Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) was all abuzz on an otherwise usually quiet Tuesday night. The expats had not turned up in their evening wear glory, the latter a regular sight for shows at the DFP.
Then the bell rang. The Spanish and French chatter moved into the hall. Lights dimmed. Five letters lit up the front of the stage: TANGO. The Gotan Project were about to start the show.
Based in Paris, Philippe Cohen Solal (French), Eduardo Makaroff (Argentine) and Christoph H. Müller (Swiss) are Gotan Project. Their love for tango and its music led them to revamp the now-classic genre with a little more cool and a lot more electronica.
Since 2001, they have been shimmying and shaking their way into the eardrums of dance, jazz and electronica lovers the world over.
The show started with a dramatic entrance by Makaroff and two backup musicians, which segued into a super cool trumpet accented number that had the audience’s feet tapping in no time. Soon they were joined by a pianist and a vocalist, while Solal and Müller took their places at electronic consoles on either end of the stage.
What ensued for the next 90 minutes was probably the best produced live concert in Malaysia in recent years. They played through many of the songs from their latest album, Tango 3.0, including “Rayuela”, “Peligro” and “Érase Una Vez”. There were also hits from their previous albums, more raw and much jazzier.
What made the show even more entertaining was their amazingly chilled out stage demeanour. Even the mini theatrics they performed during “Panamericana” or the cheeky bits of Lady Gaga’s discography sampled by Solal - they were completely in control of every note. Solal even made whistling look completely effortless. Decked out in pinstriped vests and suits with matching fedoras, they were the epitome of tango musicians for the new millenium.
The night ended with a high of three encores. Patrons left the concert hall still nodding their heads to the songs buzzing in the ears, walking rhythmically into a night they did not want to end. Gotan Project got us dancing on our feet that night, and we sincerely hope they return for another sold-out affair.
(By Alia Ali)
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