In collaboration with the 'Piazzolla 100' celebrations held at the CCK in Buenos Aires, Argentina's premier arts complex, we present this event from the Essential CDs series, recreating Libertango - the album that in 1974 originally made Piazzolla famous internationally. The concert features a bespoke ensemble put together especially for the occasion by the composer and arranger Juan 'Pollo' Raffo, who acknowledges the significant challenges of this brief, saying: 'I agree with those who affirm that Astor Piazzolla's music also includes Astor Piazzolla and his ensembles as performers, making it extremely difficult to generate new versions that stand up to comparisons with the original. Once this premise had been dispensed with, I can say that the process of adapting the Libertango album has been inspiring. You will hear the result of an honest and moderately irreverent reading from the perspective of a younger generation that recognises in this disc the joining, or rather collision, between the progressive tango of the 50s that preceded us and the progressive music of the 70s that provided the soundtrack to our rites of passage. From the fruits - or perhaps wreckage - of that collision I have salvaged materials with which to construct tonight's versions, along with an exceptional group of soloists. I hope you enjoy the results.' With spoken introductions in Spanish.

Astor Piazzolla Libertango | Meditango | Undertango | Adiós Nonino | Violentango | Novitango | Amelitango | Tristango

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Fernando Lerman flutes

Martín Pantyrer clarinets

Lautaro Greco bandoneon

Elizabeth Ridolfi viola

María Laura Antonelli piano

Tomás Pagano electric bass

Rodrigo Genni drums and samplers

Juan 'Pollo' Raffo keyboards, arrangements and musical director

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Juan 'Pollo' Raffo is a composer, arranger, conductor, keyboard player and teacher, and a graduate of Berklee College in Boston and the University of New York, as well as a curator, arranger and orchestrator for the Filiberto Rock venue of the Orquesta Nacional de Música Argentina. Previously a member of the ensembles Trigémino, El Güevo and Monos con Navajas, he is currently focused on solo original composition projects which have so far yielded five albums. He was worked as arranger and musical director for Juan Carlos Baglietto, Soda Stereo, León Gieco, Los Piojos, Divididos, Fito Páez, Manuel Wirzt and Ratones Paranoicos, amongst many others. He presently teaches at the Universidad Nacional de las Artes (UNA), the University of New York (NYU), the Escuela de Música Contemporánea (EMC, Berklee Global Partner) and the Instituto Tamaba. He was awarded the Premio Jonex de Platino in 2015 in the Instrumental/Fusion category.

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Organised by ILAMS as part of Echoes Festival 2021 in collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes, the CCK, and the Argentine Ministry of Culture, with the kind support of the Embassy of Argentina

SNEAK PEEK! Watch the full concert of Juan 'Pollo' Raffo peforming at the CCK in 2019