Juan José Mosalini / Juan Jose Mosalini

Juan José Mosalini was born in 1943 in Buenos Aires. At eight years old, he began to learn the bellows instrument that is the bandoneon, as well as traditional music, from his father and grandfather, who were also musicians. Mosalini was mostly a self-taught musician, having learned a lot of music of the streets. At 13 years old, he had already begun playing in ballrooms as part of an orchestra composed of four bandoneonists, four violins, a pianist, a double bass player, and two singers. In 1961, he won first prize in a contest organized by Argentinean television. At 17 years old, he become a professional musician. While most of the youth of the time were more interested in rock music, he devoted his entire life to traditional music. In 1997, he moved to France, where he continued to live, perform, and write. Mosalini is an innovator who has performed and recorded with other like-minded musicians. His main interest has been to cultivate a cultural heritage and open it to the future. In 1986, he published a bandoneon teaching method. In 1988 he started the first bandoneon class at Gennevilliers National Music School. In the same year he published a collection of bandoneon scores. Juan José Mosalini is already a legend of the Argentinean tango.