Gotan Project

Gotan Project, or Jectpro Tango. Back to front slang is one of the common denominators between French and Argentinean urban culture. Gotan Project is a three-forked dream, a dream come true for Argentinean composer and guitarist Eduardo Makaroff, who has dedicated his life to his country's music, the tango but also milonga and condomblé. Profoundly Francophile, he settled in France with a mission - to bring new and vibrant colours to his music. He founded "Mano A Mano" and "Tango Mano" in which his talents as guitarist, singer and composer bloomed. In Paris Eduardo met two Europeans whose nights had been haunted for some time by the pampas, maté and the mystic land of Patagonia.
Philippe Cohen-Solal, following a long period as artistic director and editorial collector for large record companies, started out as a musical practitioner in nightclubs and on film soundtracks.
Christoph H. Mueller had already tasted the sweetness of fame during the 80s in Switzerland with his electro-pop group "Touch el Arab" and their single "Muhammar", a hit with nightclubbers around the world.
As a team they decided to set up the record labels "Mineral" and "Ya Basta" looking to work on various different musical concepts. Using a variety of names (Stereo Action Unlimited, Fruit of the Loop, Pcs Mind Food…), they released instrumental maxis with dazzling rhythms.
In 2000, they added a shade of bossa and samba, teaming up with Rolando Faria, the founder of the legendary Parisian Brazilian orchestra "les Etoiles".
Gotan Project is a true meeting of cultures, in which samples are not king but rather in which all the musicians present are princes.
The pianist Gustavo Beytelmann has been living in Paris since 1976. He has accompanied the mighty Piazzola, toured throughout Europe with the trio Morsalino-Beytelmann-Caratini, composed for the cinema and the television in France and in Italy.
Nini Flores, who studied music and was gifted by a premature talent for playing the bandoneon, took the tango across Latin America during the 80s (performing in Brazil, Paraguay, Columbia and in his own country). During the 90s he discovered Europe, settling in France in 1995. He accompanied major Argentinean artists such as Mariano Mores, Ariel and Eduardo Falù and recorded an album with the group "Los Quillo Huasi".
Violinist Line Kruse, born in Rotterdam, was awarded first prize for the violin at the Royal conservatory before leaving to study in Paris with Ivry Giltis. Her agile fingers caressed the strings in jazz with Ron Pittner, salsa with "Sabor a Son", North African music with Khalil Chahine and, needless to say, tango with Cesar Strossio, Ombu, the Tambours du Sud and Tierra del fuego.
Cristina Vilallonga Serra, the bewitching voice of Gotan Project, comes from Barcelona where she studied the piano, the theory of music and singing before flying off to Boston where she graduated from the Berkley College of Music in composition and soundtracks. Her path is strewn with prizes, her voice backing those of numerous artists over the past ten years (Paula Cole Alfonso Villalonga, Terence Trent d'Arby...). But the Spanish know her above all thanks to her many live performances with her group and her first album "Collares Enredados".
Eddie Tomasi uses the wide range of traditional Argentinean percussion to bring a good dose of animal sensuality to the project.
The appearance of Willy Crook, the Argentinean pop singer, on 'Chuga's Revenge' is a welcome touch to this highly unexpected cover of Frank Zappa.
The result of the encounter of all of these good souls is an authentic osmosis between the rhythms' harmonious elegance and natural melodies, the atmospheres' relevance and digital grooves.
The romantically euphoric calm of Gotan Project defines the contours of a new territory. That of the "La revancha del Tango".

Benjamin MiNiMuM