[Tango-L] From Gregory Nisnevich - Polyphonic "Alternative" Music

Nina Pesochinsky nina at earthnet.net
Sun Feb 25 13:48:02 EST 2007


Hi, Brian and everyone,

I am posting this message for Gregory ("Grisha") 
Nisnevich, with his permission,  which he posted 
earlier to the Tango Colorado list.  He added 
directly in reply to your post that a simple 
accompaniment to the melody to which you refer 
to, and only a few bars of it, do not constitute 
polyphony.  He is very familiar with Lebidinsky's 
music.  He also said that the length of these 
pieces betrays their commercial intent because 
the length of the musical piece often determines 
the payment to the musicians, roylaties, etc.

Gregory Nisnevich is a remarkable, world-class 
guitarist, soloist (many recordings, long concert 
career, etc.)  Many of you know him from his live 
performances with Julio Balmaceda and Corina de 
la Rosa at Teatro Astral, Salon Canning and Porteno y Bailarin in Buenos Aires.

Dear dancers,

The reason that I decided to participate in this discussion is
because, as a musician and dancer, I have to explain the difference
between traditional Argentine Tango music and the alternative music.

The style of Argentine Tango is polyphonic (counterpointed) form of
music, which is the music with more than one voice/part, sounding at
the same time. It also has poly-rhythms (polymeter), which is a
variety of different rhythms in one tango.

This extremely rich musical formation creates Argentine Tango the
dance as a counterpointed form of dance. In other words, the
creativity is virtually unlimited. The leader and the follower may
synchronize their movements or dance in counterpointed rhythm (crusado
- crossed rhythm) and counterpointed music, or both, as they create
the dance.

Even though it is extremely difficult to dance with the melody and the
rhythm at the same time (for example, the man dancing double bass
while leading the woman with the melody of badoneon, violin or piano),
we do listen to the music, and whether we want to or not, the music
MAKES US dance polyphonically. The leader does one movement and the
follower does another or different, and both happen simultaneously.

The closest alternative music to Argentine Tango is Baroque music,
particularly canzone, ricercar, canon, and, of course, fugua. The
alternative music that the DJs play in the milongas usually has a
strong beat, sometimes nice melody and could even have beautiful
singing, but it is all monophonic music, i.e. music with only ONE
voice/part.

Even electronic tangos (Gotan, Narcotango, etc.) have electronic
rhythm with simple melody line that I would say is primitive melody.
And, of course, there is no soul in this kind of music, which is made
only for commercial purpose.

As opposed to electronic tangos, a non-tango alternative genres of
music were not recorded for tango dancers, meaning that there is no
variety of rhythms. Electronic tangos at least have some sense of
tango beat and a little sound of bandoneon.

The alternative monophonic and monorhythmic music, does not inspire
dancers to stay connected and to create counterpointed dance, unless
you are an experienced dancer who can compensate for the deficiencies
of music.

With alternative music, you dance alternative dance.

As a musician, dancer and dance teacher, I worry about the new
beginners. Reading previous e-mails I realized that some new
dancers/members of the tango community are already tired or got bored
with the original music of Argentine tango and are asking for more
alternative. I just want to mention that the original Argentine
tangos have layers and layers of themes, rhythms, instrumental solos,
the breath of bandoneon leaders or conductors, and the sound of the
touch of their fingers on the keys of bandoneon, that no alternative
music has.

I wish that people start listening and paying more attention to music
and start enjoying finding those layers of rich instrumentation in
original Argentine tango music. You will discover an amazing world of
counterpointed music that will immediately enrich your dance.

Kindest regards to everyone,

Gregory ("Grisha") Nisnevich
303-306-7337
www.gren-music.com







At 09:33 AM 2/25/2007, Brian Dunn wrote:
>Nina, in a recent Tango-L message, you wrote:
>
> >>>
>Sharna Fabiano wrote in her article "The
>breakthrough creations of contemporary artists
>such as the Gotan Project, BajoFondo TangoClub,
>and most notably Carlos Libedinsky are heralds of the new global tango. "
>
>Is this a joke?...Discussing these works with real musicians, I
>learned that his is simplistic music that cannot even be compared with
>depth, complexity and challenge of tangos that are written in the
>traditional formation of tango, meaning polyphonic.  Gotan, Lebidinsky and
>the rest of them create simple music, not polyphonic.  IT IS THE POLYPHONIC
>FORMATION OF TANGO THAT MAKES IT A TANGO...I think that musicians need to
>discuss this.  Sharna might be misinformed.
><<<<
>
>I agree that the multiple voices in a song is a large part of what says
>"tango" to me (and to my feet).  But, Nina my friend and honored former
>tango teacher, this is the second time you and/or Grisha (aka Gregory
>Nisnevich, a fine classical guitarist and enthusiastically devoted tango
>dancer and teacher) have leveled this "it's not polyphony" criticism of
>Libedinsky's work - once in our local Colorado forum, and now here on
>Tango-L.  Last time I was too busy to respond, and I appreciate the
>opportunity you've offered to do so now.
>
>While I've had a couple courses in music theory, and have been paid for
>performing music in several genres many times in the past, professional
>musician credentials are not required to effectively disprove your
>assertion.
>
>I'd like to suggest a fun little experiment that anyone can do, right now or
>at your leisure, along with us...but first a workable definition of
>polyphony, free of polemics, on which I hope we can agree for starters:
>
>"In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent
>melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice (monophony) or music
>with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords (homophony)."
>
>Libedinsky Polyphony Experiment:
>1) Start up "Otra Luna" from Libedinsky's Narcotango album.  If you don't
>own it, borrow it for the duration of this experiment.
>2) Note the first melodic voice - the violin. But there is also an arpeggio
>on the guitar - is this a danceable melodic element? Sure, why not - and
>this is the first measure!
>3) Next phrase, the bandoneon takes the violin's melody, same danceable
>arpeggio in the guitar.
>4) In the phrase after that, decide for yourself if the intertwining and
>distinct voices of the bandoneon, violin, bass, and guitar can be called
>anything but polyphonic texture by the definition above - and this is only
>the third phrase!  This texture continues with varying emphasis throughout
>the entire song.
>
>You have some discussion partners who are "real musician" types - can you or
>they please explain to the rest of us how this song is not an example of
>polyphonic texture as defined above?
>
>(Other apparent examples of similarly polyphonic pieces on the same
>Narcotango album, discovered by hitting "next" on the player to obvious
>examples - "Mejor Asi", "La Topilla De La Zurda", "Humo"...maybe more, but
>sorry, I've run out of time...maybe others would like to run similar
>experiments?? ;) )
>
>All the best,
>Brian Dunn
>Dance of the Heart
>Boulder, Colorado USA
>www.danceoftheheart.com
>"Building a Better World, One Tango at a Time"
>
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>
>At 11:29 AM 2/24/2007, Carol Shepherd wrote:
> >Sharna Fabiano has given me permission to post this article to the list,
> >so we can read and discuss.
> >
> >-------------
> >The Rise of Neo Tango Music
> >© copyright Sharna Fabiano 2003
> >http://www.sharnafabiano.com/
> >
> >The reawakening of the argentine tango at the turn of the new century is
> >that of a great spirit rising after a deep slumber. In its recent
> >revival since the late eighties, the tango has inspired legions of new
> >dancers all over the globe with its powerful partner connection and
> >intricate, elegant movements. Of late, momentum is gathering for a
> >revolutionary wave to crash into the tango world. Young dancers are
> >experimenting with new concepts in tango social dance, and along with
> >them contemporary tango musicians are inventing a hybrid sound that
> >blends traditional instrumentation with modern electronic music. I call
> >this new wave "Neo Tango."
> >
> >The breakthrough creations of contemporary artists such as the Gotan
> >Project, BajoFondo TangoClub, and most notably Carlos Libedinsky are
> >heralds of the new global tango. These artists have blended tango with
> >contemporary electronic music. Commenting on his newly released CD,
> >NARCOTANGO, Carlos writes:
> >
> >"At the hour when there are only a few couples left on the dance floor,
> >magic sneaks into the Milonga, and I watch people dancing and
> >experimenting with a new kind of Tango dance. When my body is exhausted
> >from dancing for hours and I don't want the night to end, at that hour
> >NARCOTANGO was born. It was then that I could imagine the music that I
> >wanted to dance to, and to see others dance to."
> >
> >Until very recently, nearly all of the music used for dancing today's
> >social tango has been taken from old recordings of Golden Age
> >orchestras. Even most young tango bands tend to fill their repertoire
> >with compositions from that period. But our era is different from the
> >Golden Age of tango in Buenos Aires (1930s-50s). We have different
> >musical instruments and technologies, different social venues, and
> >different styles of dress. All of these things inspire today's tango
> >dancers and musicians to play and improvise in new ways.
> >
> >However, there is something familiar about this creative urge. One might
> >say, in fact, that invention and experimentation are at the very root of
> >the tango tradition. Let's recall that in the early 1900's, hopeful
> >immigrants from Italy, Germany, Eastern Europe, Africa, and various
> >South American countries all converged on ArgentinaÍs port city of
> >Buenos Aires, bringing with them not only their hopes and dreams, but
> >also their portable instruments and their cultural traditions. Like
> >today, it was an atmosphere of discovery, conflict, and social
> >adjustment. As the disparate members of Buenos Aires' early century
> >melting pot gathered together, the tango was born. Today, we witness its
> >re-birth. Creeping into the souls of enthusiasts around the globe, the
> >tango is searching for a current musical context.
> >
> >This is why modern and culturally relevant music is so essential to
> >effectively renew the spirit of the tango. The "Neo Tangos" that the
> >aforementioned groups have produced are hybrids of traditional
> >instrumentation and electronic sound, artistically bridging the gap
> >between the Golden Age and the new millenium. This hybrid tango music
> >strikes a chord with mass audiences, and its vibration has the potential
> >to generate not only small gatherings of aficionados, but an
> >international social and artistic movement.
> >
> >Neo Tango cannot be dismissed as the latest addition to the thriving
> >'world music' genre because it is not limited to the fusion of
> >electronic music with traditional instruments. On the contrary, so deep
> >is the need for new tangos that adventurous dancers of today are
> >claiming music from genres across the board: blues, rock, disco, fado,
> >and countless world music sub-categories. Phrases like 'alternative
> >tango' and 'non-tango' are already standard lingo. At a workshop on this
> >subject in Rochester, NY, my students came up with three essential
> >characteristics that a compelling Neo Tango shares with a Golden Age
> >Tango: 1. It has a consistent, walkable tempo; 2. It tells a story
> >through melodic and rhythmic sophistication; 3. It has powerful
> >emotional substance.
> >
> >Popular music and tango music are circling each other out there in the
> >collective unconscious, like two planets approaching alignment.
> >Starbucks' new record label Hear Music accidentally (as far as I know)
> >produced a few Neo Tango albums recently. More than half the songs on
> >volumes 1, 2, 4, and 5 are functional for dancing tango. Even more
> >exciting is local phenomenon Thievery Corporation's latest album Richest
> >Man in Babylon, which Rolling Stone describes as "stories of a better
> >world." Several tracks on this album fits requirements 1-3 above.
> >
> >Earlier this year I gave a tango performance at a screening of the film
> >The Truth About Charlie (a remake of the classic Charade). The script
> >now has a tango bar scene in place of the original jazz bar scene, and
> >shockingly enough features the music of the Gotan Project and Llasa de
> >Sela, an utterly non-tango artist widely played by tango
> >experimentalists. Coincidence? I think not. Someone in the film industry
> >has a finger on the pulse, so to speak. Already, regional music
> >preferences have begun to emerge within the global tango community, and
> >DJs are beginning to win accolades for their distinctive tastes in
> >non-traditional tangos. Dan Kesmayr writes from Germany:
> >
> >"Here in Munich, we have a milonga called "Tango-Fusion" which basically
> >is a mix between a milonga and a dance club event. The music that gets
> >played is [traditional] tango (3 out of 20 songs?), stuff like Gotan
> >project, Bajofondo, some songs from soundtracks to the movies "Amelie",
> >"Chicago", and some more music that I cannot categorize, probably
> >nujazz, house etc. It was never intended as a replacement for classical
> >milongas, but in my world it is a really essential addition."
> >
> >Dan's description of 'his world' reminds me suspiciously of the 1940's,
> >when most Buenos Aires neighborhoods had their own orchestras, and
> >dancers would choose where to go dancing depending on who was playing.
> >Today, we have a wider variety to choose from, and I think we will soon
> >see more events like Dan's cropping up in cities around the globe. Even
> >in Buenos Aires there is an avant-gard milonga called "La Catedral"
> >where you hear classical music, jazz, and other unexpected sounds
> >innocently floating out of the sound system and the very end of the night.
> >
> >Dancers today have music available to them that spans many decades and
> >many countries. It has been the general assumption until now that there
> >was a natural ceiling on the growth of tango, namely because traditional
> >music and traditional atmosphere only appeal to a small segment of
> >today's population. The manifestation of neo tango music in the tango
> >world breaks that ceiling. Young people especially are drawn by the
> >eclectic sound and by the fun and experimental atmosphere that typically
> >accompanies it. Andrew Burt writes from Portland,
> >
> >"I DJ the 'mixed music' practica here in Portland, and I think it's
> >great for the younger side of community building. It infuses a lot of
> >joy, gaiety, and humor into the dancing, and there's a lot more laughing
> >than you normally hear."
> >
> >We can get a glimpse of what might happen with tango by observing the
> >development and integration of latin music and dancing into the latino
> >bar and club scene. Exposed to jazz, rock, and other external influences
> >since 1950, salsa dancing has persisted, through infinite permutations,
> >as it began, a natural part of social life in latino social communities.
> >Because Neo Tango reaches into a multitude of genres, its ramifications
> >if a similar integration takes place are likely to be enormous. Tango
> >dancing is proving to be a natural match with the majority of musical
> >genres found in today's mainstream dance clubs. If social tango dancing
> >becomes the norm in even 1% of such venues, social culture as we know it
> >will be altered beyond recognition, and we just might find ourselves in
> >the Platinum Age of Tango. [For more on the power of tango in social
> >culture, see Sharna's previous article, The Social Dance Network.]
> >
> >The truth is that young dancers have been restless for several years
> >now, anticipating the appearance of this new music. Using as a base the
> >work of the "tango investigation" practice group begun by Argentine
> >visionaries Gustavo Naveira and Fabian Salas in Buenos Aires, young
> >dancers are inventing new moves, new embraces, and new clothes for
> >dancing. Tango has benefited immensely from the influence of salsa and
> >swing vocabulary, and underarm turns, spins, and changes of arms provide
> >rich material for this next evolution of social dance.
> >
> >And so the contemporary tango music library is growing, and with it the
> >allure of tango for a key portion of the 20- and 30-something
> >demographic. The songs have the tango's unmistakable 'walking beat' and
> >the edge of the new millenia in their melodies. The urge to innovate and
> >reinvent is at the very core of the tango - contemporary evidence
> >includes mixing string instruments with sythnesizers, salsa turns with
> >conventional tango figures, denim with fishnets.
> >
> >
> >--
> >Carol Ruth Shepherd
> >Arborlaw Associates PLLC
> >business, technology, entertainment and media law
> >"practical legal solutions for creative people"
> >Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
> >734 668 4646 v  734 786 1241 f
> >http://www.arborlaw.com
> >
> >"When grain is made into refined white flour, more than 30
> >essential nutrients are largely removed.  Only four of those
> >nutrients are added back in a process called "enrichment."
> >Using this same logic, if a person were robbed of 30 dollars
> >and the thief then returned 4 dollars to his victim for cab
> >fare home, then that person should be considered "enriched"
> >by 4 dollars, not robbed of 26." -- Elmer M. Cranton, M.D.
> >
> >Updates in business, technology, entertainment and media law
> >
> >a r b o r l a w   --   http://www.arborlaw.com/blog/
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