Bandoneonist Gustavo Toker from Buenos Aires is one of the leading bandoneonists/composers of contemporary Argentinean music. He is an ardent advocate of Tango and the even older music genre Milonga. According to Toker Tango and other related music styles have been going down hill since the passing on of the grandmasters, Piazzolla and Pugliese. In the forties his country had about one hundred important Tango-orchestras, but ever since the military repression and the emergence of Pop and Rock most orchestras have been given up. Toker, since 1992 resident of The Netherlands, started his musical career with Luis Borda's quintet. Starting in 1982 he performs in South-America and in 1988 he and his group Semblanza win first prize at the Festival of Cosquín. He has been performing frequently in Europe with diverse ensembles ever since. Toker crosses the broad range of Argentinean music styles Tango, Milonga, Malambo and Zamba without lapsing into folklore. In view of the musician the Milonga can excellently be used for fusion, which he will prove this festival with saxophone player Yuri Honing amongst others.
