On 21/02/2012 08:43, "Christian Lüthen" wrote: > That may be true, Joanne, > but I do not agree on the (tango)myth that only a Porteno or > Argentinian is able to get the essence.
Agreed. And the tacit claim that goes with it --that all Porteños grok it-- is sadly also a myth; there are also oafs in BsAs. There are people with the right attitude to grok it and the wrong attitude that prevents them from grokking it to everywhere and it will appeal universally to those with the correct sensibility. It may all mean something slightly different to everyone, but that's inevitable: we are all individuals who were born and bred and developed a unique identity. The fact it has universal appeal is, in my mind, why it truly is world cultural heritage and not some idiosyncratic local folklore. All I'll agree with is that it may be easier to grok if you're a Porteño, just because you're immersed in a culture which was not toxic to tango. But then, I'm not sure that is actually obvious or will remain true forever, since Argentine culture and attitudes will change with time (in fact, it has). _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list Tango-L@mit.edu http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l