Tango Meets Joropo

The music of Argentina and Venezuela featuring Latin GRAMMY winner Pedro Giraudo and Venezuelan flute virtuoso Marco Granados

Music samples:

“Tango Meets Joropo” is a program that debuted in 2019 at the renowned Moab Music Festival, where two prominent interpreters of their native music came together and magic happened. As the Festival producers described it: “Sensual Argentine tangos meet exuberant joropos and merengues from Venezuela in an exciting evening of Latin American musical diversity. Fresh from a Latin GRAMMY award, Pedro Giraudo and his tango quartet join forces with Venezuelan flute virtuoso Marco Granados and his trio to create a musical journey filled with beautiful melodies and uplifting rhythms.”

The tangos range from some classic favorites, some tango nuevo (Astor Piazzolla), and original compositions by Pedro Giraudo. The Venezuelan music features joropos, merengues, waltzes and even a famous lullaby.

“We don’t cross-pollinate the music, but we do cross-play with different instrumentations (for example the Argentinian bandoneón and the Venezuelan cuatro) to add a new dimension,” say the two artists. For example, in some pieces, flutist Marco Granados and renowned singer Leo Granados join the Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet to play traditional and original tangos; in others bassist Pedro Giraudo joins the Venezuelan Trio playing a variety of Venezuelan music. Alternating the two musical traditions creates a program of audience-pleasing surprises, all on the highest virtuoso level. The program ends with a dramatic crescendo as the two ensembles join forces in a grand finale.

About Pedro Giraudo:

Latin GRAMMY winner Pedro Giraudo is one of the most compelling tango artists today, an active cultural ambassador for this beautiful and passionate music of his native Argentina, with a rich repertoire including both original compositions and the great tango classics. His Tango Quartet features some of tango’s finest virtuoso tango instrumentalists.

About Marco Granados:

One of the world’s leading flutists on Latin American music, Marco Granados is also an internationally renowned classical soloist, performing in Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall (London), and appearing in important summer festivals throughout the United States. He has been a featured soloist for major flute societies in the United States, Mexico, and recently completed a solo tour of China.

Members of the “Tango Meets Joropo” project include some of the finest virtuoso interpreters of the music of their two countries, including:

Rodolfo Zanetti, bandoneón
Nick Danielson, violin
Ahmed Alom, piano
Carlos Capacho, cuatro
Leo Granados, percussion and vocals
Pedro Giraudo, bass/composition/arrangements
Marco Granados, flute/composition/arrangements