Let me introduce you to Sean A. McGee, musician. As a composer he has worked for independent film & TV projects and, until a short time ago, was also the long haired 'Extreme Metal' lead guitarist with successful British band, 'Thirteenth Sign'.
Then one Saturday evening a few years ago, he decided to switch on the BBC's 'Strictly Come Dancing' show. It just happened to be the one that featured an Argentine Tango demonstration by Vincent Simone & Flavia Cacace. And Sean was transfixed. Mesmerised. The dancers! The music!So excited was he by the sheer “heart to heart and depth of soul connection” that this Tango could bring, it brought into question his whole involvement and reason for working within the heavy metal scene.
“There was a real honesty and beauty in the music and dance that I didn't have playing heavy metal every week. And as I'd already worked with film I understood how the music and emotion connection worked perfectly well. Dance was a new and exciting world to me and to be completely honest, I wanted 'in'.”
So he quit the band!!!!! And managed to track down a local Argentine Tango class for himself and fiancée Linzi where, from the very first bar, they found themselves hooked!
“Being musical I've obviously found something really exciting in the music we've been dancing to, especially that of the ElectroTango of bands such as Gotan Project, BajaFondo and Tanghetto.We've since continued regular classes and milongas and are now taking IDTA medals.”
Then last February, Sean booked tickets to see his idols, Vincent & Flavia, in a local show at St Ives, Cambridgeshire and was fortunate enough to chat with them afterwards, asking if anyone had ever written bespoke music for them before. He’d had a vague idea of writing fresh new music alongside new choreography for quite a while and wanted to gauge their interest in such an idea.To his pleasure and surprise they loved it but were so tied up with 'Strictly Come Dancing' that they couldn’t do anything at that moment, but advised him to stay in touch – they’d been looking for someone to offer such a service three years earlier without success!
“It was this specific comment and my slightly 'blue' reaction to it that led me to write my very first ElectroTango track! 'Three Years Too Late?' was to be the first of many!”
Sean took the tune to his Argentine Dance class and the reaction from the both instructors and participants, demanding an album, gave him the courage to sell the heavy metal band equipment and invest in the equipment needed to make the best ElectroTango album possible. Four months later, by the summer of 2010, the album was complete.
'NEBULOSA' was born!
“It was whilst finalising all the artwork that I decided I'd like Vincent & Flavia to hear the album, as If it hadn't been for the conversation we'd all had back in the February, this project would not exist. I was hoping they might be able to give me a brief testimonial as to the quality of my work. Several weeks passed and I continued with the artwork. Then, the Thursday before I was to send the album off for pressing I got THE email that has changed my life! Vincent & Flavia absolutely LOVED the album!! In fact, they loved it so much that they wanted to join forces with me and to appear on the cover, sell on their website and market/merchandise the CD in the media as a whole!! MY IDOLS LOVED AND BELIEVED IN ME!!!!!”
After many excited emails flew back and forth, the album was released in September and by Christmas had covered all the production costs, selling well in the UK as well as to the USA & Australia.
An equally proud moment for Sean was Flavia naming the first completed track, 'Pensiero' (Italian for 'thought'). With features in local BBC and independent radio stations, national press and the BBC website, and an open invitation to play the RiverTango festival in London, Sean is now concentrating on writing his second album, with the Tango passion still coursing through his veins!
“I'm looking to find a record company to work with this time and the plan for this year is to complete the new album and put together a line up of top musicians to take the 'UK ElectroTango' on the road.”
Sean A McGee: Dancer. Musician (transformed!) Check out a sample of his music here.
