biography
ALEJANDRO BRITTES
A son of parents from the Argentine province of Corrientes, Alejandro´s mother Marciana Ifrán of Santo Tomé was a radio host, and his father Hipólito Brittes of Perugorría was a musical producer of some of the great names in Chamamé such as: Isáco Abitbol and Fito Ledesma. At twelve years old Alejandro began to study accordion with Nini Flores, and at fifteen, formed his first musical group, recording his first album “Por la Senda Chamamecera”.
In 1989 he began his studies of Classical Music at the Escola Juan Pedro Esnaola, and later, pursued a career in popular music. In 1992, he won an intercolegial competition titled: “La copa de la música”, that was awarded by the Argentine newspaper La Nación.
Three years later, in 1995, he won the Ramalló Porá Revelation prize in Buenos Aires and also the Carlos Keen award as best musician and musical ensemble.
His national debut in Argentina was on Channel 7 in 1996 when he won the best musician award at the Festival de Folclore de Cosquín with an original composition, subsequently recording his third album titled “Cosquín Oro”. Still in 1996, Alejandro was invited by the rock band “Los Piojos” to record on their album “3er arco”, participating in two songs: “Todo Pasa” and “Don’t say tomorrow”, being invited to participate in the album release concerts at the Estádio “Obras Sanitárias” and the “Micro Estádio de Ferro” in Buenos Aires. Two years later, in 1998, he recorded again with “Los Piojos” on the album “Azul” on the songs: “Vals inicial” and “Y quemas”.
In 2000 he belonged to the ensemble of the Mapuche singer and actress Luísa Calcumil, recording on the album “La Cantora”. In the same period in 2001, he embarked on his first international tour with three concerts in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
One of his first projects occurred in 2005, participating as accordionist and producer in the “quarteto típico de Chamamé con Jorge Toloza y Luís Santa Cruz”, recording the album “Herencia chamamecera” in 2007.
In the period of 2005 to 2010 he participated each year in the “Encontro Internacional de Chamamé” in São Luiz Gonzaga (RS).
Living in Brail in 2011, he was invited to represent Brazil and Argentina in the “Festival Internacional de Acordeón de Vallenato” in Colombia. Continuing his international career, in 2012 he invited Portuguese accordionist João Gentil to conduct a tour of Rio Grande do Sul with more than six concerts.
In the same year, he was invited by the Argentina-Brazil Chamber of Commerce of São Paulo, to present a concert in the Memorial da América Latina in São Paulo, carrying out special presentations in the shows of singer Luiz Possi and Orquestra Heartbreakers.
Also in 2012, Alejandro embarked on his first tour of Europe accompanied by André Ely and Lucas Rocha presenting nine concerts together with the Portuguese accordionist João Gentil in Lisbon, and Praia da Tocha in Portugal.
Due to his relationship with artists from Rio Grande do Sul, Alejandro was invited to compose “Décima do Território” for the thematic parade “Nossas Raízes” in the Festejos Farroupilhas do Rio Grande do Sul, together with musician Miguel Castilhos.
The second tour of Europe was in 2012 in France, accompanied by André Ely, Lucas Rocha and Miguel Castilhos presenting in the “Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris”, “Maison de L’Argentine” and also in “Café El Sur”.
In 2013 he invited the Czech folk music group Plzenský Pepící to tour ten cities of Rio Grande do Sul. In January of the same year, he recorded his seventh album “El Viento y las hojas” financed by the Culture Ministry of Brazil, producing album release events in the “Teatro Sociale” in the “Festival Itinirari Folk” in Italy and in the theatre “Peklo Plzeñ” in Czech Republic.
Still in 2013, after releasing the album in Europe, he produces a release event in Argentina in the “Teatro Santa Maria” in Buenos Aires and the “Usina del Arte” in Entre Ríos, and in 2014 he released the album in the plaza “Victor Cívita” cultural space coordinated by the magazine Abril in São Paulo.
In 2014, together with producer Magali de Rossi and the producer of singer/composer Teresa Parodi, María Elvira Grillo Cevey, they created the project “CARAVANA CHAMAMECERA” inviting the artists “Elton Saldanha” and “Os Fagundes”, forming a cultural integration project between Brazil and Argentina, presenting more than 150 shows in Brazil and abroad.
In 2015, Alejandro is invited to participate in the Chamamé project in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, performing at the “Auditório Rubens Gil de Camilo”.
In 2016, he produced a panel about the historical and cultural formation of Chamamé in the “Casa de cultura Mario Quintana” in Porto Alegre (RS) with support of the Ministry of Culture of Brazil.
In 2017, he realized a tour titled “Tiempos de Chamamé” in Argentina and Brazil with the musicians Jorge Toloza, Luís Santa Cruz and Emiliano Faryna.
His first literary publication, titled “As origens do Chamamé” occurred in 2018, with the magazine “Arte Sesc número 23”, co-authored by historian and cultural producer Magali de Rossi.
In 2019 he realized a concert at the Biblioteca Pública Pelotense in Pelotas (RS) produced by Ocho Bajos Music, and also gave his first seminars about the Chamamé rhythm for the Graduate Program of Social Memory and Cultural Heritage and the Associação Amigos do Conservatório Música (ASSAMCON) of the Universidade Federal de Pelotas – UFPEL.
In 2019, Alejandro produced and participated in the tour “80 anos” of the accordionist Raúl Barboza in the Brazilian states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná, and in the same year released a single titled “Raíces del Alma” with Barboza as an invited musician.
In 2021 he as invited to participate as a soloist with the “Orquestra Sinfônica de Campo Grande – Mato Grosso do Sul (BR)” in the presentation “100 anos de Astor Piazzola” as part of the project Encontro com a Música Clássica.
Also, in 2021 Alejandro published his first book “A origem do Chamamé – Uma história para ser contada” in print and e-book formats an in two languages: Portuguese and Spanish. It is a work of anthropological research about the Chamamé rhythm, together with the historian Magali de Rossi. The release of the book occurred the same year via streaming on Alejandro´s YouTube channel, where three sessions occurred regarding the central research themes.
In 2022, he released four singles: “La Colorada”, “Laberintos”, “Ala Ancha” and “Un mate a la distancia”. In July of the same year, he was invited to give a second seminar on the Chamamé rhythm and talk about the book “A origem do Chamamé” again to the Graduate Program of Social Memory and Cultural Heritage and the Associação Amigos do Conservatório Música (ASSAMCON) of the Universidade Federal de Pelotas – UFPEL.
In July 2022, he produced the project “Ponto e Pianada – Ponto de Encontro” together with the accordionist Chango Spasiuk with eight performances in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, with the main show occurring at the Theatro São Pedro in Porto Alegre (RS). In September 2022, Alejandro released his ninth album, titled “(L) ESTE”, it being a double album. The first disc, arranged by Maestro Barroco Fernando Cordella with the participation of a Baroque chamber orchestra, and the second disk composed of traditional Chamamé.
In September and October 2023, he will go on an extensive tour in the United States with more than 25 concerts and 8 lectures about the book: “The Origin of Chamamé, with support from the Ibermúsicas, Mid Atlantic Arts and Funarte programs.
In October 2023, he was invited to speak together with Magali de Rossi in the Cultural Anthropology course at Faculdade Dom Bosco with the theme: “History, mysticism and culture of Chamamé. ”
In November 2023, he was invited to participate in the lecture at the XI ENABET – National Meeting of the Brazilian Association of Ethnomusicology, speaking with names such as Deyse Luci Montardo.
In the months of October, September and December 2023, it performs two concerts of the show (L)ESTE in the following locations: Theatro São Pedro in Porto Alegre (RS) and Hotel Tenondé in São Miguel das Missões (RS), financed by the Law of Incentive to Cultural – Rouanet Law with sponsorship from companies – Arroz Prato Fino, Redmaq, Viera Agrocereais and Roda Pneus.
In December 2023, he participated as a guest musician in the II Festival da Gaita, held by accordionist Renato Borghetti in Barra do Riberio (RS).
In January 2024, APAP|NYC, one of the largest music fairs in the United States, will take part.
In January 2024, he performs the closing show at the Fiesta Nacional del Chamamé, in Corrientes – Argentina.
THE CONCERT
Alejandro navigates with his accordion, playing with the temporal universe of his music. He utilizes gravity to awaken the sensation that the music can touch your skin. A unique perception that the music fluctuates, and in listening to it, you enter into a space in which anything can happen around you without you even perceiving it.
Alejandro´s concerts establish a connection with the earth, with the origins of the music of his home region and with the universe, in primordial verticality. His trademark is to employ his accordion as if it were a bandoneón, in conversation between the left and right hands, achieving that the instrument be utilized in its highest performance.
The basses of the left hand are masterfully explored, because according to Alejandro, the low basses connect us with the earth, and the right hand button keyboard, beyond providing melody to the music, elevates us to the Universe.
His albums became another personal trademark, because neither one is similar to another, and despite being composed of music of the Argentina Littoral region, they are unique, and in this way his musicality and his compositions express an uncommon diverse musical intellect.
FIND OUT MORE
Accordionist, composer, researcher, and interpreter of music of the Argentine Littoral region, Alejandro studied Classical Music at the Escola Juan Pedro Esnaola and possesses 30 years of disseminating Chamamé throughout the world, presenting in nations such as: Italy, Portugal, France, Czech Republic, Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and others. He was one of the first Chamamé musicians to initiate the exchange between Chamamé and rock, recording with Los Piojos. He won best instrumentalist award at Cosquín in 1996 with an original composition. He won the Ramallo Porá Revelation award and the Carlos Keen award as best instrumentalist and best ensemble and, in the same year won the Chamamé Festival in Federal, Entre Ríos.
Alejandro researches about the musical origins of the Chamamé rhythm, being concerned with the cultivation of the identity of Chamamé, because of this he published the book “A origem do Chamamé” in 2021 together with the historian and cultural producer Magali de Rossi. The book came to be one of the most-sold titles on Amazon Brazil in the Arts category. He has participated in tours with artists such as: Chango Spasiuk, Raúl Barboza, Os Fagundes, Elton Saldanha and also in shows with national acts such as Luiza Possi. He has performed as a soloist with the Orquestra Sinfônica de Mato Grosso do Sul and the Orquestra de Câmara Versatellis. Alejandro is hailed by University of Texas professor Mark Brill as one of the three principal contemporary Chamamé accordionists in Dr. Brill´s book “Music of Latin America and the Caribbean” (Routledge, 2017).
ALBUMS
SHOWS