Tangodurians

To cap off a beautiful 1st Singapore Tango Marathon, small workshop with Damian Boggio over cup noodles and instant tea in the cosy setting of Tangopura! Notes! DJ tips for creating a memorable night Role of the DJ - Phrases of music and the energy variation is very important. You can string together 4 straight tandas of 1940's golden age music, but sooner or later the energy level becomes too stagnant, with variation, no one should be asking for nuevo - that is your goal as a DJ to achieve - 1940's music was created for the dancer, hence you cannot go wrong selecting a tanda from the era, but be wary of choosing too much from a particular time period as most orchestras would be following a particular rhythm and style that was almost the same for all of them during that time - The DJ is a "service", people do not go there mainly for the music or the DJ, they are there for the people and to socialise - The best milonga is one where you are unaware of the DJ, ...

Ah, Musicality. So hard to teach. So so hard. Lessons with Bichi and Luciana who are a lovely couple. Facing all our very blur and quizzical faces and off tempo walking, totally patient and totally strict on the fundamentals. Tough love! Side Runs - Side step then forward outside for the guy, side-collect x3 by the fourth a walk forward, change weight, step back and repeat the whole sequence - To maintain the step and collect to the side, elevate the follower and keep the side on intention clear so she does not end up doing a grapevine, don't let the hips run free (square feel) - Additional post side run will be to rotate the follower so she is on the side of the lead, keeping thighs somewhat close and doing a back-cross sequence x3 as well; the accent is on the back, the cross is a tuck and more of a quick transfer into the next step rather than a rock-step - Do not change the height with the side step, that does not mean that you lock the knee but you try and maintain th...

So sad they've split up! Would have learnt a wealth of information from them about music, musicality, steps and really listening to the structure of Tango on another level. Time to find Erdemsel somewhere in this world then! This brought me back to a concept that I think is really relevant for Tango though, in order to understand Tango beyond dance steps, it's the realisation that the evolution of this dance is so much a combination of lifestyle, of music and of tradition. For me, the Universe of Truths in Tango consists of : - Embrace - Music - Movement What is real Tango? Is it the lost years of the 30's? Where we only play 'Golden Age' stuff and conform to a notion of 'tradition'.Where we look at old recordings and find confusion in the boxy, non-disassociated steps of the past maestros. Where up to now I look at the elderly women who have more meat, who have seen more, and wonder why the maestros call them '80 kg of Tango'. How does...

Yo me cegué en tus ojazos I was blinded by your big ey es y fui a caer en tus brazos. and I landed in your arms Y entre tus brazos yo fui feliz, And in your arms I was happy porque te amé con delirio. Because I loved you with a delirium Yo fui a caer en tus brazos I went to fall into your arms y así llegué hasta el martirio; And so I found my torment te juro que enloquecí, I swear I went crazy cuando por dentro me vi, When I saw inside me y comprendí lo que hacía. And I realised what I was doing Quiero mirar hacia Dios, I want to look towards God aunque me muerda el dolor, Even if the pain bites me aunque me cueste morir. Even if dying is difficult Por quererte llegué hasta el martirio, For love I found my torment cuando vi que mi casa dejaba When I saw that I was leaving my home y, aunque mi alma en tus brazos quedaba, And though my soul remained in your arms te dejé, que es igual que morir.  I left you, which is the same as to die ¡Cómo duele en la c...

  Apenas suspiró tu encanto, apenas floreció tu amor, perfume de ilusión dejaste en mi pesar, recuerdo de una noche y nada más. Mi ensueño se quedó en la dicha y nunca te diré adiós, un beso de pasión, partiste sin amar y el claro de tu ausencia tan mortal. Cuando te veo pasar indiferente de amor, la risa es pobre disfraz de mi tristeza, después te alejas y ya mi pensamiento revive tus palabras y la noche del encuentro. Dijiste "siempre serás para mi vida el amor", palabras de tu emoción que ya murieron. Flor de un día, tu perfume, siempre embriaga a mi corazón. Y todo no fue más que un beso, encanto que plasmó mi amor. Después al despertar, la vida sin color es mezcla de dulzura y de dolor. En vano llamaré tu nombre ya nunca escucharé tu voz distancia de los dos, camino sin final, y el sueño que no espeja en tu mirar.   Just sighed your charm,  flourished just your love,  illusion perfume left on my ...

Hasta siempre, amor, pasarás de otro brazo y dolerá el fracaso igual que hoy. Farewell, love, you’ll move to another arm and the failure will hurt same as today. Hasta siempre, amor, corazón como el mío, que compartió tu hastío, no encontrarás.Y entre la gente buscarás la mano amiga que te di y sólo así comprenderás que por quererte te perdí. Farewell, love, heart like mine, which shared your distaste, you won’t find.And among people you’ll seek the friendly hand I gave you and only then you’ll understand that for loving you I lost you Hasta siempre, amor, Hoy me sangra el recuerdo como una espina nueva del corazón. Hasta siempre, amor, cuando sueñes conmigo en las noches de frío ya no estaré. Farewell, love, Today the recall bleeds as a new spine of the heart. Farewell, love, when you dream about me on cold nights I will not longer be there. Y no me llames, si me ves a mi también con otro amor, porque es inútil esperar si la esperanza ya murió. And don’t...

  Anoche de nuevo te vieron mis ojos, anoche de nuevo te tuve a mi lao. Pa'que te habré visto, si después de todo fuimos dos extraños mirando el pasao... Ni vos sos la misma, ni yo soy el mismo, los años, la vida, quién sabe lo qué... De una vez por todas mejor la franqueza: yo y vos no podemos volver al ayer! Last night I really laid my eyes on you again, last night again I had you right here at my side. What did I see you for if we're only, in the end, a pair of strangers looking back on other times? You're not the girl you were, I'm not the same young man: the years, the lives, who knows what anyone can say... Once and for all it's better to put the matter frankly: you and I can never go back to yesterday. Paciencia... la vida es así. Quisimos juntarnos por puro egoísmo y el mismo egoísmo nos muestra distintos, para qué fingir...   Paciencia... la vida es así. Ninguno es culpable, si es que hay una culpa. Por eso la mano que te ...

One of my most favouritesttttttttt song ever, melody, lyrics, emotion, everything! Como son largas las semanas  (How long are the weeks) cuando no estas cerca de mi  (when you are not close to me) No se que fuerzas sobrehumanas  (I don't know what superhuman strengths) me dan valor lejos de ti (give me courage far away from you. ) Muerta la luz de mi esperanza  (The light of my hope having died) Soy como el naufrago en el mar (I am like the shipwrecked in the sea) se que me pierdo en lontananza  (I know I get lost in the far horizon) mas no me puedo resignar  (but I cannot resign myself)   Ah!... que triste es recordar,  despues de tanto amar (Oh! how sad it is to remember after having loved so much) esa dicha que paso,  flor de una ilusion, (that happiness that went by, flower of an illusion) nuestra pasion se marchito ( our passion has withered) Ah!... olvida mi desden  (Oh! forget my ...

I seem to be picking up more songs with 'voz' in its title, maybe because the 'voz' plays so much to the channel of who we are, through what we say. Te oí decir..adiós, adiós ... I heard you say .. goodbye, goodbye ... Cerré los ojos y oculté el dolor ... I closed my eyes and hid the pain ... Sentí tus pasos cruzando la tarde... I felt your footsteps crossing the afternoon y no te atajaron mis manos cobardes... and my hands do not heed them cowards. Mi corazón, lloró de amor ... My heart wept for love y en el silencio resonó tu voz... and silence your voice boomed tu voz querida, lejana y perdida... your dear voice , distant and lost tu voz que era mía... tu pálida voz... Your voice was mine ... your pale voice. En las noches desoladas, que sacude el viento... At night desolate , wind shaking brillan las estrellas frías del remordimiento... cold stars shine remorse me engaño que habrás de volver otra vez... and deception that ...

This is the last piece of the night. The wrap-up of a practica/milonga/festival that you've travelled down the road, or halfway around the world and 10 time-zones away for. This. This the finale. The End. Reserved often for a special other. You respect that, one of the certainties in an unstructured dance. Also the saddest song to hear on the dance floor. Not in terms of melody, but in terms of significance. (Lyrics are depressing as hell..what's new?)

No se para que volviste si yo empezaba a olvidar No se si ya lo sabras llore cuando vos te fuiste No se para que volviste, que mal me hace recordar La tarde se apuesto triste y yo prefiero callar Para que vamos a hablar de cosas que ya no existen No se para que volviste ya ves que es mejor no hablar Que pena me da saber que al final De ese amor ya no queda nada Solo una pobre cancion da vueltas por mi guitarra Y hace rato que te extraña mi zamba para olvidar Mi zamba vivio conmigo, parte de mi soledad No se si ya lo sabras mi vida se fue contigo Contigo mi amor contigo Que mal me hace recordar Mis manos ya son de barro, tanto apretar al dolor Y ahora que me falta el sol, no se que venis buscando Llorando mi amor llorando Tambien olvidame vos I don't know why did you come back, if i was starting to forget about you I don't know if you already knew it, but i cried when you left. I don't know why did you come back, it' hurts me to remember. Now the eve...

Who are we when we dance? When do we embody the little quavers, the running trills, the long sweep of a bow, the staccatoed steps of a quick beat and weight change, the spiralling ochos and giros leaning upon a centered foot and a delicate balance of weight? We start a story everytime we enter a dance situation, a strung together version of a longer epic Homer-type story that continues through the ages, forges through and chases each other like white sea-foam horses gallop and dissipate across a vast ocean. Nothing but a drop. This dance is music personified, it is a cloak we wear, which is why music is fundamental, THE core to everything. The puppet-master.

Bahia Blanca-Di Sarli Danzarin-Troilo Vida Mia-Fresado El Panuelito-Pugliese A La Gran Muneca-Canaro El Choclo-Tango Libre To Tango Tis Nefelis-Haris Alexiou A Evaristo Carriego-Pugliese Tormenta-Di Sarli Malena-Lucio Demare Zitarrosa-Bajofondo Indio Manso-Di Sarli