From Guatamala we head to Argentina. That's the home of Maria Volonte. She's one of the most celebrated tango singers in Buenos Aires, a city famous for tango. This is from her CD "Yo Soy Maria."
SCHACHTER: Maria Volonte in the liner notes to your CD "Yo Soy Maria" you write you are never more yourself than when you sing. I wonder if this has always been the case?
VOLONTE: Yes, I started when I was a kid just playing with my five sisters. So, I've done it since then to say to the world the things I want to communicate to everybody. My essential self is in my way of making music.
You know tango and other music in South America is so deeply connected with the concept of leaving. The experience of pain, pleasure, happiness, and grieving has the same intensity.
SCHACHTER: For a long time you performed every Thursday night at Café Tortoni in Buenos Aires. Do you still do that?
VOLONTE: No, not anymore because I needed time to go abroad more often. It was a wonderful experience because on one hand I was an ambassador of my country, but at the same time I was connecting with people in a very strong way. It's a very intense experience for me.
SCHACHTER: You have a new CD out. It's called "Sudestada."
VOLONTE: Do you know the most truthful approach to each song is trying to find the soul and the real message of each song. Every song is different from one to another.>