I’ll come back to tango many times in this blog but right now I want to open up the channels to some other music that rocks my boat (read inspires). This is from The Motorcycle diaries and is another Argentine musician and composer Gustavo Santaolalla who wrote the music and in this video is playing the Charango
The charango is usually made with a dried armadillo shell for the back and wood for the soundbox top, neck etc, today charangos are commonly made of wood, with a bowled back imitating the shape of the armadillo shell. Unlike most wooden lutes, the body and neck are typically made of a single block of wood, carved into shape. The charango’s ten strings require quite a large headstock, often approaching or even exceeding the size of its diminutive sound box. Aside from these visual distinctions, it resembles a small ukelele.
