with a look full of defiance and optimism. “I believe we’ll get out of this problem, because we’ve already outlived four governments. The governments change – the project continues.”

It’s about 12 o clock and the children have broken for lunch, which consists of a banana, a granola bar, and some milk – perhaps the first meal they have had all day. One of the older students, a big kid with close-cropped hair and a serious demeanour, makes his way to the orchestra room clutching a violin case. Néstor goes to greet the boy, who cracks a smile.

“I always greet that boy because for me he is a senior case,” Néstor tells me. “He was a violent boy, very violent. Now, he has been here for seven years. Already, two of his friends were killed by the police, but he’s here, playing the violin. Instead of vi-o-lence, vi-o-lins!”

The boy enters the orchestra room, takes out his violin, and begins tuning.

Violinists concentrate during rehearsal (Photo: Athena Feldshon)

Mariana Baraj in concert (Photo courtesy of Mariana Baraj)

Despite being internationally known for tango, in the Argentina beyond Buenos Aires you are likely to come across a whole different musical genre: folklore. Largely influenced by the indigenous and gaucho cultures, the folklore music scene underwent various challenges in the 20th century, paralleling historical events in the country. But in the last few years a revival has taken place, and a whole new generation of talented folklore artists are appearing on the country’s musical scene, many of whom are part of a wave of ‘new folklore’, which mixes the traditional style with something much more 21st century.

Mariana Baraj is a bright representative of this young Argentina’s folklore scene, and her success proven in her extensive compositions and the four albums she has released, mirroring international success in worldwide tours.

A singer, composer, and musician, Mariana was born in Buenos Aires in 1970 and has devoted her life to music since an early age. She has collaborated with many Latin American musical greats, and played a main role in Lorena García’s film ‘Esta cajita que toco tiene boca y sabe hablar’. She has also won several prizes, from the Clarín Prize for Best New Artist in Folklore in 2005, and the Gardel Prize for Best Female Folklore Artist in 2011.

Mariana found time to talk to The Indy in between recording her new album and preparing her 2013 tour.

Why did you decide to dedicate your professional life to music?

I come from a family of musicians: my father Bernardo is a saxophonist and my brother Marcelo is a drummer. I have always dedicated myself to music, but I decided to do it professionally 22 years ago.

My first career steps were made with my father in his band Baraj Bernardo Quintet, and I also was a part of pop-rock groups like Man Ray and Catupecu Machu.

How do you evaluate your progress and development as a singer and musician?

It is essential for me to be constantly searching and evolving in everything I do.
I need to interact with other musicians, which is why I contribute frequently to other musician’s projects. In this way I keep learning and putting myself in different musical situations. I’m still developing as a musician and working hard on my compositions and arts production.

You won the Gardel Prize in 2011. How do you feel about that recognition?

Winning the award Gardel 2011 after getting to the shortlist with Mercedes Sosa and Soledad Pastorutti was very important to me. I admire both of them and see them as examples.

But the biggest achievement for me is that ‘Churita’ [her latest CD] is an independent production with my first compositions, all self-managed. So being up for the award with that album is of great value to me.

Mariana Baraj with a couple of her drums. (Photo courtesy of Mariana Baraj)

How do you see the folklore scene in Argentina and globally? Could we say that there is a renaissance of the genre?

I think that folk music is constantly evolving. There is a lot of interest in it from new generations, who keep it moving forward in different ways and along different paths. Folk genre is renewing its songs step by step and we can see very interesting composers emerging.

Who do you particularly enjoy listening to?

I listen to different music all the time. But there are some women who are great references for me, who I always listen to, such as Mercedes Sosa, Violeta Parra, Luzmila Carpio, and Leda Valladares.

Over two years ago you started creating your own compositions. What is the difference between singing other people’s songs and your own?

The idea to start writing my own songs had to do with the need to find my own voice and deepen it. When you are a performer of someone’s idea, you will reach the point when it becomes your own idea, and present their point of view as if it was yours. But their idea might not relate to your own ideas. When you write your own songs, it is very different as it relates to you.

I find both forms attractive, as I see them both as a great challenge.

You’ve worked with people from various countries and cultures. How did these people influence you and your music?

The great opportunity that music has given to me is to interact with artists from diverse cultures such as Africa or the Orient. The Japanese culture in particular has influenced me a lot, and new elements have inevitably been incorporated into my music in one way or another.

I always liked the idea of ​​merging styles and genres and incorporating folklore elements into other styles.

You work a lot with Martín Churba [fashion designer, creator of the Tramando label], and your cooperation seems very successful. Where did the idea to ​​work together come from?

Everything started in 2005, when Martín presented his collection ‘Monte’ inspired by the monte of Santiago del Estero. He invited me to sing and play at his presentation in Buenos Aires and Tokyo, Japan. Later he participated in the art direction of my CDs ‘Azucena’, ‘Churita’ and ‘Margarita’. With his brand Tramando, Martín is responsible for my costumes for the shows. In 2008 I again performed in another of his collections. It is a great honour for me to work with him, because as an artist he inspires me greatly.

You mentioned during your last concert, that you use musical instruments made by the family of Mario Paz, from Santiago del Estero. Tell me about that experience.

There was a time in my musical search when I felt the need to play instruments that better reflected the sound I wanted when talking about my roots and the place where I was born. So I began to use a leguero drum and then went on adding other native instruments, such as the sacha drum and the caja chayera. I was already aware of Mario Paz’s vast experience and the quality of his instruments and I started using them in my shows, where they soon took a leading role.

They are very fine instruments, which respond to everything that’s going on in emerging musical experimentation. These instruments give me a great colour in the different projects I embark on with them.

What is next for you?

‘Cuerpo’, the CD in tribute to Mariano Ferreyra [a young activist who was killed two years ago during a protest], hast just been released, and I sing a duet with Vicentico on it.

I am also working on pre-production of a new album that will be released in 2013. This CD will contain my own compositions with more of a folk and pop tone. Some artists from Salta province were involved in the making of it, which is where I have been living for the past two years. Next year I will also go on tour to Europe, Japan, and Korea.

Photo courtesy of Marcelo Ezquiaga

Marcelo Ezquiaga was born in Buenos Aires but considers himself a world traveller. During his career Ezquiaga has played for audiences in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Spain. He has released two albums as a solo artist, ‘Un buen pescador’ (2009) and ‘Hombre Golpe’ (2011) after playing in the band Mi Tortuga Montreaux which released three albums, ‘Mar del Plata en Invierno’ (2002), ‘Mapa’ (2005) and ‘Mi Tortuga Montreaux’ (2006).

He describes his music as a “restless exploration of the margins of pop” and attempts to “describe how the world moves around us.” Because he spends the majority of his time on the road, Ezquiaga’s music is constantly changing. As he comes across new instruments, he attempts to incorporate them into his music.

“My life would not be the same without music,” he says. While he had always been a fan of music, he didn’t realise his own potential until he began the process of recording his first album. “I had to get used to playing in public and the fact that people knew my songs and could sing them, it was amazing,” he adds.

His next album, called ‘Animales Artesenales’ will be released in 2013. He admits that this album is an experiment.

“I try to find the borders of the song and what we normally hear in life and confront the kind of space where the music is less populated but there is much more to do,” he explains.

To him, folklore is a type of music that comes from the interior of Argentina, outside of Buenos Aires. He considers folklore a “constant style” in his music because he is from Argentina, but claims his biggest influences are Cuchi Leguizamon, Ariel Ramirez and Atahualpa Yupanki, who he considers to have “something more than folklore.”

His goal is to make music that is progressive. “My goal is to always break what I can with tradition. Tradition is nice, but what I like more is art and what I have decided to do with my life is transform,” he says. “Transformation is what inspires me and makes me move forward.”

He is planning a piano concert for 4th December at La Oreja Negra (Uriarte 1271). The concert will be filmed by three cameras with movie lights and the audience will be included in the filming.

Visit www.marceloezquiaga.bandcamp.com where you can listen to Ezquiaga’s music and download for free.

Setting out to find the top five record shops in Buenos Aires is a sisyphean task; every shop you explore a vendor or friendly customer recommends three equally or unique other music outlets. Although mp3s and iPods have crippled music retailers’ sales worldwide, it would seem as though Buenos Aires has resisted more than some other major cities. In almost every one of the central shopping galleries there’s a record shop, if not three. The result is that this list is by no means exhaustive: there are great record shops I visited that don’t appear here. This is rather an attempt to cover a broad mix of genres and formats that should suit all manner of different tastes.

Minton’s has its own wine brand (Photo by Lucas Radicella)

Minton’s

Minton’s is probably the only record shop in the world to have its own wine. “This isn’t just a bottle with a label on it,” explains the owner, “it’s really good stuff in there.” It’s a statement that could easily be made about the shop itself. Then again, Minton’s is unlike any other record shop, from the moment you walk in you are unsure whether you are in somebody’s living room, a removals company warehouse, or the best jazz record store in Argentina. Luckily for us music aficionados, it’s the latter.

The pillar that keeps Minton’s standing is a short man with an easy smile. Guillermo Hernández, judging by the empty whisky bottles, shot glasses, and wine-stained cups laying around his shop, equally enjoys a casual drink when sharing a deep discussion about jazz. And jazz is a subject he can talk about: his shop is crammed with an eclectic collection of musical gems, from classic international jazz records to the more modern interpretations of the genre coming out of Argentina.

Minton’s was founded 20 years ago and after thirteen years in Belgrano moved to its current central location on Corrientes. “We are going to be celebrating 20 years of existence sometime next year, around May or June, the location is not defined but it there will be a couple of nights of good music guaranteed,” Guillermo says enthusiastically. That should be a night to look forward too for any porteño jazz lover.

Minton’s, Corrientes 1382, Galería Apolo Local 26, Congreso,
www.minton-s.blogspot.com.ar
Open Monday-Saturday 1pm-9pm

Paco, the owner of Exiles in his element (Photo by Lucas Radicella)

Exiles Records

Entering this tiny record shop in Palermo Hollywood is like entering a temple where Hendrix, Isaac Hayes, and other gods of rock stare down at you solemnly from its walls. “I don’t sell a product,” explains Paco, the young owner, “I deliver a service.

“To me records are like a religious object, here you enter a sanctuary and you can browse and listen to music and if you choose to take a record home you continue the rite in your own space,” he adds.

Exiles specialises in rock vinyls and CDs and has a large selection of these imported from Europe and the US. Although in quantity it is outdone by some of the other vinyl retailers of Buenos Aires it largely compensates this shortcoming with the quality and taste of its selection. Add to that the excellent service -both shopkeepers speak good English and enjoy sharing their knowledge of the Buenos Aires night scene with the music-loving tourist – and you’ll be sure that you won’t leave Exiles without reward, be it material or spiritual.

Exiles Records, Honduras 5270, Palermo, www.exilesrecords.com
Open Monday-Saturday 1pm-8:30pm

A client browsing CDs in Miles (Photo by Lucas Radicella)

Miles

To prepare this article I asked musicians, shop owners, journalists, and music-lovers from all backgrounds what their favourite record shops were. A few names, some in this Top 5, came back with a certain frequency but the only one, without exception, that appeared on every single list I was given was Miles.

Miles, more than a record shop, is an institution. No one would oppose a move to declare the knowledge of its owner, Gustavo Broic, one of Buenos Aires’ cultural treasures. One satisfied customer, now living in Paris, even told me how she would still e-mail the owner to ask him for advice on what to buy half way across the world. A query he happily complies with.

Although the shop has existed for over 30 years, Broic says times are tough and that music shops are suffering from the digital revolution. “We are one of the few record shops with our head above water because, in Spain, they are starting to sell records out of apartments so they don’t have to pay rent. We’re not far from that here,” he explains. Miles offers a wide variety of music and if what you’re looking for is not there they offer to get it for you it in under two weeks. If you’re not sure about what to buy, be it for yourself or as a gift, Miles should be your first port of call.

Miles, Honduras 4912, Palermo, miles@milesdiscos.com.ar
Open Monday-Saturday 10am-10pm Sunday 1pm-9pm.

Vinylrecords (Photo by Lucas Radicella)

Bonus Track

Bonus Track is the mecca of vinyl collectors. Situated in the Galeria del Optico, just two blocks from the Obelisco, there is no doubt it has one of, if not the, largest selection of vinyl in Buenos Aires. Although it is the largest shop on this list in terms of size, it could well also be the most cramped with mountains and crates of vinyl menacingly towering everywhere you look.

Fortunately the owners offer a great service and are here to help you navigate their realm. Andrés and Nacho have been holding the shop since the early 90s and have always believed in the format. “We always decided to deal both in CD and vinyl even at a time where no one wanted vinyl anymore,” explains Andrés. This might go some way to explain the extent of their collection. In every genre, from Argentine and Brazilian rock from the 60s and 70s, to jazz, rockabilly, and pop, Bonus Track has a little gem in stock. All you need is a bit of courage to sift through the heaps of music.

Bonus Track, Corrientes 1246, Galería del Optico, Congreso,
bonustrackdisc@hotmail.com
Open Monday-Saturday 11am-8pm

Inside the recordstore Maniac (Photo by Lucas Radicella)

Maniac

Maniac specialises in a unique product: Japanese edition CDs that collectors would die for. To explain this fetish you have to go back to the fact that, the Japanese, having always been at the spearhead of technological innovations, probably understood earlier than the rest of the world that the CD format would become obsolete. Along the lines of what happened to vinyl, they bet was that the CD would soon become more of a collectors item than an a mass consumption product. So they dedicated themselves to producing high quality limited editions of well-known albums to sell to collectors. Boy did it work. The vendor at Maniac tells me how one of the latest re-releases of Kiss’ entire discography was sold out worldwide in under three weeks. Japanese editions do not only generally come in higher quality audio than regular CDs (Audio DVD, SACD, etc…), most of the time the packaging itself is worth the (rather high) price tag.

Even if you are not obsessed with the quality of sound and rely on your mp3 player to listen to music, Japanese editions make great presents. Maniac has been in the Los Andes Galeria in Belgrano since its creation nine years ago, although its success allowed it to expand to a larger outlet within the same gallery. “You can’t go too far with our type of clients,” explains the vendor, “some get upset if you fail to classify the CDs strictly by serial number so if I were to change location I’d probably lose half my clientele”. Whether you are one or not, Maniac is worth checking out.

Maniac, Cabildo 2040, Galería Boulevard Los Andes Local 90, Belgrano
http://www.maniacrecords.com.ar/
Open Monday-Friday 2pm-8pm, Saturday 12pm-6pm

Brit Weaver spends some time with Hacha y Machete, a band that performs regularly on the Buenos Aires subte (B line), livening up commuters’ journeys with their Latin and Caribbean-influenced sound.

Camera & editing: Hans Fresen

Imagine a typical Sunday night in Palermo Soho in the city of Buenos Aires. Most places and bars are shut down, recovering from aweekend of non-stop parties. A little poster on a building over the unusually silent Niceto Vega invites you to Foynes bar, which doesn´t look like anything special from the outside. There are no queues of people waiting, no security. Only the music sounds a bit different from the usual cumbia and salsa, and a thought comes across any porteño’s mind: “Que onda?” (What is going on there?)

People dancing forró at Foynes bar in Buenos Aires (Photo: Helena Andell)

Inside the place is pretty tranquilo and simple, but there is something special in the air. Three or four couples are dancing strangely – it appears as though they are walking and hugging each other instead of following steps. “This is a traditional forró, the most popular Brazilian dancing style,” a friend explains.

At about 9.30 pm a couple of ‘guru’ dancers tell everyone to gather around and the dancing class begins. The space divides into two parts: one for beginners and another for experienced dancers. After an hour of instruction and consecutive partner changes, the border between newbies and oldies fades and participants are transformed into new masters of forró. At 11.30 pm there is another surprise with the arrival of a live band. The band is called Mandacarú Forró Pé de Serra and it has been performing popular forró songs in Foynes for the last two years. The band is comprised of four Argentines, though the way they manage the rhythms and people, it reminds me of a Brazilian show somewhere in the North of the country.

Forródancers close together (Photo: Helena Andell)

Ediwaldo is a frequent visitor in Foynes bar and one of the activists in Comunidad Forrozeira, a community that unites fans of forró in Buenos Aires. Ediwaldo is Brazilian and studies chemistry in the University of Buenos Aires. The way he dances forró almost deserves a separate show – during one dancing session he manages to do impossible tricks. “I’ve been dancing since I was a kid and all the events in my family were accompanied by this music,” Ediwaldo shares in one of his rare breaks. “Basically, forró is meant to unite people. Where else would you see so much physical contact and affection?” Ediwaldo is right: all the dancing couples without exception give an illusion of being lovers. Their bodies are so close that there is no way to escape and dance on your own. Once the song finishes, dancers thank each other with a quick kiss on the cheek before switching partners.

“Forró is about friendship and building contact,” adds Ediwaldo, as he explains more about the genre. “The dance itself was born in the North of Brazil, as part of the rural culture. That is why it looks so intimate at first glance. People in the villages normally didn’t have a lot of space inside their houses nor could they afford proper lighting. Those conditions obliged them to form a dancing culture, where couples are very connected physically. But as any other dance it started with the mixing of various rhythms, until it got a new name – forró universario. Such a definition permits forró to include all possible styles. For example, if you are a tango lover, you might add some ochos, if you are a salsa fan, you might dance it faster. Forró doesn’t impose any limits.”

Ediwaldo dances brilliantly and I watch as he spins his partners. It seems they are flying like butterflies around him. Unsurprisingly, he is a sought after partner. “Nobody is perfect and nobody cares about being perfect,” he says modestly. “Luckily, we don’t compare people here, as everyone is unique and adds value with an individual style.”

A couple dancing forró (Photo: Helena Andell)

I ask Ediwaldo why forró was a hit on Argentine dance floors but, so far, has never become internationally famous. “Argentina and Brazil have plenty of common historical and cultural roots. As geographical neighbours we like to share and compare each other in many ways: whose economy is better, whose women are more beautiful, and whose football is more professional. These discussions take place, whenever an Argentine meets a Brazilian. The only known time when we take a break from these conversations is the Carnival in February, which connects everyone despite their differences. Forró dancing style serves this role daily”.

The style took off in Argentina two years ago with the arrival of artists such as Mandacarú Forró Pé de Serra and María Paula Godoy. The latter was born in Argentina, but grew up in Brazil. Nowadays she is working with four other musicians, enriching her playlist with elements of folklore.

The participants in the forró class herald from the surrounding bars, dancing schools and Comunidad Forrozeira, which currently operates as a Facebook group. The community takes charge of traditional Brazilian festivals, such as Festa Junina in June, and their regular activities take place in Foynes Bar every Sunday. The community has over 300 members.

Band playing live music

To be able to dance forró, you don’t need to have previous choreographic background or speak Portuguese. Ediwaldo names two important requirements for anyone who enters the bar: to be happy and proactive). “A marvellous fact is that once you learn forró, there is no way back,” he says. “You might leave and be back in two months, two years or more. But you will always come back and bring more people, because dancing forró is like enjoying life.”

The classes and events take place every Sunday from 9pm in Foynes Bar in Palermo Soho (Niceto Vega 4984). General entrance costs $25 and no reservation is required.

Aitor Grana at the presentation of Cuerpo in Plaza de Mayo Saturday 20th October. (Photo: Madeleine Decker)

Mariano Ferreyra, a young Argentine student, was tragically shot and killed on 20th October 2010 in a protest involving railway workers of the Railway Union (UF). His murder led to widespread protests throughout Argentina and his story has become a symbol of workers’ struggles and human rights abuses. In court, 17 people are currently on trial for his murder, with head of the UF José Ángel Pedraza charged with instigating the crime.

The idea behind ‘Cuerpo’, a new album dedicated to Ferreyra, came from his cousin, Aitor Graña, who arranged with Radio La Tribu to produce an album featuring different genres, independently funded without state subsidies. The reason behind this? “We believe that [the state] holds some responsibility in the case and it would be hypocritical to accept financial support from them,” says the radio station. Each track is by a different artist or band, with names such as Manu Chao, Vicentico, Las Pastillas del Abuelo, and Gabo Ferro making an appearance.

Proceeds from the album go to the National Coordinator against Police and Institutional Repression (CORREPI). This organisation has played a large role in protests from the Partido Obrero for the murder of Ferreyra, and also brought to light the fact that the police had vacated the area in order for the UF to advance on the protesters on the day of the killing.

The album itself contains a mixture of sounds, from folklore to rock to traditional acoustic Latin music. The lyrics of the songs are meaningful, bringing different ways of thinking and different points of view, many of the songs based on the theme of political violence and repression, death and the struggle of the working class. “Some of the songs have literal lyrics and others are more poetic,” says Diego Skliar, a participant in the production of the CD.

The decision to name the CD ‘Cuerpo’ came from the plight of Ferreyra and others like him. “We decided to use a simple word, one which was easy to remember and yet still summarises the case. […] There is also something in the physical presence of having been able to bury Mariano’s body, which is interesting when you think of Argentina’s history where there have been so many disappearances, both during the dictatorship and also during democracy.”

The disc was released on the 20th October coinciding with the second anniversary of Ferreyra’s death.

Skliar has high aspirations for Cuerpo: “We hope that it marks an era, that it puts popular music at the heart of the protest, that the music puts across what happened and how it happened. Hopefully it will be a record that will reach people who do not understand the importance of Mariano’s death”.

Indeed, Graña expresses his hopes that “the death of Mariano will serve to revive his memory and to stop so many other ‘Marianos’ who are killed in different ways, repressed by democracy, from being forgotten. Music, communication and culture puts across our cry for justice in Cuerpo.”

Cuerpo costs $25 and can be purchased online at www.panaldeideas.com or collected from the radio station at Lambaré 873, Almagro. 11-4865-7554.

Argentina has one of the most vibrant and bustling underground music scenes in the world, a maze of bands, venues and musicians that can be overwhelming for the uninitiated.

Las Visitas, a new project on crowd funding site Ideame, pairs 24 journalists with 24 bands to produce a survey of the independent music scene in Argentina and a guide for its exploration.

"Unpluged" (Image courtsey of Santi Pozzi)

The project commissions a renowned journalist to follow a group of musicians of their choice for an extended period of time and produce an in-depth portrait. Las Visitas will publish the collection of articles as a 400-page book with the intention of painting an extensive picture of the underground music scene in Argentina.

Las Visitas describes itself on its website as “the most ambitious and dense independent editorial project in the history of the Argentine underground scene.”.

The journalists involved are in agreement. “This is more than just an article. The length allows to go much more in depth and by following one band for a while you get to see and feel a lot more things than during an interview,” explains Nicolás Miranda, a music journalist and presenter at Radio Nacional FM who follows Morbo y Mambo for the project.

Live music (Photo courtsey of Pablo Occhiuzzi)

The idea is for the book to be written by those who understand the intricacies and subtlety of the Buenos Aires music scene the best, those who are able to reveal the complicity of small bars and parties far from the mainstream and share it with their readers.

These are journalists and writers who by profession turn what they see, feel and hear into words but who also by pure passion and curiosity are always on the look out for new sounds and experiences.

The idea for Las Visitas came from editor Juan Manuel Daza, who first experimented with poetry before becoming a successful rock journalist, and later helping to fund a publishing company and creating the Rocanpoetry Festival. He has also written for major publications Clarín and Rolling Stone and has two radio programs on Nacional Rock. Daza says he hopes Las Visitas will be the first in a series that would extend beyond Argentina’s borders and include artists from across Latin America.

Las Visitas aims to go to print in December. It offers various packages for pre-sale on the Latin American crowdfunding platform idea.me. These include one or several books, invitations to the launch party, and even having your name printed in the book as one of the contributors.

There are only a few days left to support this project – to donate or find more info click: http://idea.me/proyecto/285/lasvisitas