Alma del Tango

Marin’s premier nonprofit dedicated to Argentine Tango

(San Anselmo, CA, November 12, 2012) Alma del Tango, a Marin County nonprofit based in San Anselmo, is pleased to announce that Seth Asarnow y Su Sexteto Tipico has come under the organization’s auspices.

Seth Asarnow y Su SextetoTipico
Photo by Peter Ivory

A Marin native and resident, Asarnow is considered one of the best bandoneon players in the country, and his sextet is frequently seen and heard playing at tango venues throughout the Bay Area.”I consider myself a tango musician, not just a musician who plays tango,” he says.

Keeping the Golden Age of Tango Alive
Asarnow endeavors to reproduce the sound and style of tango orchestras that were popular during the Golden Age of Tango — the 1930′s to 1950′s. “These days very few musicians have the ability or desire to play in this style,” he says. “I’m trying to preserve an amazing style of music in its original form.”

After seeing the  show Tango Argentino in 1986, Asarnow was drawn to the bandoneon and its soulful, melancholic sound. The bandoneon, a type of large concertina, was developed in Germany and brought to Argentina by emigrants at the turn of the 20th Century where it became the essential instrument in tango ensembles. He describes the instrument as unusual, with many quirky features that give it a distinct and endearing personality. “Those qualities, along with its mournful, evocative sound are what make it so captivating,” the maestro explains.

Asarnow is happy to be associated with and support the other groups under the Alma delTango umbrella. His goal is to raise funds to expand the sextet to an Orquesta Tipica which usually has 10 to 12 musicians including a string section, three or more bandoneons, piano and bass.

“I’m excited to have Seth and his Sexteto as part of Alma del Tango,” says board president
Debbie Goodwin. “Music drives the dance, and live music takes the experience to a whole
new level.”

Debbie Goodwin & John Campbell, founders of Alma del Tango, the Marin-  nonprofit.
Photo by Alli Novack

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About Alma del Tango

Alma del Tango is a nonprofit 501c(3) organization dedicated to encouraging artistic expression and the development of community through Argentine Tango. Started by dancer/choreographer Debbie Goodwin and tango dancer John Campbell in 1966 under the name Social Dance Cultures, the organization is now doing business as Alma del Tango, translated Soul of the Tango. In addition to offering tango classes and events, Alma del Tango is the umbrella organization for the all-women’s company Tango Con*Fusion, Alma Video, Debbie Goodwin Dance, Tango Califia, and now Seth Asarnow y Su Sexteto Tipico.

For more information: www.almadeltango.org

 Media contact: Lanny Udell
(415)459-8966
lanny_udell@comcast.net