Author: Bazely Solange

Solange Bazely: Before coming to play in France with Astor Piazzolla in Olympia in 1977, which type of music and with which groups did you play in Argentina?

Osvaldo Calo: Although having begun traditional studies very early, I always liked the popular music. At home, one listened to especially tango and folklore, then at twelve years I discovered Beatles and the rock'n'roll.
To fifteen, I formed a group of rock'n'roll with my friends of the college and with twenty years, parallel to my entry with the National Academy of Buenos Aires, my first occupational class ' Rock' Ave, with the Luis guitarist Bordered.
Later, I formed part of the group "Los desconocidos of siempre" which accompanied the pop singer Argentinian Nito Mestre (ex Sui generis) until my departure in France.

SB: How long did you play with Astor Piazzolla and which you like remembering keep (musical or human)?

OC: The round with Astor Piazzolla lasted almost three months. It is the last which it made with this formation "the byte electronic" before returning to its preferred formula, the quintet. As much to say immediately that me also I always preferred the quintet with the formations which it had thereafter. But I still have a very strong memory in the concerts which we gave, in particular solo of bandonion that Piazzolla made in the Troileana Continuation and who was each time one moment of great emotion.
What I learned from Piazzolla, I especially learned it by the discs that I listened and the concerts to which I could assist, more than during this short time when I côtoyé it: we had hardly three repetitions before our first concert... On the other hand, I will be always indebted for him chance that it gave me to leave Argentina in 1977, in full military dictatorship and full existential crisis, and of thus being able to consider projects which were unthinkable over there for me.

SB: Did your 10 years with Divide into volumes Gubitsch? Did what that bring to you?

OC: Divided into volumes Gubitsch, I knew it at the time of this round with Piazzolla and we very quickly became friendly. We had many common points, in particular our political ideas and our visions on the music that it was necessary for us to invent to be able to express our feelings (inevitably Argentinian) and our aesthetic sights in the most sincere way. Not being a type-setter myself, it east Tomas which wrote all the repertory, and as we did not know other musicians likely to share our project with hundred percent, we made a duet. Five years more, the double bass player Jean-Paul Celea joined us and was born then Divided into volumes it Gubitsch Trio.
This musical experiment was one of strongest than I lived. They is always enthralling to create a repertory on the basis of nothing, to discover each time a new composition and to undertake the work of interpretation by continuing an ideal of perfection. But with Tomas, which is a guitarist and admirable type-setter, there was in more one strong agreement and at the same time a great capacity of dialogue.
We stopped our collaboration in 1992, because Tomas took a pause to dedicate ourselves to the composition. But we always think of remaking a project together.

SB: For more than 10 years, you have been the pianist of Juan Mosalini, that it is with its Full orchestra since 1992 or its Quintet until 1998, with died of Antonio Agri. What brings the fact to you of playing this type of repertory?

OC: I never played in the orchestras of tango in Argentina. One can say that it was not really in my projects, because I had stopped listening to tango at thirteen years and I returned there only thanks to Piazzolla, but much later, at twenty years.
I played for the first time of the traditional tango to the coffee the Pavements from Buenos Aires, in Paris, with the bandoneonist Cholo Montironi. It was in 1988 and I learned much there. The same year, I took part in some representations of "Tango, memory of Buenos Aires", of Juan Cedron, where Juan Mosalini which was with the bandonion lavished some councils to me. Then we accompanied the singer Silvana Deluigi together, and when in 1992 it proposed to me to form part of its orchestra, I accepted the invitation with enthusiasm, because it was an experiment which interested me much. It was really moving to make revive the sound of the traditional orchestra here in Paris and very enriching for me from the musical point of view. Juan Mosalini was my Master in tango: it counts for much in my life of musician.
Very also enriching the period by the quintet Mosalini-Agri, where I played for the first time the repertory of Piazzolla; I learned much from Antonio Agri, violonist that I admired by his recordings but even more with his contact.

SB: musicargentina.com is pleased to distribute your album with the Duet Caló/Couranjou, can you tell us some words on this formation?

OC: I met Sebastien Couranjou with his arrival in the orchestra of Mosalini, in 1993. It had a traditional solid formation but had never played of the tango. However, it very quickly adopted it and two years later we considered already a first musical project unit. Benefitting from an invitation to make a concert in homage to Piazzolla in Normandy, we thought that that could be interesting to do it in duet violon/piano. After some tests, I started to write arrangements.
Then the adventure continued with an invitation in Cumbre Mundial del Tango in Uruguay, first part of Quinteto Real, and a concert with the Club del Vino, Buenos Aires. They were very intense moments for me, because it was the first time that I turned over to play in Argentina, and also for Sebastien who made its first voyage to the countries of the tango.
Since the recording of the disc, we continue to regularly produce us in duet because it is a repertory which particularly holds us with heart.
I like much this formation, his traditional, but traditional side taken in the direction indémodable. Then I have much pleasure to play with Sebastien Couranjou of which I appreciate the play, the sensitivity and the friendship.

SB: And Quintet Tiempo On ? When was it born, which were the stages? In which optics are you today

OC: Tiempo On started to exist under the impulse of the bandoneonist Victor Villena and Sebastien Couranjou in 2000. Initially in the form of four-bit byte with Roberto Tormo and myself, the quintet took its final form in 2001 with the arrival of the guitarist Alejandro Schwarz and Mauricio Angarita which replaced Roberto Tormo with the double bass. At side in the concerts which we gave with our instrumental repertory, we accompanied three singers, of which currently Julia Migenes.
This quintet is for me the ideal group as well as the priority project. The compositions are of Alejandro Schwarz, Tomas Gubitsch, Ramiro Gallo and Mauricio Angarita. We are preparing the repertory for our disc which will be recorded in 2004.

Paris, November 24, 2003