Tango is not only an Afro-Argentine music style, it is much more. Tango is culture. There's Tango poetry, Tango dance, Tango Art called "Fileteado Porteño", Tango Movies, and of course Tango music. I don't "do" Tango and I don't love Tango. I am Tango. We are all Tango from where I come from. You can see it in the emotion of the players when winning the World Cup. The way they celebrated together with overwhelming emotion each goal. We cannot escape who we are. Also I was mostly raised in the home of my grandparents during my elementary school years, so this culture, as a way of talking, of thinking, of living life, and of course, as a musical style was ever present. And even tho I tried to follow the world trends in music, and learn other styles of music that are much more popular and have more recognition worldwide and are more marketable, in the end, in my heart, I always end up going back home. Culture gives one its identity, and Tango is who I am in the world.

The repertoire will focus mainly on all the Afro-Argentine music styles that MUSA明馬丁 grew up listening to at the his grandparents home: Tango, Vals Criollo, Milonga, Zamba, Chacarera, Chamame as well as styles that although were not developed in Argentina, became an essential aspect of the culture of the country and particularly of MUSA明馬丁's life growing up such as Afro-Uruguayan Candombe, Afro-Brazilian Samba, Afro-Indigenous Colombian Cumbia and even a bit of Afro-Cuban influences.  

All the music from the American continent, owing to the great ancestral traditions of the African women and men violently displaced from their land, is rooted in strong rhythmical patterns that aim at body movement as an essential form of human connection, of expression, and of spiritual elevation. It is through dance that all these musical style become meaningful, and from a technical point of view, acquire their form. Within that form, there are parts specifically dedicated to musical improvisation, but the power of the rhythm must never be stopped. 

As a dual citizen both of Argentina and of Taiwan, MUSA明馬丁 hopes to be a bridge that helps connect the people of Taiwan, (that adopted him as one of their own), with the culture of his country of birth. That means that this is not just a musical performance, but a wild ride, a rollercoaster of emotions and passions, where the Art is made not only by the musicians playing but also by the audience through their clapping, dancing, whistling, shouting and/or singing along, providing a moment of union, of community, which is the essence, the heart and soul of the music of Latin America.

– MUSA明馬丁

Barrio Hipódromo is the name of the neighborhood where I grew up in the city of La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. 

  Creative and Production Team  

Piano｜MUSA明馬丁

Bandoneon｜WU Yung-lung

Erhu｜LIANG Wen-Bin

Drums｜Teemu MUSTONEN 

Double Bass｜Bam RODRÍGUEZ

  Team Introduction  

MUSA明馬丁 Tango Collective 

MUSA明馬丁 Tango Collective is a fusion Tango-Jazz music ensemble led by Argentinean/Taiwanese Pianist, Composer and Producer MUSA明馬丁, and its members include musicians from both Eastern and Western musical backgrounds, tailored for a range of performances. 

MUSA明馬丁 serves as the musical coordinator and incorporates diverse music styles from different parts of Argentina, such as Tango, Milonga, as well as folkloric styles like Zamba and Chacarera, and it is also heavily influenced by musical traditions from neighboring nations such as Uruguayan Candombe and Brazilian Samba, as well as improvisational influences from the North American Jazz tradition. 

MUSA明馬丁's strong identity both as a composer and arranger as well as his accomplished technique at the piano, combined with the musicians's ability to transform an expand on the written page, brings about a sense of freedom, a seamless erasure of all boundaries, where musical traditions from South to North and from East to West can meet from a place of respect and equality in an ever evolving musical kaleidoscope that transforms every performance into a unique ritual. 

MUSA明馬丁 Tango Collective is not only music, but also a much needed celebration of the bonds that join together the human spirit across languages, religions and cultures throughout time.  

Piano｜MUSA明馬丁

• MUSA is an Argentine–Taiwanese pianist, keyboardist, composer, arranger, producer, and band leader. He has performed worldwide with major Mandarin and Cantonese pop artists including Crowd LU, ABAO, A-LIN, Gary CHAW, Joanna WANG, MATZKA, Olivia ONG, Lara LIANG, JIAJIA and many others.
• He has released four albums (three studio albums and one live recording).
• His first album, 3690 (2013), was endorsed by Bösendorfer, which provided a special Model 214 piano for the recording in Taiwan. He toured South America and East Asia and performed at the official Légère Jazz Jam during the Winter NAMM Show (Los Angeles) from 2015 to 2017, sharing the stage with internationally recognized artists.
• His second album All Kinds of Good (2016), released under his Taiwan-based 3690 Studios Ltda., featured over 40 musicians and was recorded in Argentina, the USA, and Taiwan. The album received eight major nominations across the Golden Melody Awards and Indie Golden Melody Awards, winning Best Jazz Album and Best Musician of the Year. He became the first Western solo artist to be nominated and win in these categories.
• During 2018, his collaboration with Taiwanese Afro-Cuban maestro Vincent HSU and his band Soy La Ley won Best Jazz Single of the Year for "Dreamer's Blues."
• His third studio album ON (2021) was a pioneer in the Mandarin-speaking world by blending Electronica, Jazz, R&B, Hip Hop, and South American music. The album features vocal collaborations with artists from South Africa, Kenya, Trinidad, and Taiwan (including 9m88 and ABAO). ON received multiple Golden Melody and Indie Golden Melody nominations, winning Best Jazz Single and Best Musician of the Year again in 2022.
• Also in 2022, MUSA was granted Republic of China (Taiwan) citizenship in recognition of his cultural contributions to the island, becoming one of approximately 300 foreigners allowed dual citizenship as outstanding professionals.
• From 2023 onward, he has represented Taiwan internationally, including the 2024 Paris Olympics (with ABAO), a U.S. tour with Vincent HSU performing at Asia Society Texas Center, New Orleans Jazz Museum, and Snug Harbor with NEA Jazz Master Donald HARRISON Jr., and historic performances in Africa (Eswatini Bushfire Festival 2025) and at Taiwan Day in Central Park, New York City.
• Looking toward 2026, he is not only working on his fourth studio album but also producing the first Latin Fusion album completely recorded in Hakka language (客家) for the renowned Hakka singer Una HO while working as music director for live performances for Taiwanese Indigenous artists such as ABAO and Kumu BASAW.
•  

Bandoneon｜WU Yung-lung
WU Yung-lung is a distinguished bandoneon soloist specializing in Argentine tango. He has collaborated with a wide range of orchestras, chamber ensembles, and choirs, including the Hsinchu City Philharmonic Orchestra and the Taipei Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble, among others. He is also the first bandoneon player from Taiwan invited to perform at the Argentina International Tango Festival.
Originally trained in piano and flute, Wu developed a strong classical foundation before turning to the bandoneon in 2008, inspired by Astor Piazzolla. He later pursued advanced studies in Argentina, studying with W. Ríos and R. Mederos, and has since performed widely across Asia.
He is regarded as a leading figure in the Chinese-speaking tango community and remains an active bandoneon performer in the region. In 2012, he won First Prize in the bandoneon category at the Klingenthal International Accordion Competition, becoming the first musician from Asia to receive this distinction. He continues to promote tango and the bandoneon through performances in concert halls, educational institutions, and cultural venues.
In recent years, Wu has drawn on the legacy of Piazzolla while exploring new artistic directions in tango. His album Tanvolution (2020) reflects a contemporary interpretation of the genre. In 2021, he presented the bandoneon concerto Aconcagua, and since 2023, he has given annual tango performances at the Recital Hall of National Theater and Concert Hall.

Erhu｜LIANG Wen-bin
LIANG Wen-bin holds a Master's degree from the Graduate Institute of Musicology at National Taiwan University. An erhu performer and Chinese orchestra conductor, he has long been dedicated to promoting musical arts. He began studying the erhu at a young age under renowned teachers in Taiwan and abroad. He has received multiple awards in national music competitions and brings extensive experience across Chinese and Western repertoires. As an educator, he has guided students to top achievements in major competitions. He has also contributed to album recordings for the Golden Melody Awards and the Golden Indie Music Awards. In recent years, he has focused on grassroots music education, directing school Chinese orchestras at various levels, with ensembles under his leadership earning consistent recognition in competitions and performances.

Drums｜Teemu MUSTONEN
Teemu MUSTONEN is a Finnish musician with a desire for intricate rhythms and textures. He explores a full drum set, a box of assorted percussion and preparations or both depending on what the music demands at a given moment. Already before enrolling and graduating from the prestigious jazz department at Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, he'd developed a taste for improv and sound art. He's performed in many European countries throughout the years and worked with Finnish and international greats such as Mikko INNANEN, Raoul BJÖRKENHEIM, Jukka KÄÄRIÄINEN, Vincent von SLIPPENBACH, Rieko OKUDA, Kenneth JIMENEZ and Liudas MOCKUNAS among others. Teemu also co-hosts a seasonal club for improvised music and sound art in Helsinki titled Suhina Klubi.

Double Bass｜Bam RODRÍGUEZ
Bam RODRÍGUEZ is a GRAMMY Award–winning bassist, composer, educator, filmmaker, and social activist. He is a member of the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, directed by Arturo O'FARRILL, with whom he won the 2022 GRAMMY Award for Best Latin Jazz Album Fandango at the Wall in New York.
His artistry and performance span classical music, modern jazz, world music, Latin jazz, and Latin traditions, showcasing a rare versatility and a unique ability to fuse cultures. This makes him one of the few truly all-around musicians on today's world stage.
Bam has collaborated with legendary artists such as Chucho VALDÉS, Wynton MARSALIS, Paquito de RIVERA, Joe LOVANO, Lionel LOUEKE, and Roy HARGROVE, and has toured globally with leading ensembles, performing at renowned venues and festivals including Carnegie Hall, the North Sea Jazz Festival, Taipei National Theatre, and more. In 2024, he was a special featured artist at Taiwan's National Theater & Concert Hall Jazz Festival, performing in a two-day program that highlighted his international recognition and influence.
Bam also leads his own bands, "Potatoes are People Too" and South by North East, with whom he has an album Forward. The video clip from this single, also made by Bam, won the "Best Video Clip" Category at the FFH Film Festival in 2020.
Born in Venezuela, Bam began his training in the world-renowned El Sistema program, performing alongside Gustavo DUDAMEL, before earning dual master's degrees in Jazz and World Music from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Since relocating to New York in 2012, he has not only captivated audiences worldwide with his music but also advanced educational and social initiatives. He is the founder of We Are Starting a School, a free program connecting underprivileged students worldwide with New York–based teaching artists for free music lessons.

Official Timepiece of WEIWUYING

  Main Sponsor