Chango accordion to Banning

[johncorrigan]

Sorry, couldn't resist the title; , but I see we're getting the third part of Banning Eyre's World Routes in Argentina today and there's Chango Spasiuk in there - I thought his last programme from Argentina, a while back was really very good.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zlgy1

[Lateralthinking1]

This was a good programme, John, and although broadcast in mid-March, it is still available on the I-player.

I liked the sound of Misiones in the North East of Argentina with its red dirt tracks and greenery. It was also fascinating to hear of the migration patterns first with the Jesuits and then the Ukrainians. As I understood them to say, chamame music emerged both from the party loving instincts of the indigenous rural farmers and the culture of the migrants. While I was aware of Chango Spasiuk, I didn't know that he had Ukrainian grandparents so the background was most interesting.

I am always a bit in two minds about the accordion. Sometimes it reminds me a little too much of Germanic beer fests and circuses, not that I am against either of these things, but when it is played I think I prefer it to be in something more folky and rumbustious. Mama Rosin spring to mind. A few of the pieces in this programme were a little mid-tempo for me. Nevertheless, the performances with vocals were great - those with Lalo Doreto and particularly "Kilometre 11".

And when they explained the polyrhythm - the 6/8 and the 3/4 with clapping, it all sounded quite different. I agree with the presenter that it was almost African. As for the tuning, that was the best part of the programme for me - that brilliant fact from decades ago of finding the BBC on A 440 hertz and tuning the old accordions accordingly!