“Arrabal y Exilio” contents only own compositions. Eleven tango songs and ballades which tell fascinating stories about the experience in a foreign country, a peculiar circumstance in Miceli`s life, being himself a grandson of European emigrants and a immigrant in Europe. It is an innovative music, lively, intimate and with very personal lines. Music and poetry feature everyday issues and mix them together, taking you into the drunkenness of the urban night.

The “arrabal” was the densely populated, rough district in the suburbs of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, becoming the new home of the first immigrants about 1900. Here lie the origins of the tango. In tango dialect “Arrabal” is also the word for hometown, the central concept in Miceli`s new work. Fernando Miceli came from Argentina to Europe 20 years ago and took the tango in his adoptive city Berlin. Tango became thus for him the expression of a nostalgic attitude to life far away from home. He grew up in Buenos Aires during the 80s with the musical influence of rock, euro-pop, reggae and the so-called “rock nacional”. Miceli connects elements from these music styles to a new urban tango which reflects the modern way of life in a big city.

Peter Reil (bandoneon/Germany), who composed the only instrumental piece on the CD (“B.A. Memories”), arranged all the songs on the CD and showed his qualities not only as a outstanding arranger but a subtle performer. Reil is one of the best known bandoneon players and tango arrangers in Europe and has already arranged for important ensembles like “Carel Kraayenhof & Sexteto Canyengue”, “Sabor a Tango” as well as the famous Argentine orchestra “El Arranque”.

Beyond that, all the musicians playing on “Arrabal y Exilio” showed an exceptional commitment during the recordings. Pablo Portela (piano/Uruguay) who came from the jazz scene is now very active as a tango player, for many years he has backed well known rock musicians like the Argentinean rock legend “Moris“. Ulrike Dinter (violin/Germany) set her impressive and solid technique with a delicate tango sound; she and Anna Maria Huhn (contrabass/Germany) have been working for many years in the German world music scene. Miceli also invited guest musicians like the well known jazz and candombe player Diego Piñera (drums and percussion/Uruguay) as well as the free jazz drummer Uli Jennessen (Germany). Last but not least, the musical singer Feline Lang (voice/Germany) sings as a duet partner of Fernando Miceli the only song in German (“Parallele Welten”), a sad history about an unfulfilled love.