[Tango-L] Assuring tango's future by training musicians and arrangers

[Janis Kenyon]

La Academia del Tango www.acacdeltango.org.ar and El Conservatorio de
Estilos Tangueros www.conversatoriogalvan.com.ar offer a three-year course
(beginning next week) for those interested in a career as a musical arranger
of tango.  The teaching staff includes Osvaldo Montes, Oscar D'Elia, Antonio
Pagano, Mauricio Marcelli, Fabian Russo, Juan Trepiana, Julian Peralta,
Julio Graciano, Raul Garello y Alejandro Martino, among others.

Seven years ago, contrabassist Ignacio Varchausky approached the city
government about forming a orchestra so that the new generation of musicians
could learn directly from those who had played with D'Arienzo, Pugliese,
Troilo, and Di Sarli.  Emilio Balcarce has directed for seven years.
Musicians audition for a two-year study program.  The story is presented in
Caroline Neal's documentary film, Si sos brujo.  Varchausky states that it's
one thing to listen to the old recordings and try to reproduce them, and
quite another to learn directly from a musician who knows how it was done.
www.buenosaires.gov.ar/areas/cultura/musica/base06.pdf

The Todo Tango website has a wealth of information about the orchestras of
tango in English www.todotango.com
The Baires magazine site has information on orchestra styles at
http://www.10tango.com/interior/historia.php?idxseccion=4&idx=40
and their blog with hot topics (new tango, codes, etc.) is in English:
http://www.10tango.com/interior/blogs.php

Tango is new music for anyone who didn't grow up in Buenos Aires during the
40s, so that means we have to listen and learn about it before we can dance
it well.  Those who find it too complicated or who don't want to bother to
study it, come up with alternative music as an excuse, which allows them to
stay in their comfort zone.


Janis Kenyon
Buenos Aires