Chango SpasiukHoracio "Chango" Spasiuk is an Argentine chamamé musician and accordion player.

Of Ukrainian grandparents, El Chango had a strong Polka music influence from his early days; Eastern European musical influences were also already present in the chamamé music of the region. He had his first accordion at age 12, which he played at parties, weddings and other events with his father and uncle.

With his scarecrow looks, wild howls of creative fervor and almost terrifying mastery of the accordion, few artists can match the impact of Chango Spasiuk's recent triumphant 'arrival'. He has brought with him a charming band and a little known music called chamamé, from the north eastern corner of Argentina.

"It's music from the country a place where the earth is red, the temperature is always high and there are jungles and big rivers," he explains, eager to distinguish his rural folk style from tango, its more familiar urban cousin. And though these days, Chango calls Buenos Aires home, it's the sub-tropical idyll of his beloved Misiones province that his art so vividly evokes."Music is a way to go to a place you've never been before, or as the poet Yupanqui said: 'Music is a torch with which to see where beauty lies'."

And what extraordinary beauty! Chango's fleet-fingered runs on accordion are usually shadowed by the judicious flicker and wheeze of Juan Nunez's bandoneon (tango accordion) and the exquisite semi-classical grace of Victor Renaudeau's violin. There's also percussion, a double bass and two acoustic guitarists, one of whom Sebastian Villalba occasionally contributes sweet 'high 'n' lonesome' vocals.'

In 2000 he returned to his roots recording Polcas de mi tierra live at parties and weddings in the small towns of Misiones with his accordion. Since then he has being touring around the world with the Chango Spasiuk Orchestra, and has edited an international recompilation of his work in 2003.

Spasiuk's 2006 release, Tarefero de mis Pagos, was nominated for Best Folk Album by the 7th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.

Tickets on sale 2pm Friday, August 22 from Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), Cedar outlets, and online at Ticketweb.

$18 advance

$20 day of show