A group of musicians in China are concocting a novel style of tango music by preserving its Latin roots and mixing it with Chinese elements. 

A group photo of the To Melody Ensemble is taken at the backstage of the group’s 14th anniversary concert at the Central Conservatory of Music on December 7, 2024. From left: Liu Mingze, Han Xiang, Xu Keqing, Shi Yue, and Wang Zeyu. 

The expressive, exotic Argentina-born tango music has engrossed generations of Chinese audiences through films, album records, and radio stations since the twentieth century. Today, in China, a tango ensemble, called “To Melody Ensemble” and composed of young graduates from the elite Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM), is exploring new dimensions by incorporating Chinese tunes into tango music.

The ensemble – an accordionist, a violinist, a guitarist, a pianist, and a cellist – is rehearsing selections from their newly released album Shall We Dance? in preparation for their upcoming national tour. Founded 15 years ago, this group have performed on a range of venues including concerts, music festivals, and diplomatic events at home and abroad.

Passion for Tango

The Chinese name of this ensemble is “和合” – “harmony” – which is a pivotal Chinese philosophical vision, explained Xu Keqing, an accordion teacher at CCOM and founder and accordion player of the ensemble. “As the name suggests, we hope to achieve harmony between musicians and their instruments, as well as between different cultures,” Xu added.

In 2010, he founded this ensemble while he was a sophomore in the high school affiliated with CCOM. “I did not have the chance to perform with other instruments in an orchestra until I came to this school where the students specialize in various musical instruments. So, I thought why not take advantage of it and start a band,” he recalled.

Why did Xu choose tango? He explained, “It began as a personal preference. I first heard tango music on master cellist YoYo Ma’s album. The piece was ‘Libertango,’ composed by Astor Piazzolla … I was struck by its compelling melody and drawn to it instantly.” He found the music score of this piece in the school library and their band started to rehearse it. They dedicated significant time after school to practice together.

Over the years, the lineup of the ensemble’s members changed several times. “Some started to work. Some went on to study in other cities,” said Xu, who has been in the team all along and teaching at CCOM after graduating there with a master’s degree in the accordion. “It’s sad to say goodbye to a partner, yet also a happy occasion to have new blood joining our team. I have stayed in contact with those old members, talking about our life and tango,” he added.

Mixing with Chinese Elements

Inspired by Piazzolla, the tango music icon who mixed classical music with tango about a century ago, Xu and his team members have been also obsessed with mixing tango with other music genres, especially Chinese folk music.

Their new album features a unique fusion: blending the century-old tango classic “La Cumparsita (Masquerade),” with elements of China’s Sichuan Opera. “I’ve always sensed a similarity between Sichuan Opera’s signature face-changing act and the characteristic pauses and turns of tango dance. That’s why I proposed integrating these two styles to our composer, Professor Li Yongming.”

This is not the first time the ensemble has made such a bold attempt. In their first album TO MELODY ENSEMBLE – Flowers Tango released in 2019, a track titled “The Flower of Tango” is a fusion of classical tango and a classic Chinese song called “Why Are the Flowers So Red.”

“Why Are the Flowers So Red” is a part of the soundtrack of the classic film Visitors on the Icy Mountain set in Xinjiang and released in 1963. Based on a folk tune of China’s ethnic Tajik people, this spellbinding song enthralled several generations of Chinese people with its ethereal melody.

Rooted in the Pamir Plateau, China’s Tajik folk songs have mainly been spread in present-day Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County and surrounding regions. In 2011, ethnic Tajik folk songs were added to China’s national list of intangible cultural heritage items to better preserve this legacy.

These melancholic songs are deemed classics and have received the high praise of many people. This amalgam resonates with wider audiences in both countries. Some Chinese and foreign fans even asked for a copy of its sheet music.

For the same album, Li Yongmin also adapted a well-known Chinese song “The Girls from Dabancheng” into a tango-style version entitled, “The Charm of Xinjiang.” The original piece was arranged by the distinguished composer Wang Luobin in 1938 from a Uygur folk melody. This song’s cheerful and exuberant vibe has led to numerous recordings and performances since its release. Li’s rendition amplified the electric and lively atmosphere by maintaining Uygur music’s signature hand drum beats and seamlessly mixed with tango music’s iconic rhythm.

Dialogue between Cultures

Music, like other forms of art, transcends time and boundaries, having the magic to connect people from different cultural backgrounds.

When Ariel Pirotti, the director, pianist, and arranger of the Tango Orchestra of the National University of the Arts in Argentina, heard that the To Melody Ensemble was preparing to produce a second album, he offered to compose a track for it. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ariel is very glad to see that tango music, an icon of his home country, is appreciated and loved by audiences in China.

He composed a song titled “Antonio Porteño” to commemorate his grandfather, Miguel Antonio Pirotti, from whom the composer learned many admirable qualities and who also sparked his lifelong passion in tango.

After Li was commissioned to arrange “La Cumparsita (Masquerade),” he wrote a long message to the ensemble, sharing his ideas about the piece produced by the Uruguayan musician Gerardo Matos Rodríguez back in 1917 – “At an extravagant masquerade accompanied by tango music, some covered their tears or melancholy with masks of laughing faces, some concealed their elaborate makeup with an indifferent look. Their masks are heavier and thicker than armor, guarding the insides of their hearts.” In arranging this piece, he felt like he was conversing in music with the Latin composer across space and time.

There are also many face-to-face exchanges for Chinese and Argentine musicians. “International music events or diplomatic occasions often provide us a platform to showcase our performances and share our music and cultural ideas with foreign artists and audiences we meet. Especially in 2022, to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Argentina, both countries held a series of cultural events where we had the opportunity to exchange skills with Argentine artists,” Xu recalled, adding that “it is an honor to be part of this music community serving as a bridge to promote mutual understanding between different cultures.”