Re: [Tango-L] Death of tango?

[Shahrukh Merchant]

macfro...@aol.com wrote:
 I've lived here in BsAs for 7 years and the milongas I go to are just as 
 packed with locals as ever

I do see lower attendance this month, both from tourists (it's 
off-season for the tourists, is the explanation), but also from locals, 
at the two regular milongas I went to (El Beso on Wed a week ago, and 
last night at Niño Bien). In both cases, it actually made it more 
pleasant to dance--there were certainly enough people that it didn't 
feel dead, though Niño Bien never really felt full all night either. Am 
planning on going to a couple off the tourist radar screen in the next 
couple of weeks, so will report on those.

But I agree that there is no long-term trend downwards in attendance (in 
the quality of the tango, yes, but that's a different story). There are 
waves in attendance that don't have any discernible cause. There are new 
milongas opening (at least one a month, it seems), so clearly there is 
no milonga depression.

Last Saturday, I went to the milonga of the Estilo Parque Patricios 
festival at El Gardel de Medellin (mostly to accompany some friends who 
were going there after the práctica at El Tacuarí). Boy, was that a 
mistake! Packed like sardines with some of the most inconsiderate 
dancing, flailing of limbs and in general poor navigation I've seen in a 
while (including from two of the teachers--well, one was a teacher for 
sure and the other I didn't recognize but was sitting at the teacher's 
table with a maestro look about him).

The milongueros of Parque Patricios who have passed on were no doubt 
rolling in their graves to have their name so taken in vain (and no 
current milongueros were in sight). If there is any Death of Tango in 
recent evidence in Buenos Aires, that was the closest I came to seeing 
it; but attendance was certainly not lacking, making it all the more 
ominous! (For the record, the regular milonga at El Gardel was very nice 
when I went some months ago, but I would recommend going in a group if 
you don't know people who'll be there.)

On a positive note, a flyer in Niño Bien last night advertises a 
PractiMilonguero each Tuesday (for students only), organized by Mónica 
Paz and Chan Park, to:

- familiarize [yourself] with the codes of the milongas in BA
- learn to use the cabeceo
- navigate properly on the dance floor [amen!]
- refine your dance
- Enjoy!

with a different real milonguero as a special guest each week (see 
PractiMilonguero.wordpress.com).

I haven't been to it, and have no connection to this, but it certainly 
seems like a worthy and well-thought-out project, and I hope is the 
beginning of a trend. (If anyone has been, or ends up going, please post 
your comments ...)

Shahrukh
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[Tango-L] Death of tango?

[macfroggy]

 
 Hola Vince,

Don't worry--this blog post in my opinion was just extremist to get attention. 
I've lived here in BsAs for 7 years and the milongas I go to are just as packed 
with locals as ever--summer or winter, the Saturday afternoon Milonga de los 
Consagrados is always full of hundreds of dancers, mostly local, just a few 
foreign. The other regular milonga we always go to is Nuevo Chique on Thurs. 
afternoon, and if you don't get there by 7 you don't get a seat. Deby, the 
writer of the blog you cited, does not attend those. 

I also heard that last Monday in Gricel it was standing room only. Generally 
the Sat. afternoon milonga at Maipu, Cachirulu, is jammed and in fact the 
organizers are opening another one on Tues. I think at El Beso. Sueno Porteno 
on Weds. is a huge success and is always crowded.

Several new milongas have opened, some older ones are losing attendees and are 
fading away. It's true, some are hanging on by a thread. That is the rise and 
fall of the business--like any other dependent on being popular or trendy to 
attract customers. 

While it's true that inflation has made all prices shoot up, it was never true 
that working locals went to several milongas every night of the week. A few 
milongueros did and still do, but they usually don't have to pay admission. 
Normally people go to dance on the nights before their days off. When Ruben was 
young and dancing every night, he'd sleep a couple hours in his car before 
reporting for work at the TV station. But that life doesn't appeal to him 
anymore and 2-3 times a week is sufficient.. However visiting tourists do dance 
every night, often at several milongas, because that's what they're here to do 
for 2 weeks or however long their vacation is.

Don't worry. There is definitely no danger of the death of tango in BsAs any 
time soon! 
Come down soon and check it out for yourself!

Cherie
http://tangocherie.blogspot.com

 

 



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