[Tango-L] "Alternative" Music.... - who was first?

Sun Feb 25 15:05:58 EST 2007

Re: Pulpo & 'alternative' discussion...
I  have hosted Luiza and Pulpo several times at Woodstock Tango, a three 
year old community based on  classic, traditional tango - music and 
dance.  Altho his reputation  as an innovator attracts many 'neo/nuevo'  
dancers to our sessions, their classes and workshops are always steeped 
in and based upon classic tango technique...very precise, very detailed, 
very technical.  Altho his personal style might be considered 
avant-garde...it is  completely grounded in  traditional technique 
...something we don't see very often in many 'nuevo' social 
dancers....not even close.
As the great jazz musician Lee Konitz has said... "you can't play 
outside the tune if you can't play the tune...."

As for the comment by someone that classic tango music is 'not boring, 
but 'almost' the opposite"...?????  Helloooo???
what the heck does that mean... ? Since the opposite of Boring can be 
said to be Interesting...  does that mean he/she thinks tango music is 
Almost Interesting????!!

For those of us who love classic tango, this music is among the most 
interesting, beautiful, complex, soul-stirring music on earth and is 
essential for dancing Argentine Tango. 
my .02
Ilene

Trini y Sean (PATangoS) wrote:

I am not sure if Nina's account of Daniel & Rebecca being
the first to dance tango to alternative music is correct. 
I am sure Daniel & Rebecca did, but perhaps it was the
first public demonstration.

Last fall, I asked El Pulpo about his use of alternative
music.  He laughed and said that with his father and
grandfather being bandoneonists, he got sick of tango music
when he was young and wanted to get away from it.  Hence,
his interest in rock 'n roll.  

In Jackie Wong's interview with him, he describes how he
and his friends would experiment and how he felt that he
had to hide it.  His website also tells that he first
practiced tango to rock 'n roll, which were certainly
before the late 90's.
http://www.tangopulse.net/tango_interviews.htm

El Pulpo isn't interested in creating mini-Pulpos.  Rather,
El Pulpo appreciates the freedom his teachers, the Dinzels,
gave him to create his own tango.  It should be no surprise
that people in BsAs do not dance like him, because he is
not trying to recreate himself in others.  However, I do
see glimpses of his teaching in others.

Trini de Pittsburgh

--- Jay Rabe <jayrabe at hotmail.com> wrote:

>Nina,
> 
>     Yes, you answered my questions. Muy bien. 
> 
>          Muchas gracias.
>                   J
>
>
>
>  
>
>>Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2007 15:05:24 -0700> From:
>>    
>>
>nina at earthnet.net> To: tango-l at mit.edu> Subject: Re:
>[Tango-L] "Alternative" Music....> > Hi, Jay,> > I will
>answer each one of your questions according to my
>experience.> > > Do not many Argentines dance tango steps
>to non-tango or pop music?> > Correct. Almost no one does
>it. Those who do, do not call it > Argentine Tango.> > >
>Can you say that these generally younger Argentines did
>not > > originate the practice?> > Correct. They did not.
>The very first time that the possibility of > tango being
>danced to anything other than tango was presented by >
>Daniel Trenner and Rebecca dancing to piece by Bob Telson
>in 1997-1998 > or so. Argentines frowned on it.> > > Do
>you have evidence in the history of the evolution of the
>  
>
>>>non/neo-tango music phenomenon to justify your
>>>      
>>>
>contention that it > > is "foreigners" who have started
>this behavior?> > There is a video of Daniel and Rebecca
>dancing to Bob Telson. Also, I > was there when !
> this phenomena had began, was a part of it, danced it >
>every which way and felt pleased with myself for being so
>"radical". > Argentines continued to frown on it, but I
>did not care then. We even > tried to do it in BsAs when
>we (me and my European roommates) lived > there in the
>late 90s and we embarassed ourselves terribly trying to >
>dance tango to rock-and-roll when it was played in the
>milongas. So, > the evidence is the actual experience.> >
>Not, the whole thing just makes me laugh. When people
>begin to do > tango moves to non-tango music with an air
>of artistic avant-guard, I > realize how stupid we looked
>then and feel sorry for these people now. > But
>eventually they will learn, I have no doubt about it.> >
>Did I answer all your questions?> > Best regards,> > Nina
>
>  
>
_________________________________________________________________

Trini y Sean (PATangoS) wrote:

>I am not sure if Nina's account of Daniel & Rebecca being
>the first to dance tango to alternative music is correct. 
>I am sure Daniel & Rebecca did, but perhaps it was the
>first public demonstration.
>
>Last fall, I asked El Pulpo about his use of alternative
>music.  He laughed and said that with his father and
>grandfather being bandoneonists, he got sick of tango music
>when he was young and wanted to get away from it.  Hence,
>his interest in rock 'n roll.  
>
>In Jackie Wong's interview with him, he describes how he
>and his friends would experiment and how he felt that he
>had to hide it.  His website also tells that he first
>practiced tango to rock 'n roll, which were certainly
>before the late 90's.
>http://www.tangopulse.net/tango_interviews.htm
>
>El Pulpo isn't interested in creating mini-Pulpos.  Rather,
>El Pulpo appreciates the freedom his teachers, the Dinzels,
>gave him to create his own tango.  It should be no surprise
>that people in BsAs do not dance like him, because he is
>not trying to recreate himself in others.  However, I do
>see glimpses of his teaching in others.
>
>Trini de Pittsburgh
>
>
>--- Jay Rabe <jayrabe at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Nina,
>> 
>>     Yes, you answered my questions. Muy bien. 
>> 
>>          Muchas gracias.
>>                   J
>>
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2007 15:05:24 -0700> From:
>>>      
>>>
>>nina at earthnet.net> To: tango-l at mit.edu> Subject: Re:
>>[Tango-L] "Alternative" Music....> > Hi, Jay,> > I will
>>answer each one of your questions according to my
>>experience.> > > Do not many Argentines dance tango steps
>>to non-tango or pop music?> > Correct. Almost no one does
>>it. Those who do, do not call it > Argentine Tango.> > >
>>Can you say that these generally younger Argentines did
>>not > > originate the practice?> > Correct. They did not.
>>The very first time that the possibility of > tango being
>>danced to anything other than tango was presented by >
>>Daniel Trenner and Rebecca dancing to piece by Bob Telson
>>in 1997-1998 > or so. Argentines frowned on it.> > > Do
>>you have evidence in the history of the evolution of the
>>    
>>
>>>>non/neo-tango music phenomenon to justify your
>>>>        
>>>>
>>contention that it > > is "foreigners" who have started
>>this behavior?> > There is a video of Daniel and Rebecca
>>dancing to Bob Telson. Also, I > was there when !
>> this phenomena had began, was a part of it, danced it >
>>every which way and felt pleased with myself for being so
>>"radical". > Argentines continued to frown on it, but I
>>did not care then. We even > tried to do it in BsAs when
>>we (me and my European roommates) lived > there in the
>>late 90s and we embarassed ourselves terribly trying to >
>>dance tango to rock-and-roll when it was played in the
>>milongas. So, > the evidence is the actual experience.> >
>>Not, the whole thing just makes me laugh. When people
>>begin to do > tango moves to non-tango music with an air
>>of artistic avant-guard, I > realize how stupid we looked
>>then and feel sorry for these people now. > But
>>eventually they will learn, I have no doubt about it.> >
>>Did I answer all your questions?> > Best regards,> > Nina
>>
>>    
>>
>_________________________________________________________________
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>>
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>
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