Gustavo Pazos Conde – Rincón de las Penas. Guitar works from Uruguay III (Saphrane Records, 2023)
Guitarist Gustavo Pazos Conde’s new solo album is yet another tribute to the music of Uruguay. Significantly, Pazos Conde sees his guitar as the expression of a world of emotions and landscapes that represent his homeland.
Throughout Rincón de las Penas – Guitar works from Uruguay III, Pazos Conde skillfully and elegantly presents various local musical traditions, including lovely estilo, zamba and milonga. The album contains mostly his own work, although he also performs pieces by guitarist Ernesto Snajer and Argentine bandoneon maestro Dino Saluzzi.
Gustavo Pazos Conde was born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1960. Young Gustavo dove into the world of guitar with the guidance of an elder teacher in El Cordón, a cozy neighborhood in Montevideo. That mentor played a pivotal role in Gustavo’s evolution, steering him from classical guitar to the vibrant beats of traditional gaucho rhythms like milonga, vidalita, and estilo.
The influence of these distinctive guitar styles stuck with him, combining seamlessly with his early life experiences in the rustic landscapes of Tacuarembó, nestled in the heart of Uruguay. As the years rolled on, Gustavo dove into a more formal musical education. Yet, the true classroom for this maestro was the stage itself. At a mere 19, he started playing tunes in public, whether rocking it solo, in groups, or backing up traditional music singers.
It was during this lively period that Gustavo birthed his own musical creations, unveiling them in various recordings. The inaugural instrumental CD, Papas Calientes (Pan Records), hit the scene in 1998. Collaborating with Dutch classical guitarist Esther Steenbergen, the album presented their original compositions for two guitars. The musical journey continued with solo projects like Caraguata. Guitar Works from Uruguay (Saphrane S62614, 2012) and Estacion Eden. Guitar Works from Uruguay II (Saphrane S62617, 2016).
Gustavo Pazos Conde says about this new recording: “On my previous CDs, I define my guitar as the expression of a world of emotions and landscapes. This new musical work walks the same path and once again converges past and present through my vision of several musical traditions of the Gaucho, which are not limited to Uruguay but also extend to Argentina, a country I know very well.
“Besides my own work, I include here two composers from Argentina closely related to my own musical world and also because I claim them for their quality and mastership, besides a great friendship: the guitar player Ernesto Snajer and the bandoneon master Dino Saluzzi. Finally, I also include one Peruvian yaraví, the mestizo version of the pre-Columbian jarawi or harawi (lyrical love songs). The Yaraví is the source of several musical forms of the Gaucho traditions like the triste and the estilo, therefore very linked to Argentina and Uruguay. That is why I include one yaraví, for its beauty and because of the respect I have for the Peruvian guitar tradition.”
Author: Iliana Cabrera
