Rodolfo Vázquez and Flautango Performing Latin Music for Three Decades
By Sean Ferguson, Flautango co-founder
Rodolfo Vázquez is the co-founder of the trio Flautango with Sean Ferguson. The trio has a concert coming up on Jan. 12 at Riverside Methodist Church, so we chatted with him about his history and influences.
Sean: When was Flautango created?
Rodolfo: Flautango was founded in the 1990s as the duo Cálido Viento to participate in the Artists in Schools programs. We had a special interest in teaching children in the Columbus schools about Latin concert music.
Sean: When did you start calling your duo Flautango?
Rodolfo: We started to call ourselves Flautango when we became a trio: flute, guitar and vocals. We’ve worked with singers such as Jocelyn McDonald, Maria Concepcion Andrade, Cynthia Olaya and our present singer Alisha Bade.
Sean: Do you focus mainly on Argentinian tangos with flute?
Rodolfo: No, we play traditional and tango nuevo by Piazzolla, but we perform different styles of Latin music such as Joropos, fantasias, huapangos, bossa novas, danzones, classical music from Mexico, Brazil, Colombia Venezuela and other Latin countries.
Sean: How long have you two been playing together?
Rodolfo: Close to 30 years. It has been a wonderful, productive and creative union. We started as Silver & Spruce duo playing classical music, then Cálido Viento with another guitarist Craig Goodwin and now Flautango. Flautango have been performing Latin concert music in central Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Pennsylvania for the last 27 years.
Sean: What are your plans for 2025?
Rodolfo: We are having our first 2025 concert on January 12 at Riverside Methodist Church and we will premier in March a new flute and guitar piece by the celebrated Mexican guitar composer Angel Alvarez named “Dance-On.” Plus a Columbus Latin Arts Weekend in May or June and probably a tour in Ciudad de Mexico in the summer of 2025. This would be the third tour to Mexico as a direct result of the new Flautango YouTube videos made possible by GCAC grants for artists in Franklin County.
Sean: Do you have any hobbies or other favorite activities?
Rodolfo: I am writing an autobiography of my career as a flutist in Central Ohio, commissioned by a Spanish newspaper EL Sol de Ohio, in which I include my experiences playing Latin music and some snippets of flute playing and music that I have learned this past 35 years.
Sean: What are some of your favorite places around Columbus?
Rodolfo: My favorite places in Columbus are the Columbus Museum of Art with their excellent contemporary art collection as well as traditional art, plus art for children. And the cafeteria is wonderful to relax. I also love Caffe DaVinci at Tremont and Zollinger in Upper Arlington, the Cafe Istanbul in Bexley (yummy), La Chatelaine in Upper Arlington (great coffee) and the taco truck El Padrino on Wilson Road.
See Flautango in a free concert on Jan. 12 at Riverside Methodist Church (2701 Zollinger Rd.).
This article is part of a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council as part of the Art Makes Columbus campaign. Explore a calendar of events, public art database and artist stories at columbusmakesart.com. To learn more about GCAC grants visit gcac.org.