Fandango is a spicy Latin dance performed by two people. Fandango! is also the title of a unique quartet that performed at BYU-Idaho Tuesday night.
Guitarist Denis Azabagic says they became a group largely because of their manager, who worked with all of the members before they became Fandango!
The quartet find themselves having to arrange most of their music themselves because they are so unique in their sounds
“We are enjoying it tremendously because the group has instruments that bring different sounds on stage,” Azabagic said. “We are not aware of another quartet that is this combination which is violin, flute, cello and guitar.”
The quartet has members from all over the world and all with talent to spare. Cellist David Cunliffe is from Britain and married to violinist Desirée Ruhstrat from the United States. They are both part of another group called the Lincoln Trio.
Flutist Eugenia Moliner is from Spain and guitarist Denis Azabagic is from Bosnia, they are a husband wife duo who frequently perform together as the Cavatina Duo.
Cunliffe and Azabagic each say performing with their wife is a great experience.
“I find music is one of the languages one can learn,” Azabagic said. “It is so much fun to communicate in that way with your fellow musicians, and if the person you are connect so closely with on so many other levels; you can also share music. It adds another dimension to the relationship.”
Their music seems to change with every performance they go to right now. Cunliffe says they would say their theme is Spanish and Balkan.
Azabagic says he loves the variety of their show.
“To me it’s all about the mixture,” Azabagic said. “It’s almost like to me having a Spanish dinner where you have lots of small plates and you take lots of different things and you cannot pick a favorite, you just keep having lots of dishes!”
How long will they keep going?
“We are always coming up with new ideas and new pieces, and as long as we do that, and as long as we are enjoying it I think we will carry on,” Cunliffe said.