About the Band

Garúa Tango Club was founded in 2023 led by Santiago Gil Duarte and a group of students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, with the aim of developing the Tango scene in the UK and creating bonds between Argentine and Scottish culture. What began as a small house concert in December 2023 has grown into putting on sold-out shows in Glasgow venues and playing major Scottish festivals. We pride ourselves on being the only active ensemble in Scotland that is pushing the limits of the Tango genre while maintaining the roots of tradition. 

 

In May 2025, we presented our first original work ‘la fantasia del tango’ composed by British composer Taner Kemirtlek. The piece melded classic Tango idioms with processed electronics. This is an example of one of the main goals of Garúa Tango Club’s work which is to continue driving the genre forwards. 

 

We take our name from the classic Tango Garúa by Aníbal Troilo. The word itself is Argentine slang, or lunfardo, describing a thin drizzly rain. We thought this was the perfect way of tying our cultures together and celebrating the beauty we can find in melancholy, nostalgia and greyness. 

 

Growing up in Buenos Aires, Santiago’s background in Tango music is extensive and he spent years working with leading Tango Nuevo composers Julian Corach and Ariel Pirotti. When he came to Glasgow to pursue his studies in classical cello performance, he brought with him his Tango heritage and a clear vision of establishing it in the Scottish scene.

 

Garúa Tango Club is always eager to collaborate with others no matter what their  background is, so if you’d like to work with us please get in touch - we’d love to hear your ideas!