Cellist and composer Beata Söderberg was born in 1976 in Linköping, Sweden. As a child, she learned piano from her mother and sang in a children’s choir. At the age of eight, she began to play the cello – the instrument that would soon become her most important means of expression and a constant companion in life.
During her school years, Ms Söderberg divided her time between music, acting and her studies, but after high school she decided to focus on music and attended the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. On receiving her Bachelor’s degree in 1998 she moved to New York City with a full scholarship to study at the Manhattan School of Music where she received her Master of Music degree in 2002.
In New York, she discovered Argentine tango music and dance. Her passion for the genre resulted in various collaborations with New York tango musicians, playing both traditional tango, Astor Piazzolla and Tango Nuevo – the newest form of the genre.
After finishing her studies, Söderberg wanted to try something she had not yet done: to write music. In her music for quintet (cello, piano, bass, bandoneon and drums) she presents a new tango sound, with the cello as the leading voice.
Beatitudes, her début CD, was recorded in the legendary Estudios Ion in Buenos Aires in June 2004 together with some of the greatest tango musicians in the world: Walter Ríos (bandoneon), Juan Esteban Cuacci (piano), Roberto Tormo (bass) and José Luis Colzani (percussion). The disc received outstanding reviews from all major magazines and radio stations in the country, and in April 2005 it was nominated for the Argentinean equivalent of the Grammy Awards in the category “Mejor Album/Artista-Tango Nuevas Formas” at the “Premios Carlos Gardel.”
In November 2005, Söderberg recorded BeSo – her second full-length album of original tango composition, accompanied by her band JusTango: Christian Zarate (piano), Roberto Tormo (bass), Horacio Romo (bandoneon) Jose Luis Colzani (percussion).
Bailata was released in 2008. It is an album dedicated to the devoted crowd of tango dancers around the world.
Beata Söderberg is also a talented tango dancer.
Discography
* Beatitudes (2004)
* BeSo (2005)
* Bailata (2008)
Web sites
http://www.beatasoderberg.com
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
