Athens Tango Project is an Argentine tango music band founded in 2012 in the city of Athens, Georgia by Laura Camacho, a Double bass musician from Buenos Aires,[1] featuring Monique Osorio on vocals, John Phillips on drums, John Cooper on violin, and Matt M Vu, David Marcus, on piano. The extended lineup includes Keiko Ishibashi, Franziska Brunner, Teresa Grynia, Curran Pendergrast, Bill Oglesby, Daniel Allen, James Perkins, Jaime Antonio Cardenas Espana, Serena Scibelli, Fernando Deddos, and Ricardo Hurtado.[2][3]

Athens Tango Project
Athens Tango Project photo by Noah Johnson
Athens Tango Project photo by Noah Johnson
Background information
OriginAthens, Georgia, United States
GenresTango, Argentine Tango, milonga
Years active2012–present
MembersLaura Camacho
John Cooper
David Marcus
Monique Osorio
John Phillips
Matt Vu
WebsiteOfficial website

History

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The group has been a prominent member of the Latin music community of Athens and has won several awards for best Jazz and World music group, winning the local Flagpole Magazine Athens Music Awards in 2014[4] and 2016[5] as well as performed on the local TedxUGA program.[6] [7] The group's members have collaborated with musicians from tango including David Alsina,[8] Las Del Abasto, Mariano Mores, Sexteto Mayor, Tanghetto,[9] Alejandro Ziegler Tango Quartet[10] as well as music from different genres including Béla Fleck, Ben Folds, Catupecu Machu, CeeLo Green, Deerhunter, members of Drive-By Truckers, members of The Olivia Tremor Control and Circulatory System (band), Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Layma Azur, Matisyahu, Christian McBride, and Universal Sigh.[11]

The group has also appeared in documentary films, which include the upcoming Athens, Georgia: 30 Years On (sequel to Athens, GA: Inside/Out)[12] and Athens Rising: The Sicyon Project: Volume One.[13] The group contributed cover songs of Neutral Milk Hotel[14] and R.E.M.,[15] as well as a collaboration with Jay Gonzalez of Drive-By Truckers[16] to the documentaries.

Recently, the band has performed renditions of local Athens music by Kishi Bashi, Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, Pylon (band), and R.E.M. as live performances while working with Vanessa Briscoe Hay and Jason NeSmith of Pylon Reenactment Society.[17] The group recorded a cover of Olivia Tremor Control's song, I Have Been Floated, with backup vocals from Will Cullen Hart[18] from the compilation album release, An Enthusiast's Fanfare for Elephant 6.[19] Athens Tango Project members played with members of Tanghetto onstage for the Astor Piazzolla piece, Libertango, at the 2019 Argentina Food Wine and Culture Festival.[20] [21]

References

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  1. ^ "Athens Tango Project imports traditional Argentine tunes". OnlineAthens. Retrieved 2016-09-11.
  2. ^ "About". Athens Tango Project. Retrieved 2016-09-11.
  3. ^ "Athens Tango Project - About | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2016-09-11.
  4. ^ "2014 Flagpole Athens Music Awards Winners". Flagpole Magazine. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 2016-09-11.
  5. ^ "2016 Flagpole Athens Music Award Winners". Flagpole Magazine. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-11.
  6. ^ @LindsayVConway, Lindsay Conway (19 March 2016). "TEDxUGA: Presenters talk technology and public services". The Red & Black (University of Georgia). Retrieved 2016-09-11.
  7. ^ "TedXUGA: Theme: Illuminate". Ted.com. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  8. ^ "Community Health Mission and MedBank to hold Heart of Tango fundraiser". Savannah Now. Retrieved 2018-09-18.
  9. ^ "About". Athens Tango Project. Retrieved 2016-09-11.
  10. ^ "Casa Argentina de Houston presenta nuevamente Alejandro Ziegler Tango Quartet". El Venezolano Houston. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 2018-09-18.
  11. ^ "About". Athens Tango Project. Retrieved 2016-09-11.
  12. ^ "Athens Georgia: 30 Years On Performances". Athens Tango Project. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  13. ^ "Just Wrapped Recording on Our Segment from Upcoming Film - Sicyon: Celebrating the Creative Class in the Classic City". Athens Tango Project. 11 March 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  14. ^ "Athens Georgia: 30 Years On Performances". Athens Tango Project. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  15. ^ "Just Wrapped Recording on Our Segment from Upcoming Film - Sicyon: Celebrating the Creative Class in the Classic City". Athens Tango Project. 11 March 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  16. ^ "Flagpole Premieres: Athens Rising, Excerpt Two: Chef Garrett Macfalda". Flagpole Magazine. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  17. ^ "Athens Tango Project Pays Tribute to Athens' Greats". Flagpole Magazine. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  18. ^ Lamb, Gordon (6 March 2019). "Hope for Agoldensummer Scores Podcast, and More Music News and Gossip". Flagpole Magazine. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  19. ^ "Athens Tango Project - I Have Been Floated". Bandcamp. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  20. ^ "Our Festival Our Participants". ArgFoodFest Atlanta Edition. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  21. ^ "Performances with Tanghetto". Athens Tango Project. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
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