[Tango-L] How tango evolves

[Trini y Sean (PATangoS)]

Someone asked that I post a youtube video of Miguel and Milena.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSFkVrTJ_Ig&NR=1

That first opening walk to the cross.  Isn't that what we think about when "tango" pops in our heads?  If we want to share with someone quintessential tango, isn't this it?

Get too far away from this idea, and it isn't Argentine tango.  What I'm saying is that there is a definite concept of tango, despite people saying that Argentine tango could be anything.  It's not.

At some point, a version of Argentine tango became Finnish tango.  A version of Argentine tango became International Ballroom tango.  It's quite possible that a version of Argentine tango is becoming another type of tango, a separate branch on the evolutionary chain.  Or could it be evolving in a direct line?  

In Simon Collier's book Tango!, he talks about the "evolutionary" branch of music (De Caro, Di Sarli, Troilo, Pugliese), the Avant-Garde (Piazzola, Salgan), and traditional branch (Canaro, D'Arienzo, Biagi).  Would a milonga be complete without both the evolutionary and the traditional branch of music?  Of course, not.

What about the Avant-Garde music?  I believe that that is where nuevo comes in.  If you watch Pulpo, Naviera, Salas, Chicho, etc, isn't this what they're dancing to?  It might have taken a bit of a detour (dancing to non-tango music) to get there, but they are dancing to Piazzola.

The use of non-tango music is what I think will be a passing fancy.  It's a temporary thing that could be used to help people figure out how to dance to Piazzola and Salgon.  In the same way, Susana Miller uses Brazilian music to help beginners dance traditional tango.  I've seen Piazzola being played at milongas recently, and it looks alright.  Years ago, I would cringe looking at the dance floor when Piazzola was played.  Now, looking at the those dancing to Piazzola, the dance fits the music.

Trini de Pittsburgh