Saving the sound of the tango
Tuning bandoneons in Buenos Aires
Hi! Today I wanted to share my latest story for National Geographic, a short profile of Damián Guttlein, who is perhaps the world’s most important living tuner of the bandoneon — the quintessential instrument of the tango.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/tango-music-buenos-aires-bandoneon
Some of you might remember an essay I wrote in 2021 for The New York Times about Mexico City’s “accordion doctor,” still one of my all-time favorites. This piece reminds me of that one, except it’s set in Argentina. And though they may look similar, the bandoneon is not an accordion — it’s a type of concertina, sort of like a handheld organ, and way less common. Its sad and sweet melodic sound is known by some as the “sound of Buenos Aires,” and Guttlein is its guardian. He tunes by ear, having learned the delicate practice from two luthiers, called Los Tanos, who tuned many of the bandoneons during the golden age of tango in the 1940s.
His workshop consists of a small room tucked off to the side of his home, an old, yellow Spanish colonial in San Martín, Buenos Aires. He works alone, for now, though he’s still in search of an apprentice (if you’re interested, I’ll pass your name along).
This story came about because over the past few years, I’ve been fascinated by the bandoneon and the people who still play it. All of them pointed me to Guttlein (who himself actually doesn’t know how to play, even after all these years of tuning). It’s a small but mighty community, and I’m proud to shine a light on it — and always glad to write a story in one of my favorite cities in the world.
Here, again, is the link to read and find more of Sarah Pabst’s spectacular photographs: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/tango-music-buenos-aires-bandoneon
Thanks, as always, for your support.
Abrazos,
Jordan -