Our friends from rural locations know that the putt-putt-pop of vintage farm tractors have helped to put a tune in many young man's imagination. To prove that it can really work, this trio performs Sweet Georgia Brown accompanied by a nice old Allis Chalmers. Enjoy!

05/2009 - Back to Top

Question

What exactly is a bandoneon (bandonion)?

Answer

Bandoneons are VERY close cousins to the chemnitzer and look virtually identical. In fact, you would probably pick up a bandoneon and be able to play a recognizable tune. Henry Band created the keyboard layout for the bandoneon in 1846, while Carl Uhlig was attributed with creating the chemnitzer concertina keyboard layout in 1854. The two keyboard layouts remain quite similar to this day.

Bandoneons remain popular in Italy and some South American countries, such as Brazil. It is often the featured instrument in tango and classical music bands. The keyboard layout includes many additional buttons to increase the octave range of the instrument (think of a 133-key chemnitzer, then add even more!). As you might suspect, adding more buttons requires more space, making most modern bandoneons larger than a typical chemnitzer concertina.

Here's a link to a friend's web site for his own line of bandoneons... http://www.bandoneon-maker.com/harrygeuns.htm

05/2009 - Back to Top