Maria Volonte

Comments Argentina, December 1999 — One of the hidden gems of Buenos Aires , María Volonté began by singing tangos, the music of this city. But today her own eclectic tastes and the passion of the music have led her to a broader repertoire which stretches across Latin America and even beyond. Her own musical compositions (which are among the best of the songs on her new CD “Cornisas del Corazón”) stretch across tango, jazz and Latin American rhythms, clearly betraying the breadth of her inspiration.

But in the end her musical soul is rooted in the contradictions of tango and Buenos Aires itself: rough and sweet; cerebral and passionate, Volonté is a point of reference for uncovering the true spirit of Buenos Aires .

Inexplicably, Volonté remains largely undiscovered by a wider public. But with a devout following filling her weekly shows at the Café Tortoni, she hardly seems to mind. The evident pleasure she and the tight quintet that backs her up take in making music together is wildly contagious in the confines of the Tortoni. Though they must have played the same songs together hundreds of times, the group evinces such energy that one could easily imagine that they had just sat down together for the very first time. Highly recommended.