A Life of Tango

In 1984 I saw him for the first time. I had just discovered the bandoneon. With his right hand he was playing a virtuoso piece, with his left hand, at the same time, he very calmly straightened his glasses. It was marvellous, the audience was in stitches. It was one of the most important tango concerts that I have ever seen. The ease, the humour with which he played on his instrument, and with such virtuosity. As soon as Carel Kraayenhof begins to speak about his master, Alfredo Marcucci, its hard to stop him. After the Dutch bandoneon player had seen Marcucci perform several times in the mid 1980s, he tried to get in touch with the Argentinian. A lively correspondence began. Alfredo sent me tips and pieces of music, pieces by Julio De Caro and Adios Nonino by Piazzolla. In 1986, Kraayenhof attended a weeklong very inspiring workshop given by Marcucci. No one in the Netherlands played the bandoneon, becoming a real bandoneon player seemed so unattainable. And then all of a sudden you encounter an incredibly sweet older man like this, a great figure in the tango world: Just sit down, my boy, Ill show you how. Alfredo was a musical father for me in those days, says Kraayenhof. I am still deeply thankful to him for that.