[Tango-L] Alternative in Buenos Aires

[Brian Dunn]

"I would say that alternative tango has not arrived in Buenos Aires ...."
-- Jackie


Can you explain more about it?
-- Igor


Hi Jackie, Igor, et al,

Changes like this often occur gradually and unevenly.

At Villa Malcolm in Buenos Aires (Cordoba 5064), there are practicas on
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings, and milongas with live
music once a month on Saturday evenings.

At the Monday and Thursday practicas run by El Motivo Tango (the only ones I
have managed to attend in their entirety), the music from 8pm - 11:15pm or
so was entirely classical tango (Di Sarli, D'Arienzo, Biagi, Pugliese,
etc.).  From 11:15pm until midnight, the music shifted toward what many
would consider alternative.  Carlos Libedinsky is often in attendance, as is
Chicho.  Crowds on Mondays are always a minimum of 100-150, with 300 in
attendance at their recent 2nd anniversary.  The attendees are predominantly
younger local dancers, with a sprinkling of older dancers, and some gringos
of varying age.  Level of dancing skill and floorcraft among the regulars is
very high, even with the characteristic energized style of dance.

My understanding is that the music on the Wednesday and Friday practicas run
by Tangocool follows a format that also provides for alternative music at
each event, but at those events I'm unfamiliar with the balance between
classical and alternative.

All the best,
Brian Dunn
Dance of the Heart
Boulder, Colorado USA
www.danceoftheheart.com
"Building a Better World, One Tango at a Time"