[Tango-L] milonga-milongueros

[Deby Novitz]

Last night when Roberto, Chris, and I came home from the milonga in 
Avellneda, Chris went right to his computer.  We decided to translate 
some of the recent posts to Tango-L for Roberto.  (OK, I translated)  
When I translated the ongoing discussion where Gabriel insists that the 
word "milonguero" is used throughout Latin America and his comments, 
Roberto screwed up his face and went "Who is saying this"  Milonga comes 
from Lunfardo and it would be unlikely that other countries other than 
Uruguay would adopt it.  I asked him "How long have people been dancing 
close?" "All of their lives" he answered.  I read the posts from the 
several people on the list about people not dancing close.  He screwed 
up his face again and asked "Who are these people?"  "Pepito and Miguel 
were my teachers."  he told us.  "Maybe a little bit of separation, but 
not open."  When I mentioned that someone insisted Ernesto and Julio 
Balmaceda and Facundo were milongueros, he laughed out loud.  Ernesto 
was his student. 

Roberto Dentone started to learn to dance tango when he was 10 years 
old. His cousin made him learn to follow so he could practice leading.  
At 17 he was tired of being the "girl" and demanded to learn to lead.  
He started his professional career when he was 30.  Before then he 
danced tango from when he was 18 until he decided to make it his life.  
He is well respected here in Buenos Aires not only by milongueros, but 
by show dancers, folkloric dancers, and pretty much anyone who has 
contact with him.  His whole life is tango except for when I force him 
into new experiences.  If you know milongueros they speak of the tango 
as if it were a person.  Their whole life is the dance, the music.  
Movies, TV, and pretty much everything else other than food do not 
exist.  They do not care about money.  As long as they have a way to get 
to the milonga, buy a bottle of wine for when they go to someone else's 
house to eat, and buy shoes, they are happy. The majority have never 
been out of Buenos Aires and/or Argentina.  You do not have to take my 
word for anything, but when I speak with Roberto, Mimi Santapa, Carina 
Moriyuen, the late Ricardo Vidort, Gavito, Gachito, and many many 
others, I tend to take their word and view of things over anything I 
read on Tango-L.