Nostálgico by El Muro Tango

El Muro Tango is the Argentine-Norwegian tango band formed by the Argentinian musician Juan Pablo de Lucca and the Norwegian Karl Espegard. For Juan Pablo, a nephew of the renown tango singer Alberto Castillo, the tango was always present. Karl Espegard who started to study classical violin at the age of 8, stepped into the world of tango during a language course in Buenos Aires and emigrated to Argentina in 2014 for a while in order to dedicate himself entirely to the tango. Soon after, he was touring with a band through whole Argentina.

Juan Pablo de Lucca moved to Europa in 2016 after he had played with many bands and artists like Oscar Pugliese’s daughter Beba. When Karl was back in Europe, they met each other through Facebook and started to play as a tango trio.

They played concerts all over the world and gained recognition as well in the European as in the south American tango scene. Their sound could be described as a mix of traditional tango with elements of jazz and modern music and sounds as tight as a wall, which resulted in the bands’ name. The rhythmic pulse keeps a steady imaginary connection to the body of a dancer and forces him to leave his comfort zone.

The title of the album "Nostalgicó" goes straight to the core of what the Argentine tango represents; nostalgia and longing for what once was. "This is often about loss or impossible love," explains Norwegian violinist Karl Espegard, who has lived several years in Buenos Aires. "It can also be an expression of longing for family, homeland and birthplace; the tango occurred among the poor Argentine working class, emigrants from all over Europe who found each other in music, dance and poetry".

Part of the current line-up is Juan Villareal, the lead singer of the famous orchestra El Arranque. “I have been working with these guys for over a year now, and there is something special about the group which is rare to find in most of today’s tango bands” notes Juan Villarreal. “They have an intensity and raw energy on stage which blows me away. The arrangements are beautifully worked, original but still firmly rooted in the traditions of the old masters. With El Muro I am continuously expanding and developing my artistic expression.”

For selected concerts they feature a spectacular dance performance of Cyrena Drusine & Steinar Refsdal, the finalists of this years Norway’s Got Talent competition.

The album was recorded in Oslo in September last year, just after finishing their first tour with Villarreal. “This album is very important to us; it defines who we are musically and enables us to reach a larger audience” explains pianist Juan Pablo de Lucca. “We have been playing frequently in Germany and it is a great place for tango today. Being able to release under the wings of Galileo Music as a new up-and-coming band is a great privilege”.