Si Sos Brujo

Si Sos Brujo, 'if you know magic', is a tango composed by Emilio Balcarce, and it's what bassist Ignacio Varchausky was told when he said he wanted to establish a tango orchestra that could bring the surviving musicians who had played with Troilo, D'Arienzo, Pugliese, Gobbi, to teach the younger generation. You can do it – si sos brujo. Si Sos Brujo is also the name of a great film by Varchausky's wife, American filmmaker Caroline Neal, about how the Orquesta Escuelo de Tango was born. There are interviews with her here.

Varchausky makes the problem clear. They had the records, they had the music on paper, but that's not how the musicians learned to play, and it would be incredibly laborious, and perhaps not very fruitful, simply to copy the music from records. In the 30s and 40s there were many orquestas where musicians learned first-hand how to phrase the music, make the sounds, hear how to be part of an ensemble. But in the 50s the big bands, both in American jazz and in tango, seemed outdated. Even Troilo downsized. Apart from Pugliese, perhaps, there were no longer orquestas where newcomers could learn – and Pugliese wasn't much help since the same musicians stayed with him. Slowly the orquestas tipicas died away, and their leaders died too. But, by 2000, when Varchausky got funding for the first year of the orquesta escuelo, there were musicians still alive to sit in with the young players, give masterclasses, play alongside them. & Emilio Balcarce, bandoneonista, violinista, composer and arranger, who played with many orquestas and for many years arranged for and played with Pugliese, and is very much the star of the film, became its director. He retired two years ago, aged 89. There's a posting on his final concert here.

With the help of musicians from the Golden Age, the orquesta learned how to recreate the sounds of the older orquestas, creating a very complete record of tango music for future generations. They learned how to play accurately in the styles of Troilo, Pugliese, D'Arienzo. But they are far more than a glorified tribute band. Their music is immediately distinctive: having learnt directly from older musicians they are highly proficient and their ensemble playing is striking, they've learned the music from inside. But they also bring their contemporary sensibility to what they play. Balcarce himself remarks on the distinctive energy of their music, which he relates to the feel of contemporary Buenos Aires. If they had simply copied the old records, they wouldn't have learned to play like this.

And it's a great film to watch, beautifully shot, beautifully put together, and a real insight into the world of tango music. It's always a pleasure for me to watch musicians at work, and it's just great to watch the older generations sitting with younger players and showing them how to play the music. & always a pleasure to listen to, too. Si Sos Brujo. You don't have to know magic to get hold of it. This is the trailer.

I can't help adding this, in case you've never heard what is now called the Orquesta Escuela de Tango Emilio Balcarce.