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!

Tango In Bogota

Although very few people would associate Colombia with anything else but salsa, it happens to be a very eclectic country as far as dancing and music is concerned. Of course, salsa plays a central role in the dancing and music scene of colombia but there are pockets of the country in which other types of music aIn the north, a very popular traditional music by 

the best place to go Tangoing in Colombia is the beautiful city of Medellin. The great Carlos Gardel died in this tango capital of Colombia. 

One might think that Bogota is devoid of tango. Even here there are a bunch of choices as far as tango is concerned. My favorite is the little known "El viejo Almacen del tango" which does not have that much web presence, but is a quaint little place in the heart of bogota, in the old colonial Candelaria. The place is guarded by wooden doors and unless you are looking for it, you are unlikely to come across it. But there is no cover charge (unlike salsa places in Bogota) once you enter, you will see a wall full of old records and a little bar with cheap beer. People mostly come in couples and are mostly regulars. 

Here is the exact address: 

El Viejo Almacen del Tango.

Calle 15 No 4-18C 

Candelaria, Bogota.

Tele: +57-1-284-2364.

It's just off avenida Jimenez (Ac 13), approximately behind the Crepes place.

Definitely check it out if you are in that part of Bogota, after having a nice creme bruelee or a tart at the french bakery nearby.

Tango: Musicality.

Many students of tango, a few days after they've begun and have  mastered their ocho cortados and "close embrace" start hearing key words like "Musicality" and "cadence" and so on. Now, some of us are fortunate to be gifted with a sense of music that does not need explanations but most of us, even when they are intrigued by a particular form of music, need someone to explain to them, what the hell is musicality ? Or rather "what exactly am I looking for" in here ? And once they know, everything becomes much more enjoyable. 

Just like a cubist painting, which may evoke some pleasant emotions just by looking at it, but becomes much more impressive and effective once it makes more sense, once you know what's special about this technique. In other words "What to look for" in it. 

So here is my humble attempt at trivializing this abstract quality called musicality: At the most basic level, it involves going slower or faster depending on the music. Now, purists are going to cringe at this description. Of course there is much more to it than slowing and speeding. It's like describing impressionism as "Oh that's just when you use dots and more discrete strokes and distort stuff rather than drawing a photo-realistic representation". But it's a good beginning. 

Read my next post for more on tango rhythm and "what to listen to".

Tango in Mumbai (Bombay)

If you are an avid fan of Argentine tango, you will understand the urge to try and find a milonga to go to in every city you visit. I have thought many times that tango would be one of the two things I will miss if I moved back to India (The other would be good wine).

It seems India is waking up to this wonderful dance form and Tim Collins and Malou Meyenhofer are quick to recognize and fill this gap in supply and demand. As we speak, they are already running classes of argentine tango in Zenzi Bar, Bandra, Mumbai and a milonga every Monday night. And this is not some wishy-washy cheeseball tango that's prevalent in Hollywood (and apparently Bollywood too, if you stretch your imagination). This the authentic Porteño tango, as it is danced in the streets of Buenos Aires (or "De la boca" as they would say it in Spanish), although Tim is from Seattle and Malou is Swiss.

The exact location of this milonga is:

Zenzi Bar, Bandra
183, waterfield road (a.k.a. RK Patkar Marg),
Bandra (west),
mumbai 400 050.
+22-56 430 670.

And it runs every Monday from 10 PM to 1 AM although it's always a good idea to call before going.

The easiest way to get there is to take any train on Western line to Bandra station and then walk or take an auto rikshaw (it's just 1 km/0.6 miles from the bandra local train station). For more information, go here.

Desfrutate y baila mucho!