ACCOMPLISHED ARGENTINE FILM DIRECTOR HERNAN GAFFET TRAVELS TO NEW YORK FOR THE SCREENING OF HIS DOCUMENTARY
OSCAR ALEMAN: A SWINGING LIFE TO BE SHOWN AT THE AMERICAS SOCIETY AT NO COST TO THE PUBLIC
Length: 104 minutes
In Spanish with English Subtitles
The Americas Society and the Latin American Video Archives in collaboration with the Consulate General of Argentina proudly present filmmaker Hernán Gaffet who will be in New York to discuss his important documentary
Oscar Alemán: A Swinging Life.
Of mixed indigenous and Spanish blood Oscar Alemán (1909-1980) was one of the greatest guitarists in history. In the land of Tango, he was the King of Jazz. He astounded Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington tried to lure him away from Josephine Baker, who cherished him as the best member of her orchestra. He fled from Hitler and rejected Juan Peron's attempts to get him to play at his public functions. During the golden age of Tango, he attracted multitudes with his outstanding jazz.
To classify Alemán only as a "jazz guitarist" is to restrict him. He was a showman who excelled at playing the guitar and interpreting jazz, because that was the kind of music he loved and what best suited his style. That is what led him to be a protagonist of the Parisian music scene in the 1930s and one of the outstanding figures of Argentine performance for decades. This film documents Alemán's exciting life, the tragic family history he had to overcome, while it recaps the story of popular music in the 20th century.
Film Director Hernán Gaffet graduated from the Center for Cinematic Experimentation and Production of the National Institute of Film and Audiovisual Art in Argentina. He has worked as film critic for the magazines Cine en la Cultura and Videolínea. He has made various short films including
Pituca, Colifata, Pero chiche,
Jamaika and
Sol y Sangre.
Wednesday, April 28, 2004 at 7:30 pm
Free Admission
680 Park Avenue – Corner of 68th Street
NYC
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
call 212. 277 8359; e-mail:
music@as-coa.org or visit:
www.americas-society.org
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