Romance de Barrio (Quadropol/Timezone)
These three musicians have devoted themselves to the tango but they do not only surpass the boundaries of this genre with the interpretation of classics.
Mariska Nijhof (Accordion and Singing), Christoph Linke at the tenor saxophone and the pianist Michael Berger present a travel in time that ranges from stars like Carlos Gardel through Anibal Troilo and Astor Piazzolla to Richard Galliano without losing themselves in nostalgia. The trio gives its models and own songs a timeless atmosphere with sophisticated arrangements which portray melancholic facets, big elegance and energetic rhythms with humor. Even songs atypical for this genre like the Roma classic “Ederlesi” seem natural in this environment and obtain a special attraction thanks to the singing of Mariska Nijhof. hp
The saxophone of Christoph Linke can sound smoky and wicked like from a dark low dive but also mighty and sonorous like in “El Segundo Loco” or lyrical and cautious like in Richard Galliano’s “Spleen”. The two other musicians belonging to the trio are the accordionist and -far too rarely- singer Mariska Nijhof and the pianist Michael Berger. The band pays homage to the tango and hearing how the different roles of the three instrumentalists alternate and cross is a fascinating experience. Sometimes Linke and Nijhof hand themselves the melodies reciprocally whereas Berger limits himself to a gentle accompaniment; on another occasion he drives the musical events forward with spacious chords. The repertoire of their CD is especially original since the “eternal” godfather of tango, Astor Piazzolla, who dominates the repertoire of comparable bands, is only touched once with “Adios Nonino”. Instead, Musica de Barrio interpret the forgotten tango legend Anibal Troilo or play their own songs. Among these, we would like to highlight “Tang-Oh?”, written by Mariska Nijhof. This humorous piece elegantly plays with avant-garde, almost atonal elements. This is not the only reason why Musica de Barrio make tango more topical than ever.
Rolf Thomas