Tango in South Beach.

Miami in recent years has seen a significant increase in the Argentinian population and with it a great surge in the tango scene. There is a milonga to go to every night of the week, most nights with two or three to choose from, if you are willing to drive as few miles. For tourists, who will probably end up in the Miami Beach area, the most convenient location is the Monday night milonga in Tapas y Tintos.

This little restaurant at the intersection of Española way and Drexel avenue serves excellent calamari and has a good sellection of spanish wines, apart from being a platform for all sorts of latin music and dance: Tango on Mondays, Salsa on Tuesdays, Flamenco on Wednesdays Saturdays and Sundays (highly recommended).

The space is small, so the dance floor can get crowded, but the DJ Lorena plays good classical tango music and the ambiance is genial. The milonga starts at 10 PM and is free but there is also a lesson available from 8:30 which costs $10.

For more information contact:

Tapas y Tintos
448 Española way
Miami Beach FL-33139

Ph: 305-538-8272.
http://www.tapasytintos.com

viva la milonga!

Tango What to Listen: The double bass.

Here is what your instructors want you to listen to when they are asking you to "dance to the rhythm": The double bass playing in the background. If you don't know what the double bass is, it's this gigantic violin type of instrument that's played usually standing up. If you've heard your tango instructor go "pum, pum pum, pum pum pumpumpum", while explaining a step to you (Argentinians do it more often than others), he is attempting to reproduce the sound of the double bass. That's the part of the music that tango players and dancers use, that's our time keeper, our metronome.

For examples of a clear, rhythmic and prominent double bass, I would recommend the orchestras of Carlos Di Sarli, Juan D'Arienzo and Francisco Canaro. I would also suggest an exercise: Go to your favorite music player (i.e. itunes) and play any of the classical tango songs you have, e.g. one of Carlos Di Sarli. Now open the equalizer (under the "window" tab) and drag all the sliders completely down except for the left most 3. What you are hearing most prominently now, is the double bass. Try to recognize it the next time you are dancing. Have fun!