North Harbour Club AIMES Award winner Grayson Masefield is a multi-world champion accordionist who has spent the past decade performing throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas with orchestras and as a soloist. Since returning to New Zealand he has formed the first quintet of its kind in Aotearoa: Aotango.
The name Aotango combines ‘ao’, meaning ‘world’ in te reo Māori, with ‘tango’ - signifying their seamless fusion of world music and tango, presented alongside an eclectic mix of styles and genres. This unique combination, including violin, piano, electric guitar and double bass, takes after the form of Argentinian composer and bandoneonist Ástor Piazzolla’s famous quintets for nuevo tango.
Aotango’s members are accomplished soloists and ensemble musicians in their own right: violinist Andrew Beer (Concertmaster of Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Best Classical Artist at the 2020 New Zealand Music Awards), pianist Somi Kim (NZTrio), bassist Gordon Hill (APO Section Principal) and acclaimed jazz guitarist Sam Swindells.
Piazzolla broke tradition when he developed nuevo tango. In his hands, tango was no longer restricted to dance music. His compositions were influenced by jazz, klezmer, and classical forms, creating a completely new style that was extremely innovative and polarising at the time.
Aotango's inaugural concerts were presented by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra as part of their ‘In Your Neighbourhood’ initiative, with two sold-out shows in Saint Heliers and Titirangi.
Their second series, ‘A Century of Tango’ is a musical journey through the evolution of tango, showcasing popular favourites such as El Choclo, Por una Cabeza and La Cumparsita, through to the revolutionary works of Ástor Piazzolla. These concerts explore the development of the tango from the ports of Buenos Aires, spreading around the world and evolving into the style we know and love today.
Aotango’s ‘Century of Tango’ tour has the following shows:
The concert on November 22nd will be held at the new Event Centre at Westlake Girls High School. A very momentous occasion with Westlake alumnus Somi Kim performing on the school's newly acquired Hamburg Steinway Model D Concert Grand!
Tickets are available online through eventfinda. For more information, please visit the website: www.aotango.com.
