Chamame is a folk music from the Misiones province in north-eastern Argentina, that mixes up influences from the native Guarani, Afro-Spanish creoles, and East European immigrants, in a lively brew that is characterised by toe-tapping 6/8 rhythms and skipping lines of staccato accordion chords. The current world music poster boy for chamame is Chango Spasiuk, a ridiculously talented accordion virtuoso who has turned this once-derided music from the sticks into a respectable concert hall filler. (He’s even given it a measure of avant-cred, thanks to his work with the likes of John Zorn.) All the while though, he’s never let anyone lose sight of this music’s rural roots. On this track, for instance, the music is introduced by a chorus of farm animals. The track’s called General Virasoro, and comes from The Charm of Chamame, a 2003 release that compiles the best material from his previous three albums. The album can be purchased through Amazon. (More samples from the album are available at this site.)
(Many thanks to Perfect Sound Forever for putting me on to this musical delight.)