Biography

Alejandro Brittes is Argentine accordionist, composer, performer and researcher with more than 30 years dedicated to the dissemination of Chamamé, the traditional music of the coast of Argentina. With training in classical music at the Escola Juan Pedro Esnaola, in Buenos Aires, and nine recorded albums, has built a solid international career, taking his art to more than ten countries, including United States, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, Czech Republic, Colombia, Uruguay and Paraguay.

Throughout his career, he has performed at prestigious institutions and festivals, such as:

• Library of Congress (Washington, DC – EUA)
• Cotati Accordion Festival (Califórnia – EUA)
• Festival de Jazz de San Jose (Califórnia – EUA)
• Library Nixon (Yorba Linda – EUA)
• Peklo Plzeň Festival (República Tcheca)
• Festival Internacional de Música do SESC (Pelotas – Brasil)
• Memorial da América Latina (São Paulo – Brasil)
• Festival Itinerari Folk (Trento – Itália)
• Theatro São Pedro (Porto Alegre – Brasil)

Pioneer in the renewal of Chamamé, Alejandro was one of the first musicians of the genre to dialogue with Argentine rock, recording accordion on tracks of the iconic band Los Piojos, such as "Todo Pasa" and "Dowt Sey Towmoru".

In 1996, he was awarded at three of the main festivals of Argentine music:

• Festival Nacional de Cosquín – Best Instrumentalist (with authorial work)
• Festival de Chamamé de Federal (Entre Ríos) – First place
• Ramallo Porá e Prêmio Carlos Keen – Revelation and Best Musical Group (Diário de La Nación)

Committed to the preservation and history of Chamamé, he published in 2021 the book "The Origin of Chamamé", in co-authorship with the historian and cultural producer Magali De Rossi — one of the titles best sellers on Amazon Brazil in the Arts category.

He is also the author of the Gonzalez System Accordion Method, known as Argentine Method — the first complete technical manual for this button accordion mechanism created in Latin America, accompanied by video lessons for beginners and professionals.

His research led him to present conferences and lectures on Chamamé and South American culture at institutions such as:

• Georgetown University (Washington, DC – EUA)
• George Mason University (EUA)
• University of Texas (EUA)
• Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel)
• Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
• Universidade Católica Dom Bosco
• ENABET – Encontro Nacional da Associação Brasileira de Etnomusicologia, ao lado de pesquisadoras como Deyse Luci Montardo

In 2022, with the album (L)ESTE, Alejandro won the Açorianos Music Award in the category Best Arrangement.

His work was cited by Mark Brill (PhD – University of Texas) in the book Music of Latin America and Caribbean, as one of the three main accordionists of Chamamé today.

Currently, he is voting member of the Latin Grammy Academy, integrating the international community that collaborates in defining the direction of Ibero-American music.

Alejandro has already done tours and collaborations with great names of instrumental and popular music, such as Chango Spasiuk, Raúl Barboza, Renato Borghetti, Os Fagundes, Elton Saldanha and Luiza Possi, in addition to acting as a soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of Mato Grosso do Sul, Orchestra América do Sul and Versatellis Chamber Orchestra.