Bajofondo

Bajofondo
Bajofondo in 2006
Background information
Also known as	Bajofondo Tango Club
Origin	Argentina/Uruguay
Genres	Neotango, electronica, tango, candombe, milonga
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Universal Music Latin Sony Masterworks
Website	bajofondomusic.com
Members	Gustavo Santaolalla, Juan Campodónico, Luciano Supervielle, Martín Ferrés, Verónica Loza, Javier Casalla, Gabriel Casacuberta, Adrián Sosa

Bajofondo is a Río de la Plata-based music band consisting of eight musicians from Argentina and Uruguay, which aims to create a more contemporary version of tango and other musical styles of the Río de la Plata region. It was founded in the early 2000s as a studio experiment, which culminated into the successful album Bajofondo Tango Club. This led to touring and eventually to the current lineup. Bajofondo calls itself a collaborative as all members have solo careers as well. The group has toured around the world, particularly in Latin America, the United States, Europe and parts of Asia. Their music is known to a wider audience than those who know their name as their music has been used in film and television.

The name alludes to the river that separates Argentina and Uruguay politically but unites the area as a region, called Rio de la Plata. The music has been called “electrotango” or “electronic tango” but leader Gustavo Santaolalla does not believe that it sufficiently describes the group’s sound, stating there is more than that. Tango is an influence but it not the band’s style.

The Argentine-Uruguayan influence is more than just tango, and includes murga, milonga and candombe. The idea of the group is to take these traditional styles and create something more contemporary, with elements from rock, hip hop, jazz and electronic music, especially sampling.

Bajofondo calls itself a collective, rather than a band, where members work on both projects under the Bajofondo name and on individual projects, often in collaboration with one or more other members. There are eight members, seven musicians and one VJ, who gives a theatrical aspect to live performances, by adding digital images in real time to the music. Each member has their own solo career, and lives in different places. Two of its members, drummer Adrian Nicolas Sosa and producer-composer Gustavo Santaolalla, live in Los Angeles. Four more are in Uruguay, and two are in Argentina. In addition, on most albums, the group has collaborated with other artists including Elvis Costello, Nelly Furtado, Julieta Venegas, La Mala Rodriguez, and Gustavo Cerati.