Journalist: How did music come into your life, and how did the harmonica become your favorite instrument?
Franco Luciani: Music has been in my life since I was very young. My grandparents were both related to music, my paternal grandfather was a lyrical singer and my maternal grandfather was a military band director. I could say the same about my father, he is a music lover who taught me to listen to music from a very young age. My brother Leonardo had his band when he was a teenager and when I was younger I accompanied him to the rehearsal rooms. My uncle had a battery that when he went to live abroad he left it at my grandmother’s house, that was the first instrument I started to play. From one day to the next I made the decision to start studying, I studied symphonic drums and percussion, and already very advanced I discovered the harmonica. In the harmonica I discovered a wonderful instrument with incredible possibilities. It was a slow process but it was a hug that we gave each other, like a couple that gets to know each other little by little. Knowing how to read music, I began to study it on my own, I became enthusiastic and so I decided to put together my own project, mainly at the beginning of folk music. In 2001 he won the Pre Cosquín and the revelation at the Cosquín in 2002, and that’s when he finished saying that the harmonica is my instrument.
Q.: How was the artistic union with José Colángelo born? And how much did the music of Hugo Díaz have to do with it?
FL: The artistic union with Pepe was progressive. We once played in a tribute to Hugo Díaz that Mavi (Díaz), who is my musical sister, did at the Margarita Xirgu theater. The show went through different stages in Hugo’s career, and in the tango stage there we played for the first time with José. There was a beautiful chemistry, the themes of Gardel’s records were recreated. A few years passed from there when we were summoned to close the gala concert at the end of the 2019 Tango Festival at the Usina del Arte. As a result of that show, together with Mavi and Gabriel Soria (president of the National Tango Academy) as promoters of the idea, we decided to record. We had a couple of sessions at Tasso and we looked for that freshness of those albums that the maestro had recorded with Hugo Díaz, playing the melodies and presenting them as we already have them well known… That’s how “Tango Improvised” was born.
Hugo’s music had a lot to do with it, he’s an artist who inspires me a lot, he was a huge influence from the moment I started listening to him as a teenager on the recommendation of my old man. As soon as I picked up the harmonica, he told me “you have to listen to Hugo Díaz and Toots Thielemans”, and among others they are the two pillars that have forged my love for the harmonica. Those wonderful tango records have Pepe Colángelo’s piano, and for me it was a challenge, one that I took very well, from the best and more being able to enjoy it with him who lived that experience.
Q.: How was recording “Tango Improvised” and sharing stages together?
FL: It was a very nice process, we played to take advantage of what we had to give each one. We seek to improvise with the knowledge of the technique. That is generally associated with jazz because it is a genre that developed it a lot, but it is valid for all genres. Recording together with Pepe, playing and this idea that there is also the language of tango in each note, is very interesting. This is what is called improvising on the language of tango and it is what is enjoyed together with the teacher.
Q.: Is there any chance of a “Volume 2” coming?
FL: Although there is no concrete plan, I cannot deny the possibility of a second part. We have talked about it in some sound tests, there where one begins to throw out other tangos in the way that this was formed. Looking at each other and seeing how things flowed, we said “we have to put together another 8 or 10 tangos and do it”. It could be a possibility, at the moment we are very happy with this “Improvised Tango” as a starting point.
Q.: What can the public expect from the show at Tasso?
FL: In this show you will find very interesting, very rich and very varied things. Each new concert is different, because the improvisation is influenced by the situation of the moment. Because of the feeling of the person who is carrying it out, in this case we musicians, but also because of what happens that night with the place and the energy of the people. That’s why each new concert is really a surprise and there are new elements, new winks and new things. Without anticipating anything, I can say that in this concert there are going to be several guests who are going to join in with their instruments. And Tasso is a beautiful setting where one can get the best of oneself.
Franco Luciani is an instrumentalist, harmonica player, composer and singer who, despite his youth, has a career spanning more than 20 years. He has shared stages, toured and participated in recordings with a wide range of renowned national and international artists (Mercedes Sosa, Fito Paez, Pedro Aznar, Jaime Torres, Divididos, Guillermo Fernández, León Gieco, Luís Salinas, Maria Graña, Teresa Parodi, among others). He has been the recipient of multiple national awards. He will be presenting with Jose Pepe Colangelo “Improvised Tango” at the Tasso on Friday 29 from 8:30 p.m.
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
