[Tango-L] Tango Music

[Konstantin Zahariev]

I will respond to some claims you make that are at least relevant to
some semblance of a discussion on the purported topic.


>i was asking if others found some of the music "whiney and uninspiring".


Not true - you stated that you find "MUCH of the traditional tango
music, whiney and uninspiring." AND "personally, i find my self
spending most of my time looking for a beat and inspiration in what
usually sounds to me like a "bag of cats being mistreated"."

You are arguing from bad faith if, given what you really said, you
then turn around and complain that some folks interpreted your words
to mean that you hate classical tango music ("classical" here and in
what follows means tango music that is not identified by labels such
as fusion or non-tango or alternative or neo-tango). Moreover, you try
to twist what you said by claiming you said "some" when you said
"much" (this is significant in this context), and also by omitting
your more offensive statement (see above).


> the tango is a beautiful dance, life and music style. do you really think that it should
> remain stagnant? OF COURSE we should respect the past dancers, music and lifestyle,
> and understand them in the fullest depths,  but do we need to dwell in the past and not
> move forward? omg (i love that), is there no more than what currently is? flat earth and
> dinosaurs eating little guys with clubs? oh oh, things evolve. some people stand on the
> current state of things shoulders and REACH UP.


It is a bit difficult to react comprehensively to the different facets
and levels of ignorance, arrogance and insults you display with
rant-like paragraphs like above. Let's see:

1. Classical tango music is not stagnant. Your basic premise is false.
In fact this is one of the most ridiculous assertions one can make,
given the reality. Not only has classical tango continually evolved up
to its dark period starting somewhere past the mid-1950s, but nowadays
there are many many orchestras - modern tango orchestras - that are
continuing in the classical tango music spirit and (1) saving from
extinction, preserving and recreating the most beloved classical tango
music styles and (2) continuing the evolution. There are also new
classical tangos being composed. There is an explosion of activity,
mostly centered in Buenos Aires and Argentina, and this newest wave
started almost ten years ago.

2. Novelty is not identical with progression or evolution or with
anything with an inherent higher value. Only a miniscule part of what
was novel once ended up being the latter. Historically all that is
considered to have been progress or part of evolution was once a
novelty, however THE OPPOSITE DOES NOT FOLLOW - it does not follow
that all novelty must be part of progress and evolution (which is the
premise you implicitly use) - in fact this is a common logical error
which is a combination of an inductive argument and inductive fallacy.

3. You are not inherently a better person for doing tango steps to
non-tango music. Instead let's call it a question of personal taste, a
value-neutral comparison. Your described preferences or practices in
the field of tango music and dancing are definitely not attached to an
intrinsically higher moral value, not even by association with all
these great artists and thinkers that did move humanity forward (see 1
and 2 above). You are not a better person, and you are not justified
in implicitly gloating or insinuating that you are, or, more
offensively, that people with other preferences are somehow inferior
or in possession of less moral value or judgement than you.

4. There is another more tangential, yet related, point: originality
PER SE (as an initial property of novelty) is not very valuable or
progressive. To say, do or create something that no one has ever said,
done or created before is one of the easiest things to accomplish.
(this could go more generally into a discussion about fashions in
(what is called) art, but I digress).


> get over your bad selves and DANCE. who freaking cares what dance (or what you call
> it), if you love it, DANCE IT, TO WHATEVER MUSIC YOU WANT, whenever and wherever
> you want;


You insult by insinuation - typically associative fallacies of
attaching bad qualities or views to your opponents (they "dwell in the
past", think there is nothing more than currently is, their stance is
analogous to "flat earth and dinosaurs eating little guys with clubs",
they do not think thing should evolve, they are not like these great
people that stand up and reach up, and, from your "PETA" signature,
that they lack attitude).

You also dial it up a notch and use direct and personal insults - "bad selves".


With best regards,

Konstantin
Victoria, Canada