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THIS WEEK MUSIC maltatoday | SUNDAY • 20 OCTOBER 2019 6 TEODOR RELJIC speaks to f lutist Fiorella Camilleri ahead of Diablo y Angel, an upcoming concert performed by her newly-formed Tango Nuevo Quintet, which will serve as a tribute to the enduring mastery of landmark tango composer Astor Piazzolla Teodor Reljic Remembering Piazzola Astor Piazzolla has become something of a staple of the world music scene. What do you think lies behind his wide and enduring appeal, and how do you hope to individually honour his legacy with this concert? Our concert is a tribute to his artistry, so we selected some of his tango master- pieces, which contributed to his international fame. Pi- azzolla revolutionised and transformed the traditional tango to tango nuevo – a transformation of the sounds that symbolise the history of Argentina and its mix of cul- tural influences arising from migration. The music is all about rhythm, expression and pas- sion with a mix of jazz, clas- sical and tango music. In our concert, the violin is substituted by the flute, and as a musician I have to give my interpretation another colour to stay faithful to the original extended violin techniques. However, this al- so recalls the elements of the original ensemble, which was constituted of a flute, violin and guitar. How would you define the dynamic you have with your fellow musicians who'll be joining you for this concert? How would you say they channel their own passion for Piazzolla's work, and what do they each bring to the table? Although this will be our debut as a quintet, I have had the pleasure of performing with all musicians in an in- dividual capacity. The choice of the musicians, who are all fantastic players, was based on the sound I wanted to cre- ate with the quintet. In fact, two are jazz musicians and three of us are classical musi- cians – this in itself reflects the original intention in the formation of Piazzolla. The musicianship of the indi- vidual players is exceptional, however when we come to- gether as a group during re- hearsals the energy of tango takes over. Together, we are sharing musical ideas and developing the ensemble, staying faithful to Piazzolla's original music while bringing a unique musical flair to the proceedings. What do you hope local music lovers will get from this concert, and what do you hope they'll remember from it? The concert will provide a unique evening not only to music lovers but also to those interested in dance since we will also be joined by Moveo Dance Company for some of the numbers. Anyone who shares the passion for incred- ible music will live the magic, authenticity and passion of every single note composed by Piazzolla. The repertoire, other than the most popular work, is not often performed in Malta and hearing the Bandoneon as one of the in- struments will be a treat for audiences. What do you make of the local musical scene? What would you change about it? There are definitely a num- ber of opportunities to create and organise projects, how- ever funding is always a chal- lenge. Once you believe in an idea, all you have to do is to believe in it and make it hap- pen in one way or another. So perseverance is key to realise your dreams. New talent is always on the increase and although pub- lic funding is limited and sometimes very challenging to tap into, one may have to look at alternatives to make it happen. A good approach would be to encourage pri- vate investors and companies