[Tango-L] Osvaldo Centeno

[Janis Kenyon]

He's known in the milongas as El Oso.  He told me in our recorded interview
on November 18, 2007, that he began dancing downtown in 1956.  Osvaldo
describes his experiences in the confiterias, cabarets and clubs as if they
happened yesterday.   He started out going to Club Sol on Saraza and Jose
Maria Moreno for practicas with other young men.  He spoke about the
amusement park near Retiro where he danced at Palacio de Baile and La
Terraza.  He recalled the famous tango orchestras that performed every
Saturday night in La Argentina on Rodriguez Pena.  He tells how he danced
from 7:00 until 3:00 in the morning every night of the week.  His 7-year-old
grandson Nicolas asks him to turn on tango when they ride together in
Osvaldo's taxi.  He mentioned many of the places he went to dance, like La
Nobel, Club Premiere, Club Buenos Aires, San Souci, Monte Carlo, Jezabel, La
Cigalle, La Metro, Picadilly, with his favorite being Club Almagro.  I heard
him talk about how things were versus how things are today in the milongas.
He enjoys talking about his experiences, so for this reason, I've invited
him to talk at the Milonguero Conference. www.ToTango.net/milongueros.html

Osvaldo has never danced for exhibition anywhere.  He dances tango for
himself and his partner.  That's why I'm surprised he has consented to dance
a tango and vals with Ana Maria Schapira for the opening milonga of
Milongueando en Buenos Aires.  His daughter Cynthia will be there to film
him on Monday, February 11 at El Beso.  I've told him that he'll be on
YouTube the next day unless he requests that no one be permitted to film.
He is being paid to dance (as he should be), although his name isn't
mentioned on the program.  www.milongueandoenba.com