[Tango-L] Tango to SLOW waltz?

[Phil Seyer]

I was surprised a while back by a beautiful tango sounding slow waltz
played by a guest DJ from Argentina. Instrumentation definitely had a
Buenos tango quality, but it wasn't really tango in my mind because it
was in a very slow tempo and in 3/4 meter -- like a ballroom waltz,
only with bandoneon and other instruments used in tango. There were 3
clear beats per measure. Since I had never experienced this kind of
music at a milonga I wasn't quite sure how to dance to it. The usual
tango moves didn't seem to fit.

Sorry I don't know the tune, I tried to find out, but didn't get the
name of the music.

When I called this to the attention of the organizer of the milonga
some time later, she explained to me that it was a vals. I had to
explain to her that it was definitely not a vals because it was much
too slow for that.

Many people, it seems, aren't able to distinguish between 4/4 and 3/4
time. I've heard ballroom dance teachers, who should know better,
introduce a tune as Foxtrot (4 beats per measure) when it was actually
a waltz with 3 beats per measure.

Has anyone else heard a *slow* tango sounding tune with 3 very slow
beats per measure? How did you dance to it?  What are your thoughts?

Phil Seyer
www.Argentine-tango.com