Photo by Elisabeth Campbell
Audio By Carbonatix
There are many reasons why a 21st-century orchestra that combines rock/electronica with classical music could fail. As Homer Simpson once said, “Everyone knows rock attained perfection in 1974.” Classical music probably reached its peak in 1808 with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. And yet, some 50 years after modern music’s supposed greatest year (or 200, as is the case with Beethoven), Nu Deco Ensemble – a Miami-based orchestra with eyes on the future – seamlessly blends the most contemporary genres with the most timeless.
This November, the spotlight turns to Sinego, a musical renegade who will be unveiling the world premiere of his Latin electronic Underground Symphony. The performance will feature a new take on the bolero, a slow and romantic genre that originated in Cuba in the late 19th century. Taking the passion and emotion from bolero and combining it with the urgency of electronica, Sinego has created a symphony that features both lush strings and pulsing rhythms.
Nu Deco, as an evolving, hybrid ensemble, aims to reimagine the classical symphony by connecting different generations and musical backgrounds. Since its first performance in 2015, Nu Deco has evolved tremendously over the past 11 seasons, integrating diverse genres while maintaining a consistently high level of artistry.
“We just want to be an access point for everybody in the community, which is why we do the music we do, how we do it, and why the orchestra looks the way it does,” said Jacomo Bairos conductor, co-founder, and artistic director. “I think because of our inherent nature of who we are and how we’re built, we can really just run the gamut of all styles, genres, artists, collaborations–anything is sort of wide open to us: no boundaries, no limits, no ceilings.”
“Limitless” is Sinego’s ethos. He describes his music as a bridge between the electronic and folk worlds, focusing on challenging stereotypes of techno music and Latin culture. The romantic nature of the bolero is a key influence in Sinego’s work of genre-breaking dance music. His goal is to dismiss stereotypes and evoke deep emotional responses.
“The word DJ has been a little bit bastardized,” said Sinego. “[Originally], electronic music challenged how music is normally made. That’s how techno came to be: we don’t need to be making music with guitars, so why don’t we make it with a computer instead? That was the revolutionary idea. Now we are in front of a new challenge. That same electronic music world is repetitive right now, following the same stereotype. It’s time to bring back the musicality to the dance floor.”
The history of bolero can be traced back to the 1880s when popular Cuban artist José ‘Pepe’ Sánchez wrote a song called “Tristezas,” which is considered by many experts to be the first of its genre. Influenced by Spanish ballads and the Afro-Cuban trova, the bolero became known for its romantic and lyrical style, which spread to Mexico and the rest of Latin America through the popularity of radio in the 20th century. In contemporary music, the bolero tradition has been kept alive by Latin musicians such as Luis Miguel and Kali Uchis, whose bolero-inspired “Te Mata” was performed at the 2024 Latin Grammys.
Photo by Elisabeth Campbell.
“Bolero is a very nostalgic genre from Latin America, and it’s a genre that has connected all Latin countries,” said Sinego. “It originated in Cuba, but then it traveled to Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina… Latinos are mostly represented as something stereotypical. [Bolero] is very romantic, and it’s the opposite of what you think of, what a Latin person would be. That’s why I chose boleros to kind of represent the fusion I wanted to make.”
Sinego considers himself a sort of “mold-breaker,” challenging the lines that divide one particular genre of music from another. He aims to create a feeling of nostalgia in his listeners, something that “goes beyond the beats” into a place of catharsis.
The difficulty of mixing electronica with orchestral music was a huge challenge for Sinego. His objective is to showcase Latin American music from a cross-cultural perspective and challenge regional stereotypes. With Nu Deco, he found a new way to embrace that vision, citing the sky as the limit.
Sam Hyken, co-founder, artistic director, and composer for Nu Deco Ensemble, shares a similar goal of reimagining what a symphony could be. “We’ve always been about what the orchestra could look like in the 21st century,” said Hyken. “Our philosophy is that we elevate all music equally.”
Nu Deco Ensemble ft. Sinego. 8 p.m. Thursday, November 14, and Friday, November 15, at the Citadel, 8300 NE 2nd Ave., Miami; nu-deco.org. Tickets start at $35 via nudecoensemble.my.salesforce-sites.com.
