In March, 2009, I awarded Grace Jones "Most Bizarre Video of the Month" for her windswept performance of Libertango - I've seen that face before in Amsterdam. She returned to the Hollywood Bowl this week with a new, typically outrageous performance featuring a "tango" with a mannequin which bears a striking resemblance to herself. In Amsterdam her costume was the minimum required for a 60+ year old woman. In Hollywood, she is covered from wrist to ankle. The Batman mask has disappeared but a new Mohawkish headdress has appeared. The slightly vague sense of pitch is still there.
It sounds like the band is still playing from the same charts they used in 1981 when Ms. Jones issued the song as a single from her album Nightclubbing. The reggae beat and the words - written by Jones and Barry Reynolds - haven't changed. The song has it's own Wikipedia entry and the original MTV video is a classic of the genre.
We purists may grimace a bit at Grace Jones but I am willing to bet that she has performed the music of Piazzolla before more people than any other performer in history - including Piazzolla himself. She has packed large venues for 25 years and, I suspect, rarely given a concert that did not include Libertango - I've seen that face before. It is a signature song and her of fans demand it.
If the video does not appear below, click here.
To learn more about Piazzolla videos, visit the Piazzolla Video site.
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