Maria Volonte

Maria Volonte is an Argentine singer whose refreshing interpretation of tango stole my heart… With her mature sensuality, her music feels both deeply sensual and awash in nostalgia — a unique blend of melancholy and a potent brew. Consume responsibly. - NPR - National Public Radio

“The best-kept secret of Argentinian Tango.”
– Songlines magazine (UK)

"Maria Volonte is an Argentine singer whose refreshing interpretation of tango stole my heart."
- National Public Radio (NPR)

“She can mix an intimate treatment of tango classics by the great Astor Piazzolla with songs from Chile and Brazil, along with echoes of late-night jazz and Latin-blues fusion. She has a cool, emotional style, plays impressive acoustic guitar, and is willing to experiment.”
– The Guardian (UK)

“One of the best voices in tango today. Volonté is one of a kind!”
 – Clarin (Argentina)

“María Volonté combines the earthiness of Edith Piaf with the sassiness of Eartha Kitt.”
– Reese Erlich, Jazz Perspectives (US)

“Volonte has a long history in Argentine traditional music, and its elements enriched everything she played and sang. But, far more than just an emissary for her native country’s music, she demonstrated a desire, as well as a skill, in using those roots to grow an entrancing creative expression that is uniquely her own. Hopefully, the next appearance in the Southland by this impressive, evolving artist will reach beyond the one-nighter stage.”
– Don Heckman,
International Review of Music (US)

“Volonté is a good example of an artist who is respectful of her roots yet not afraid to go beyond musty old formulas… Her musical concept is refreshingly broad.”
– Los Angeles Times (US)

“She’s got style, class and sass… Tango’s shimmering star!”
– Global Rhythm magazine (US)

”Volonté’s recent music softens tango’s jagged edges with lilting bossa nova rhythms and lush jazz harmonies, while retaining the music’s essential passion. Ultimately, she’s not looking to reinvent tango but rather to express herself ever more directly as an artist.”
– Andy Gilbert, SF Jazz Festival (US)

“Volonté is a captivating presence on stage… Her arresting interpretation coats the melancholy mood with a creamy sensuality that makes the performance wholly mesmerizing.”
– Americas Magazine (US)

“María Volonté’s singing reconciles us to true art: the art that moves us.”
– La Nación (Argentina)

“Volonté has the unmistakable mark of a true artist.”
– Ambito Financiero (Argentina)

“María Volonté sings and puts her passionate heart and pure professionalism in each verse.”
– Página 12 (Argentina)

“I am one of Maria Volonte’s biggest fans!… Her music is a parade of good taste.”
– Paquito D’Rivera - NPR, LA Times, Songlines, Clarin, The Guardian, Global Rhythm, etc.

"Maria Volonte combines the earthiness of Edith Piaf with the sassiness of Eartha Kitt" Reese Erlich - Jazz Perspectives

"Volonte is a captivating presence on stage...Her arresting interpretation coats the melancholy mood with a creamy sensuality that makes the performance wholly mesmerizing."
Mark Holston



AMERICAS / Music Notes / Vol. 59, No. 1 / January-February 2007
By Mark Holston

Dino Saluzzi Senderos (ECM 1845)
Gustavo Mozzi Matiné (Epsa Music 0605-02)

María Volonté Yo Soy Maria (Discos CNR 21618)

In its elemental form, tango has become one of the world’s most stylized music idioms. Deeply steeped in a century old tradition, tango, to large degree, has rewarded those practitioners who have remained faithful to the style’s core and long entrenched characteristics. Such renowned innovators as the late Astor Piazzolla initially met with stiff resistance when they dared to deviate from the norm.
One artist who next to the legendary Piazzolla has become best known globally for his avant-garde leanings is bandoneonist Dino Saluzzi. Senderos features 14 of his self-penned works in a collaboration with drummer Jon Christensen. Saluzzi is one of the world’s ranking bandoneon virtuosi, and his penchant for airy writing and playing designed to explore and more fully understand tango’s melancholy personality is well known. On this challenging but ultimately eminently enjoyable release, Saluzzi and his cohort invite the listener to explore a vast and uncluttered soundscape where tango’s more obvious reference points are nonexistent. This highly personal excursion into the tango world’s most distant realms is uniformly bracing.
Composer, arranger and guitarist Gustavo Mozzi is a young Buenos Aires-based artist whose recent albums signal a new direction in the stylistic evolution of tango, milonga, murga and other indigenous Argentine music idioms. On Matiné, he expands the orchestral dimension of the traditional tango ensemble, adding to pleasing effect to the mix such voices as clarinet, vibraphone, harp, electric keyboard, accordion and his own guitar. While the traditional sound of bandoneon, piano and violin still provide a regal presence, Mozzi’s fleshed-out arrangements create luminescent aural textures and entrancing melody lines that dance lightly to effervescent rhythms that veer from tango’s customary rhythmic pulse. Mozzi also injects some dramatic tempo changes into his work while maintaining a careful balance between traditional and contemporary elements on arrangements for ensembles that range in size from duo to octet. On this alluring release, Mozzi proves that his quest to cast his country’s music in a new light has born exceptional fruits.
Another Argentine artist seeking a slightly different path is vocalist Maria Volonté. In recent years, she has become a successful exponent of expanding tango’s stylistic frontiers while maintaining a comfortable relationship with the style’s most hallowed tenets. A popular singer who is regularly featured in some of Buenos Aires’ best tango clubs, Volonté is a captivating presence on stage known for her striking appearance and cultured manner. As a vocalist, her style personifies in song the attributes of one of her countrymen’s favorite beverages, the cortado -- a rich blend of milk and strong coffee. On Héctor Stampone’s classic “El ultimo café,“ served up with in a stripped down jazz trio setting where she shares the spotlight with pianist Daniel Garcia, her arresting interpretation coats the melancholy mood of the well-known ballad with a creamy sensuality that makes the performance wholly mesmerizing. For Astor Piazzolla’s hauntingly evocative “Vuelva al sur,” she mines an even deeper emotional vein, while on “Tarde,” she and the Tangoloco quintet embrace the natural melding of tango and bossa nova with Brazilian-style guitar rhythms layered over rippling bandoneon lines. Regardless of the stylistic setting, Volonté is unerringly effective.

-end-
- Americas Magazine