[Tango-L] Buenos Aires Milonga traditions outside Buenos Aires (WAS chacarera skirts)

[Shahrukh Merchant]

> A general comment: How is chacarera related to tango?

It's not, other than (a) being Argentine (but from the provinces rather 
than urban) and (b) that it's played at milongas in Buenos Aires for 
variety.

> I dislike how
> it is played at tango events.  It seems just because it is
> Argentinian, it MUST be embraced, but to me it is out of place.

I assume you mean that you dislike that it's played at Tango events 
OUTSIDE Argentina, right? In Argentina, it's not seen as out of place at 
all, and the floor is always full when a chacarera is played (which is 
not always the case when a salsa is played, for example).

If you generalize this observation, there are many aspects of milongas 
in Buenos Aires that, strictly speaking, are not essential to emulate in 
order to dance Tango, but which has nonetheless evolved to be part of 
the mainstream concept of "milonga" outside Buenos Aires and Argentina 
as well.

In rough order of "Buenos Aires traditions most often emulated outside 
Buenos Aires" to least-often-emulated, we have:

1. Use of a popular subset of "old guard" Tangos (and Milongas and Valses).

There are many many more perfectly danceable ones, and while some DJs do 
experiment with those, the core is still based on a much smaller 
standard repertoire.

2. Use of Tandas and Cortinas.

I hear this is not as de rigueur in Germany, for example, but most 
places around the world do seem to follow this (though they do not 
always leave their partners and return to their seats as religiously as 
in Buenos Aires).

3. Table seating.

... as opposed to "studio seating" with a row of chairs against a wall. 
All milongas in Buenos Aires will have this, and many even so-called 
practicas, but outside Buenos Aires it seems to be about 50%.

4. Occasional tandas of other dances.

Many but again not all milongas in Buenos Aires will have a tanda of 
salsa or rock-n-roll or chacarera/folkloric, and in some traditional 
milongas even "paso doble" (nothing like the ballroom version), "jazz" 
(a ragtime-y cross between foxtrot and quickstep), "tropical" (mix of 
Latin rhythms like cumbia, cha-cha-cha).

This was the subject of nntp-posting-host's aka Tiffo's complaint. I 
think it has some legitimacy. These tandas are played in Buenos Aires 
because there is an expectation that the people in attendance actually 
DANCE these rhythms. Most Argentines who dance Tango will also dance a 
serviceable (or better) rock'n'roll, salsa, cumbia or chacarera. Zamba 
and other folkloric dances have fewer exponents. Paso Doble and "Jazz" 
will find fans mainly amongst older dancers.

Now, to imitate these blindly outside Buenos Aires would make no sense 
(an Argentine "paso doble" tanda in Little Rock, Arkansas???). But the 
concept of throwing in a different rhythm for variety is OK, if it is 
tailored to what makes sense for the demographics: Perhaps a tanda of 
Country Two-Step in Texas, or West Coast Swing in California, or Forró 
en Brazil, Salsa almost anywhere, etc. Chacarera would make sense in a 
community where it has actually been taught extensively or where a lot 
of the community has travelled to Argentina and seen and learned it 
there, otherwise yes, it would be somewhat contrived (and, more 
importantly, bad for the energy of the milonga to have 95% of the 
participants impatiently waiting for something they can dance to, while 
2 couples show off their chacarera).

But let me continue with my list ...

5. Cabeceo.

The across-the-room version is rare (and would indeed usually seem 
contrived) outside Buenos Aires (it's getting rarer in Buenos Aires too, 
but has not yet got to the level of seeming contrived). But the 
as-you-approach-the-lady version does seem to work increasingly in more 
and more places.

6. Table reservations.

Most milongas in Buenos Aires offer this, but one rarely sees this 
outside Buenos Aires. One milonga in Miami, I think, has this, and no 
doubt a few others, especially for special events like New Year's Eve 
milongas, but otherwise it's rare.

7. Table service.

Almost universal in Buenos Aires, but never seen this outside Buenos 
Aires (except for milongas which are held in functioning restaurants 
where the exisiting restaurant staff is often available to take drink or 
food orders).

I suppose there are any number of additional items--others are welcomed 
to chime in (or take issue with my list!) ...


There's another list too, of milonga traditions that have developed 
outside Buenos Aires, that don't exist in Buenos Aires (or exist to a 
negligible degree). Anyone care to take a shot at that? The use of 
"alternative" Tango [sic] music would be the most obvious example, but 
on the positive side we have complimentary refreshments tables and in 
some cases BYO wine (regulations permitting ... and sometimes not 
permitting notwithstanding ...).

Shahrukh Merchant