Anyone who has ever set foot inside Secreto knows it: what happens in there is, at the risk of sounding simplistic, truly special. Far from the sequins, the circus-like dynamics, the over-the-top spectacles, and the “for export” clichés, what you breathe in is something else entirely. It’s a kind of trance; a deeply personal moment that, at the same time, feels like a communal ritual. It’s intimate, it’s visceral. When the music envelops the room, there is an undeniable certainty that something unrepeatable is unfolding: a group of people has fallen into perfect harmony, entirely connected to that shared present.
But what happens when the show ends? When that experience becomes a memory, and it’s time to head back home, to the Airbnb, or to the hotel.
Show after show, the scene repeats itself, almost as if it were part of the performance. The audience, like someone picking up a seashell from the beach or tucking a train ticket into their wallet to never forget, approaches to ask: “Where can I listen to this music?”
That feedback, that warmth felt from the audience, was the seed for what Secreto is presenting today: its first studio album, in digital format. This is a gift, a way to prolong that trance. It is, quite literally, tango to go: the soundtrack of your time in Buenos Aires.
A Two-Way Desire: The Organic Leap from the Stage to the Studio
When I spoke with Alex Pels, Pablo Destito, and Agustina Videla, the creators and artistic directors of the project, I realized that the idea to record stemmed from a mutual desire. There was, of course, a genuine request from the audience, but also an immense internal urge to share something that sounds incredibly good, that stirs emotions, and that, ultimately, promotes our culture.
The scales balanced out naturally. It’s part of the logical process: just as it happens with any show that grows and connects deeply with its audience, leaving a musical record is what organically happens when things are done right.
Escaping Clichés Without Closing the Door on Classics
The repertoire is an emotional journey for the spectator, and now, for the listener. As the project’s artistic directors, Agustina Videla and Pablo Destito worked alongside musical director Fulvio Giraudo, a brilliant musician with over 30 years of experience and multiple recording credits to his name. Together, they oversaw every necessary detail to ensure that Secreto’s album became a work of the highest quality.
Avoiding the expected was the fundamental premise, yet without closing the door on allowing people to discover or relive the classics. Striking that balance is incredibly difficult: being able to offer the audience songs that will move them through personal memories, like Volver (and here I speak for myself, as listening to it inevitably reminds me of my grandmother), while also providing a broader look into the musical universe of tango, with lesser-known tracks. The goal is for the listener not just to reach the heavily internationalized version of tango, but to truly get to know the authentic porteña culture, which is, after all, Secreto’s mission.
The sound was the other great challenge. Nicolás Enrich, in charge of the arrangements, had to conceive the music for a duo: piano and bandoneón. The result is a beautiful auditory illusion. The arrangements are so complex that the duo resonates with power, solidity, and a forceful body, almost as if a full orchestra were playing,yet retaining that intimate atmosphere that embraces you in the room.
The Synergy of an International Team
The intention to record had been floating around since September of last year, but bringing it to life required patience. The Secreto team is made up of international artists who are constantly traveling, summoned by the best festivals in the world. To give a few examples, Fulvio Giraudo (pianist and musical director) is part of Argentina’s most emblematic orchestra, El Sexteto Mayor, with whom he tours frequently. Horacio Romo (bandoneón) is the musical director of the renowned show Forever Tango, and Noelia Moncada (vocals) recently returned from a tour across France and Austria alongside recognized musicians from the scene.
Coordinating schedules was a puzzle, until April of this year when the stars aligned. The meeting point was the historic Estudios Fort in Buenos Aires, with Javier Mazzarol at the mixing console (who also handled the mastering), working side by side with Fulvio Giraudo.
When it came time to record, the repertoire was divided between the two main singers of the cycle: Alicia Vignola and Noelia Moncada. When I asked Agustina about this dynamic, she explained that the division responded both to the directors’ choices and to the emotional affinity each performer had with the songs. Both are immense professionals; they share the same standard of excellence, an undeniable power, charisma, and that absolute ability to bewitch anyone listening. However, they have diametrically different voices. On a personal note, I perceive them as fire and water in their finest versions: one comes across as more fierce and overwhelming; the other, sweeter and more nostalgic. In this way, each ended up taking ownership of the songs they naturally connected with the most.
The atmosphere in the studio ended up feeling like a true JAM session. Bandoneón, piano, and voice letting themselves go, working as a team to forever capture what, until very recently, was just an ephemeral secret of the Buenos Aires night.
More Than a Show: The Secreto Ecosystem and the Kickoff of What’s to Come
Releasing this album in a 100% digital and free format is, in itself, a declaration of principles. Physical CDs won’t be printed to be sold at the exit; the music is simply a gift. And that decision makes it clear that the driving force behind this release is the genuine intention to stay connected.
In the words of Agustina and Pablo, the team’s greatest expectation lies in the emotion it can generate on the other side.
“It’s beautiful that people have the chance to stay connected with what they saw and experienced through the album. What would we like? That six months after being in Buenos Aires, someone listens to these songs, closes their eyes, and remembers their experience. It’s a souvenir. It’s a soundtrack.”
And the word “Society” in its name wasn’t chosen at random. It functions as an umbrella. This album is the confirmation that Secreto doesn’t end on the stage, but rather, it is blossoming into a true ecosystem. A powerful concept that is beginning to branch out and come to life in different formats.
For Alex, recording this material is a way of immortalizing the art of these musicians, but it is also “the kickoff for the next step.” Secreto will continue to spread our music, our contemporary artists. The goal of bringing tango and culture to every possible corner is pushing them to evolve into a multidisciplinary space. More things are coming, and you can tell that the whole team’s enthusiasm for what they do pushes the boundaries a little further every time.
For now, the first step has already been taken. The next time the music fades and someone asks how they can take that Buenos Aires night home with them, the answer will be just a “play” button away.
