Tango, tango, tango

Argentina is known for it’s Tango and dance is one of the reasons I wanted to come here.  I expected to find lots of dancing, busking, music on the street, but so far that hasn’t really eventuated.

Seeing the tango being danced by the locals in a neighbourhood was one of my ‘must do’s’ but I struggled to find anything other that slick tango shows available.  Then I struck gold and booked a tour through my mates at Intrepid’s Urban Adventures which would take me to a real neighbourhood milonga (tango hall). 

Our meeting place was the famous Cafe Tortoni.  Wikipedia tells me “The Café Tortoni is a coffeehouse located at 825 Avenida de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Inaugurated in 1858 by a French immigrant whose surname was Touan, it was named Tortoni after the Parisian café of the same name located on Boulevard des Italiens (where the elite of the Parissiense culture gathered in the 19th century). The café itself was Inspired by Fin de siècle coffee houses. Café Tortoni was selected by UCityGuides as one of the ten most beautiful cafes in the world.”  Indeed it was very Parisian and very lovely. 

The cafe was full and a queue waited outside the door, being let in only once there was room inside.  Although primarily a cafe there is also a Milonga upstairs and a performance space towards the back of the cafe.  We were inly there for a drink but it was lovely to soak up the atmosphere. There was a real vibe here and although there were many tourists it is also a spot frequented by locals alike.

The guide, a lovely young girl whose name I never got, was a social tango dancer and told us (myself and the one other participant, a woman from Christchurch) the story behind the tango. 

“Argentine tango is a musical genre and accompanying social dance originating at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. It typically has a 2:4 or 4:4 rhythmic time signature, and two or three parts repeating in patterns such as ABAB or ABCAC. Its lyrics are marked by nostalgia, sadness, and laments for lost love. The typical orchestra has several melodic instruments and is given a distinctive air by the small button accordion called the bandoneon. It has continued to grow in popularity and spread internationally, adding modern elements without replacing the older ones. Among its leading figures are the singer and songwriter Carlos Gardel and composers / performers Francisco Canaro, Juan D'Arienzo, Carlos Di Sarli, Osvaldo Pugliese, and Ástor Piazzolla.”

We head off from the Cafe heading for the bus stop but on the way enjoy a simple tango lesson on the sidewalk, where footprints are painted indicating the sequence of steps in the tango.  It didn’t take long to master that but later when I saw it being danced I realised that the footstep markings were far from reality.

We continue our walk and catch a bus to an area south of the places I have been.  We are in avery residential   area, no sign of commerce of any kind, and in fact no sign of life.  By now it was about 10pm so many people would be eating dinner before bed. Except of course, those out for a night of dancing or partying.  Porteños (the people of Buenos Aries) eat late, and if partying go though to the early hours.  We were told that we were a bit early for the Milonga and that being Saturday night would not be very busy. 

Arriving at a very nondescript building, along a dark street, we push through the heavy glass doors and enter a dimly lit large room a little bit like an old church hall back home; lacking in decor, personality and vibe.  But what was happening in this space was magical.  A truly local space with about 50 people dancing beautifully to the most amazing music.  This was what I wanted to see.  The real people, dancing the real thing.  Milonga’s come with their own etiquette, too long to write here but this site will help.  http://tangoarizona.com/resources/etiquette-at-the-milonga/ .

People of all ages were strutting their stuff keeping me on the edge of my seat taking it all in.  I so wished I knew how to do it and get up and join in but ta the same time made sure I didn’t gaze in any one direction for too long and inadvertently capture the gaze of one of the men.  I’d hate to have to turn any one if them down by saying I dint know how to do it. This tango is nothing like what we call the tango in NZ - it is polished, very sensual, the style dependent on the music style (waltz, milonga, tango) and oh so stunning.

Pics not so good because of the dim lighting and no flash allowed:

The woman in the first photo in the mini skirt danced beautifully.  She looked like she was about 70, had the body and steps of a 30 year old and was very obviously looking for a partner, not just of the tango type.  All the dancers had different styles and varying degrees of expertise.  Fascinating.

Soon we are treated to live music: the most amazing singer and double bass player kept us entertained for a while and the dancing continued. Slowly more people trickled in and by now the dance floor was filling up.

The live act finished about 1:30 and we packed up, said our goodbyes and headed for home by cab.

A super evening and so pleased that I had taken this route of checking out the Tango, rather than going to a polished professional show.

My last day in Buenos Aires gave me a bigger buzz than the previous few and now I am looking forward to coming back in a few weeks at the end of my trip.