In describing the music that she passionately loves and performs daily, Argentinean singer Sandra Luna quotes the famous lyrics of tango composer Horacio Ferrer: “Cinders that burn again and again…tango is like life, and has to evolve.”  Born in Buenos Aires’ slaughterhouse district of Mataderos, a neighborhood that first nurtured the rise of tango in the early 1900s, Luna was raised in the new era of modern tango, performing at the tender age of seven in local tango bars like the Boliche de Rotundo and local television and radio shows by age eight.  Before her twelfth birthday, Luna was already a rising tango star in her native Buenos Aires.

“Most people think of tango as a very nostalgic form of music, which in many cases is true, but like life itself, tango is also joy and happiness, a little of everything one encounters in life regardless of a time or era.  Tango can be sad, happy, social or political, simply everything that is happening around you.  In the 1970s, the Argentinean government banned many tangos from the airwaves for their political content, which was feared for its truthfulness.  As a child I remember being told that I couldn’t sing certain tangos due to this ban.”

When asked why she was inclined to sing tangos as a child over other popular genres of music, she responded: “Tango chose me as its interpreter in this revitalized era of tango in Argentina.  I’m grateful and honored to be a modern spokeswoman of this musical movement.”  Promoting her first international release Tango Varón, which debuted on May 25 on Times Square Records, Luna visited the North American continent in July, performing on the U.S. east coast and came out for one night in Los Angeles at the Echo Club, where she delivered a triumphant performance with her trio of musicians.  The modest yet enthusiastic audience witnessed a balanced, strong repertoire of traditional tango standards and newly written compositions from Luna’s new CD, including her theme song Me Llaman Luna to the more traditional tango forms of the selections Que Nadie Sepa Mi Sufrir and Carritos Cartoneros.  Her accompanying trio is directed by Luna’s husband, cellist Daniel Pucci, with Exequiel Mantega on piano and Daniel Ruggiero on the bandoneón.  Sandra Luna is not afraid to challenge the proud machismo image of traditional tango.  Her title track Tango Varón (Male Tango) recalls the origin of the male dominant tango in Buenos Aires but in her hands the track delivers the passion and exuberance of a confident woman.