Tango with a twist returns to Minster

FOLLOWING his well-received performance a year ago, Argentina's tango vocalist Martín Alvarado will return to Southwell as part of his 24th international tour.

His performance at the historic Great Hall at Southwell Minster on Saturday, March 16 will open his fourth UK tour, which also takes him to Cardiff, London, Liverpool, Harrogate, Hull, Essex, Warwickshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland and Devon.

Alvarado's last visit to Southwell saw him perform in true tango troubadour style, singing solo and accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. This time he will be accompanied by pianist and bandoneonista from Finland, Mikko Helenius, with whom Martin is recording his next album.

Helenius is a classically trained pianist from Helsinki and studied bandoneon from some of the instrument's Argentine maestros.

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The button accordion, which is central to the tango sound, is renowned for being an extremely difficult instrument to play.

Helenius is thought to be unique in the world for having mastered the ability to play both the piano and bandoneon simultaneously.

Alvarado says: "I am really happy to be returning to Southwell. The Great Hall is a magnificent venue and the audience there last time were fantastic. It will be great to make use of the piano they have there this time and for people to hear Mikko play because he is a great musician and has written some beautiful new arrangements."

Lisa Cherry-Downes, from West Bridgford, Alvarado's UK and Europe manager and promoter, says: "Martín had such a terrific reception when he played in Southwell last March, we thought it would be good to do a return trip.

"I am really pleased he will be performing with Mikko Helenius this time. They work really well together and have been thrilling audiences all over the UK with Martín's highly entertaining and modern take on tango.

"I have never seen Martín and Mikko rehearse – they don't need to; they seem to have an intuitive relationship on stage and their performance is often improvised and tailored to suit a particular audience."

Alvarado has won wide acclaim across the world for his tenor voice, and already, his phenomenal artistry is such that he is increasingly being recognised as one of the most significant vocalists in the history of tango.

As well as being a naturally gifted singer, the Buenos Aires-born artist is also renowned for his commanding and charismatic stage presence and his outstanding and carefully chosen repertoire from four albums.

It features work by Argentina's most celebrated poets and composers, including rare work by the godfather of tango nuevo Astor Piazzolla, as well as some of his own, as yet unrecorded, compositions.

Alvarado discovered his talent for singing at the age of 19, by chance, while studying guitar in Buenos Aires. A few years later he travelled to Spain where he was spotted singing in Barcelona and invited to perform in Finland, where tango is a hugely popular activity.

News of his talent quickly spread and within two months of arriving there, he was performing with the Tampere Philharmonia Orchestra.

Since then he has performed at many major festivals.

Tickets are £14 on the door or £12 in advance from www.musicglue.com or from The Cathedral Shop in Southwell, call 01636 812933.