[Tango-L] Transition of Tango Music

[Jeff Gaynor]

astrid wrote:

>>"Then a bunch of
>>completely untutored laborers in Argentina integrated some polka-type
>>steps and fused it with newer, racier rhythms and made the vals."
>>    
>>
>
>I am sorry, I am no trained historian of music, but this sounds like a
>complete canard to me.
>  
>
Nope, this was an attempt at satire, but one with a grain of truth to 
it. My point is that people are trying to preserve tango in a way that 
is very far from how it came into existence. It was a popular dance and 
was shunned largely by the upper classes for its directness until it 
became popular abroad. It is this visceral, passionate feel that is so 
endearing. Think of it. A lot of people now are arguing against 
experimentation on strictly conservative grounds. My quip was to point 
out that such an approach would have probably prevented tango itself.  
So for me the larger philosophical question is do you try and preserve 
this character vs. the form of the dance? I'm not sure I have an answer 
but we should try to enjoy ourselves immensely while we figure it out.

Sorry if my humor is a bit too abstruse. It's the Mathematician in me. 
Now consider a spherical milonguero...

Cheers,

Jeff G