[Tango-L] Classic alternative?

Fri Jul 6 23:45:10 EDT 2007

About 2-3 years ago I experimented with playing non-traditional music for
milongas. I define 'non-traditional' as anything other than 'traditional'
tango for dancing from the 30s, 40s, and early 50s. The term 'alternative',
I believe, is generally applied to non-tango music used for dancing tango,
and I did not use any of that because, as someone with a history of ballroom
dancing, I feel the rhythm of these 'alternative' songs fit other dances
such as foxtrot, rumba, samba, etc. However, an 'alternative' milonga goes
beyond 'alternative' music.

Outside the traditional tango music, there is some Pugliese from the 70s
(Desde el Alma, A Evaristo Carriego) that could be considered 'classic' in
that they have become part of the repertoire of a traditional DJ such that
they can even be heard on rare occasions in Buenos Aires milongas.
Contemporary orchestras such as Color Tango (Pugliese), Gente de Tango (Di
Sarli), Los Reyes del Tango (D'arienzo), and San Souci (Calo) can provide
renditions of classic tangos that are close to classic tango and thus they
don't really classify as 'non-traditional', although they may provide a nice
change of pace. There are some other contemporary orchestras such as Trio
Garufa (US) and Los Cosos de al Lao (Argentina) that provide some danceable
music, usually when doing covers of classic tangos, albeit with their own
style and this may by some guidelines cross over the line into
non-traditional. But I don't think that's what you're referring to.

Certainly Horacio Salgan added some novel interpretations to classic tangos
with jazz influences. I find some tangos and valses by Quinteto Real (e.g.,
A la gran mun~eca, El pollo Ricardo, Gran Hotel Victoria, Romance de barrio,
Palomita blanca) to be quite danceable, although I've also heard complaints
that some people find this music difficult to dance to. I would consider
Salgan 'non-traditional' and having the complexity to make it interesting
enough to keep within a DJ's repertoire of milonga music

Piazzolla has very few tangos that maintain a constant rhythm at a danceable
tempo, yet those few that exist (e.g., Libertango, Zum, Preparense,
Tanguedia I & III) can make a nice contrast in a milonga setting and, of
course, do not cease to be interesting.

Pablo Aslan has created an interesting artistic fusion of tango and jazz,
but very little of it maintains a constant rhythm for dancing.

El Arranque is creating wonderfully new tango music and one may find a few
that are suitable for dancing, but this is not their primary objective.

I do like the Symphonic Tango CD where Pablo Ziegler's quintet plays with a
symphonic orchestra, but only Caminito, El Choclo, and La Cumparsita are
suitable for dancing, although some may find even these challenging.

Tango electronico is the modern genre used most frequently at milongas in
the US. I find almost none of this music inspiring for dancing tango.
However, Otros Aires has some good milongas (Milonga sentimental, Amore que
se baila) that maintain an authentic milonga rhythm. Electrocutango has a
good milonga (Retrolonga) and a good tango (Felino); beyond that is
stretching a bit to call something tango. Carla Pugliese mixes a bit of
electronica without completely deserting traditional tango, and has several
recorded tangos with electronic overlay suitable for dancing (e.g., La vida
y la tempestad, Ostinato, La cumparsita), a mix of grandfather Osvaldo's
style with electronica, but she also has recorded some more traditional
tangos (Gallo ciego, Pata ancha, Pavadita) lacking electronic elements, as
well as some Piazzolla compositions (e.g., Obiivion). In my opinion, Carla
Pugliese represents the only contemporary bridge between the past and the
future of danceable tango, i.e., adding electronic elements that does not
destroy the rhythm and felling of tango. The problem with most 'tango
electronico' (Gotan Project, Carlos Libedisky, Jaime Wilensky, Tanghetto,
Bajo Fondo tango Club, etc.) is that either there is no tango rhythm, or
whatever tango rhythm exists is overwhelmed by a pounding elctronic bass
drum. Tango electronico basically consists of adding tango elements
(sometimes only a bandoneon) to a disco rhythm. It is suitable to dance
hustle and night club 2-step to some tango electronico because it has the
appropriate rhythm. Rarely does dancing tango fit the rhythm well. It just
feels awkward.

The main reasons that as a DJ I stopped using non-traditional tango are that
some dancers complained the music was difficult to connect to, whereas
others used the energy of some of these modern compositions to bring out
their exhibition tango to the fullest extent. Navigational suffered and, of
course, connection with the music evaporated. So I stopped. i didn't want to
facilitate that.

So, to answer your question, Trini, it one wants to go beyond the realm of
traditional tango to find music suitable for dancing tango I would suggest
Salgan, Piazzolla, some Otros Aires, and Carla Pugliese. if they are still
played at milongas 30 years from now, I'll dance to them.

Ron

On 7/5/07, Trini y Sean (PATangoS) <patangos at yahoo.com > wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> First, if you don't like alternative music for tango, please use your
> delete key.  This thread is not for you.
>
> I've decided I need to work on convincing people here to continue studying
> traditional music.  Although some alternative music (non-Piazzolla) is fun,
> most of it is not terribly deep or complex.  So some folks think they are
> being musical and they really aren't.  I thought one approach would be to
> point out the enduring quality of the great orchestras that keeps dancers
> challenged whereas most alternative tangos today only have a lifespan of
> about 2-3 years, by my estimation.  Piazzolla, of course, is the
> exception.  Can anyone think of any alternative tango that we might actually
> be dancing to in 30 years?  I can't.
>
> Trini de Pittsburgh
>
> P.S.  I deejayed a milonga last night and decided to play some swing music
> since it was the Fourth.  Even though we had swing dancers, to my surprise,
> people were still trying to tango to it.  A few years ago, everyone would
> have known that it was swing.
>
>
>
>
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