[Tango-L] Hall of Fame-ers?

[Keith Elshaw]

I'm having fun these days receiving suggestions from people as to who they
think ought to be included in the ToTANGO Hall of Fame (until now known as
"The Big 8").   :-)

Like many on this list who've done the same, when my website was launched 8
years ago it was with the hope that the information would be helpful to new
people coming to tango, as well as perhaps being of some interest to people
who had been in and around it for a while. (There have been over 2 1/2
million page views at this point).

My special area of interest has always been the music. I wanted to make the
tango music universe easily accessible so people could find their way to the
best music for dancing right away. Hence the Big 8 theme. And really, every
one has seemed to have understood what I was attempting and I've never
received any real flack for my choices. (Whew!).

But of course, some phenomenal orchestras were being excluded from such a
short list. I knew people who "stuck" in tango would soon find their way to
them, and it was after-all only a starting guide in intention.

I won't go into a whole long thingy here about my ruminations on it all in
the intervening years (I do on the website), but suffice to say I've always
questioned myself about whether it was the best possible presentation I
could give. Especially since my own knowledge of the music (and dance) has
grown as my collection has expanded considerably over the years. (Duh).

Really, I'm still reasonably comfortable with the original criteria for
inclusion as far as that concept went (a sort-of dance hall desert island).

But now it's time for that to change so that more giants are acknowledged.
(And to re-write all the pages about the orchestra leaders, of course. Since
those days, I have spent thousands of hours with their music cleaning and
enhancing it. And dj-ing with it)  As a dancer, there are orchestras not on
the list now that I would definitely want on that island.

So, out with the old name, in with a new one. One less exclusionary, if
still exclusive.

It will be a Hall of Fame now (not a hard concept to get across to newbies).

On ToTANGO, I tell the story and ask readers to email me their pick of who
should be next to go in. I offer 3 of my restoration packs of the new
inductee(s?) to winners of a draw from responses.

It is so much fun reading peoples' thoughts, opinions and guesses, you
wouldn't believe. The reason for this post, of course. More, more!

Of course within a narrow range there is fairly general agreement on who the
best orchestras for dancing are. But specifically polling opinions like
yours is too interesting not to do.

Cheers,

Keith

http://ToTANGO.net