Twenty years ago, the Tango was out of fashion in Argentina. Only older people danced the Tango, and only tourists were interested in it. Kids didn’t learn to dance, and the music was considered old-fashioned. Could anything have been more un-cool than playing the accordion back then?
Well, that’s all changed. ‘Electronic Tango’ is hot music. The accordion is the coolest instrument on the planet. And Tango culture is once again the heart of Argentina.
Michelle and I are out every single night of the week, either taking Tango lessons, watching Tango, listening to Tango, or dancing the Tango at one of the Milongas (dance clubs) in town.
Mendoza is a quiet, rural town, there are only a handful of Malongas here. The ‘Tango Culture’ here is very small, you run into the same people again and again in the dance clubs. It is laid-back, everyone tells us how tranquil it is compared to Buenos Aires – where they start later and party harder.
Don’t know how that can be. We can schedule our lessons at reasonable times, but the shows, practices and dances typically start around 10:00, and dinner is afterwards. We often eat with amigos, who remind us that Mendoza is the heart of Argentina’s wine district – and so why don’t we order another bottle. We have to hustle home to get to bed by 1:30AM, often with sore heads. I’m sure we were able to do this when we were younger, but this life is hard for us now.
Anyhow, here’s a quick snapshot of a week of our ‘Tango Nights’.
This is Ana and Luis, our dance teachers. We take two private lessons with them per week – 90 minutes each. Then we try to attend at least two of their three group lessons per week, great opportunities to practice and get help if we get stuck.
You wouldn’t think there was any time left for anything else. Especially since we have homework every night from Spanish school.
But there’s so much going on in Mendoza – something every night. We missed one of the group lessons to have dinner at La Mar – they have live music every Tuesday night, and they had brought in a local Electronic Tango group. The food was terrific, the wine flowed like water, and the music was sexy and hot.
These guys were a 3-piece band – violin, squeeze-box, and keyboard. Very jazzy, kind of a jazz-tango fusion. The accordion (played by the guy in the middle) is a surprisingly expressive instrument – a combination of percussive breaths and a plaintive melody voice. With some electronics, it is as versatile as an electric guitar.
Later in the week, a ballet performance. “Compania de Danza Lucia Y Valentina Fusari” was playing at the Teatro Independencia – a lovely old art-deco building – and we had to go see it. The main event was a ballet to Fados music – spectacular – that had sold out several nights in Buenos Aires. Being an Argentine dance company, they also had a very hot Tango number on the program. (No photos allowed, but I snapped this one when they came out for a round of applause).
And out to the Milongas to dance the night away. We are not much more than beginners, and we like to get to the club early before the dance floor gets crowded. The Mendocinos typically show up at 11:00 or later (and work the next day), we’re happy to be finished by then (and heading out for dinner).
And then, the big event. Electronic Tango has become the rage here. It’s a modern evolution of the 150-year old tradition, and it’s really good.
The best-known group in Argentina is The Bajo Fondo Tango Club – they are the superstars. They are holding a concert in Mendoza, in the biggest venue available. It’s the hottest show in town, sold out, people have been talking about nothing else. And Michelle and I have front-row tickets !!
These guys are the ‘Pink Floyd’ of Tango – both in the classical, multi-layered flavor of their complex music, and in the wonderful 1970’s style rock concert format. We are in awe of the technical skills of the musicians – they clearly love this music. The performance isn’t polished, it isn’t choreographed, it’s loud as heck, and it’s a HUGE amount of fun. The melodies are infectious – you just can’t sit still.
We were giggling like children. We didn’t know the songs (unlike the rest of the audience, which would roar and sing along with the better known pieces). Didn’t matter, we had SUCH a good time.
Bajo Fondo doesn’t really play dance music – it’s more rock-tango fusion with a heavy beat. But there are other groups that have taken the electronic sounds and created very traditional Tango dance music. Our favorite is Gotan Project – when we are practicing Tango in the apartment, that’s what we put on. Here’s a sample of their music ( a 30-second clip from Amazon.com), listen for the accordian.
In two weeks, we hit Buenos Aires – where there are about 150 Malonga’s, and a much larger, much more active Tango community. We’ll have enough Spanish and beginner Tango to be able to navigate. It will be the adventure of our lives. Just wish there were more nights in a week.