[Tango-L] music: live or dead

[Janis Kenyon]

Michael Figart touched on a subject about which I feel as strongly as he
does.  He wrote in part:

<If one of these bands wants to learn how to play music just like DiSarli,
D'Arienzo, Calo, Troilo, etc, from the '30s, '40s, 50s....that would be
great. I could really get into it. But until that happens, get the hell out
of my milongas.>

I went to Confiteria Ideal last week to hear Gente de Tango perform for the
milonga.  They are the only orchestra in the world that plays the style of
Carlos Di Sarli.  Every piece they perform is danceable.  One of the
bandoneonistas commented to me after their performance that no one was
dancing to the music.  Nicholas, 25 years old and newest member of Gente de
Tango, noted that dancers were oblivous to the music they played.

<Gotan Project and Narcotango have a couple things that are just "ok", but
by and large their stuff is NOT to dance to. Might as well just take up
break dancing and the fine art of "rap".>

I obtained the program last night for the IV Campeonato Mundial de Baile de
Tango which begins Thursday night with the finals of the Campeonato
Metropolitano for milonga and tango.  Every year more music which isn't
tango is being included on the program.  There is something called
Notantango? directed by El Motivo Tango along with the music of Narcotango
directed by Carlos Libedinsky.  And the milongas during the Mundial events
are featuring the recordings of different orchestras each night.  Of the ten
milongas, two nights will feature tango electronico, one will feature
Piazzolla, and another will feature contemporary orchestras; all music is
selected by Horacio Godoy.  The result is disaster--nondanceable music
doesn't make for good dancing.

I talked with a friend today who will be competing with her partner in the
finals of the Campeonato Metropolitano this week.  Her biggest concern is
the music selection.  They won't know what has been selected for their round
until minutes before they dance.  If it isn't danceable (as has been the
case in previous competitions), they have to do their best to bad music.
They want to be inspired by the music.  It's unfortunate that this is even
an issue in Buenos Aires, but it is since the person responsible for the
music selection doesn't make good choices.

<So, why are people attracted to music they cannot dance to? What makes them
think that its cool to dance to live music, whether they can, or not?>

Live music for social dancing is rare, so it's become a novelty.  Our
parents or grandparents told us about their experiences in the ballrooms of
the 1940s dancing to the big bands.  Today in BsAs there are lots of tango
groups which don't play danceable tango music.  What's missing is a
communication between the musicians and the dancers--something which existed
during the 1940s where the orchestras of Troilo, Di Sarli, and others
performed for thousands.