Payadora Ensemble will be bringing an exciting afternoon of tango music to St. John’s United Church in Creemore.
Presented by the Purple Hills Arts and Heritage Society, the Nov. 22 Payadora Ensemble performance will feature a mix of traditional tango, original music and other styles influenced by the group’s musicians.
Rebekah Wolkstein, the group’s founder, violinist and vocalist, first became interested in tango while studying at the Cleveland Institute of Music. After hearing recordings of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla and his quintet, she fell in love with the music and decided she wanted to start her own tango band.
“When I moved to Toronto, I was looking for the right musicians and trying to figure out how does one start a tango band?” Said Wolkstein.
Payadora formed in 2013. Wolkstein said one of the things that makes the group different is the way its musicians draw on their backgrounds in chamber music, and other styles.
“We bring chamber music sensibilities to tango,” she said.
Along with traditional tango, the group plays modern tango and folk music from Argentina and Uruguay. Wolkstein and fellow musician Drew Jurecka also write original music for the ensemble.
While tango is often known for its dramatic and passionate sound, Wolkstein said the group also likes to have fun with its performances.
“Even if the music might be highly dramatic and passionate, we’re having a lot of fun on stage and the audience is laughing a lot,” she said.
The upcoming concert will include passionate love songs, vocal duets and music from the group’s multimedia project The Legend of Carau, the story of a young gaucho, or cowboy, who forgets what is important in life.
The group has also worked on Silent Tears: The Last Yiddish Tango, a project that sets the words of people who experienced the Holocaust to music.
“I think music takes over when words can’t express anymore,” said Wolkstein.
She explained that music can also bring out memories and emotions for listeners, even without lyrics or a specific story being told.
This will not be Wolkstein’s first time performing in Creemore. She previously visited with Tom Allen for a chamber musical about Johann Sebastian Bach and remembers the audience as warm and appreciative.
She is looking forward to returning with Payadora and introducing the group to local audiences.
Wolkstein said people are often surprised by the variety of music they perform, especially those who have never been to a tango concert before.
“We’re thrilled when an audience comes out to give it a shot because really, everyone’s always happily surprised,” she said.
Payadora Ensemble is on stage at St. John’s United Church in Creemore on Saturday, Nov. 22. Doors open at 1:30 p.m., with the concert beginning at 2 p.m.
Tickets cost $45 at the door or $40, plus fees, online through the Purple Hills Arts and Heritage Society at phahs.ca. The concert is for ages 12 and up.
Readers can learn more about the multimedia project at legendofcarau.com.
