What's the future of the bandoneon tradition?
A review of the latest developments in lutherie.
In the bandoneon world, tradition and innovation often seem to be at odds. On the one hand, there are those who advocate the preservation of old voices and instruments, which is fine. But one has to keep in mind that in the case of the voices (which create the sound), the material has an inescapable limit. While on the other hand, there are those who embrace new technologies and approaches in the making of these instruments. But, which path should we take as a community of bandoneonists and luthiers?
Currently, the idea of looking for old voices for the instruments is still being put forward (and supposedly applied), however, this seems to be in conflict with several notions. It is important to understand that this mentality is outdated, not old-fashioned, EPOCA. Instead of clinging to the past, we should revalue and bet on new makers, as well as contemporary technologies applied to lutherie.
Some might argue in favor of using rescued voices from old bandoneons, but does it really make sense? Is it efficient and effective to disassemble an old instrument to obtain its voices, especially when we consider that the most valuable and difficult to produce components, such as the combs, are at stake? Furthermore, wouldn't it make more sense to take advantage of advances in manufacturing new components that use the same steel alloys with years of applied industrial development?
It is time to challenge obsolete practices and step out of our comfort zone. I invite my fellow bandoneon players to reflect on these questions and explore more current production instruments and parts. There are a number of manufacturers with excellent results, and they will continue to improve. Their bandoneons will be different from the AA's of the early 20th century, but it is logical, understandable and even healthy that they are, and hopefully in a few years we will find new sound timbres from new manufacturers.
At the end of the day, if we want to keep the bandoneon tradition alive and attract younger generations to this beautiful instrument, we must be open to innovation and progress in lutherie. It is time to look forward and welcome the producers of voices, ornaments and whole bandoneons who are taking this tradition to new horizons.
What do you think?
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