Tango legend Walter Rios to perform in Hong Kong concert supported by local cellist Justin Siu and pianist Stephanie Fung

Violinist Momoko Aida, guitarist Nobel Queano, double bassist Eliza Chen and singer Mariel Dupetit – Rios’ wife – complete hand-picked line-up for show featuring both traditional tango and Astor Piazzolla’s pioneering ‘nuevo tango’

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Tango music master and virtuoso bandoneon player Walter Rios will perform in Tango Apasionado 2 at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts on July 16 together with a handful of local and Asian musicians.

Published: 5:01pm, 12 Jul 2017Updated: 6:08pm, 12 Jul 2017

Organising tango music concerts in Hong Kong is no mean feat – local musician and impresario Justin Siu can attest to that. But following last November’s well-received Tango Apasionado show at the Sheung Wan Civic Centre, Siu will be presenting, as well as performing in, another live concert on Sunday, featuring the world-famous tango composer, arranger and virtuoso bandoneon performer Walter Rios.

Siu says the “soul of the tango” is the bandoneon, a concertina-like instrument originally from Germany that somehow found its spiritual home in Argentina. However, because it is fiendishly difficult to master, good players are in short supply – particularly in Asia.

Since Rios, 74, is among the leading exponents of contemporary tango music, and is particularly admired for his prowess on the bandoneon, it fell to Siu to assemble musicians who can play authentic tango music alongside him. To do that, the classical cellist and jazz bassist turned to YouTube.

Cellist and bassist Justin Siu explains that in tango, the groove changes tempo as it does in classical music.

Siu says the online video platform is perfect not so much for auditioning but for making “remarkable” discoveries.

“Auditioning can be done via other digital platforms. What sets YouTube apart is that it is just so immensely vast and resourceful on all fronts, ready to be discovered,” he says.