349  Tango to Evora

Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 09:10:24 -0800
From: Bugs Bunny <bugsbunny1959@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Tango to Evora

I was wondering if anyone out here has danced to this song & what there
experience was? The last time I requested it here locally I was met with a
look of alarm from the DJ. Figuratively speaking, a crucifix & string of
garlic was thrust in my direction from the DJ bunker, eeeek! Seriously, I've
never known this piece of music to threaten or hurt anyone. I've only
enjoyed a very deep satisfaction from dancing to it. All the dancers I've
spoken w/ share this experience. I believe this songs represents a threat to
a vary narrow idea of what is appropriate for Tango music. I mention this
whole thing, because I still run into resistance trying to coax my swing
dance friends into dancing Tango due to the multi-hour sets of (uninspiring
to them) classic era Tango.

Rick Anderson
Portland, OR

Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 19:42:52 +0100
From: Jacquet Jean-Pierre <jpjfilms@NOOS.FR>
Subject: Tango to Evora

Hi,
This one is always a test for sectarian vs.
non-sectarian tangueros. I have danced to that tune
many times, both in the US and in Europe, both to the
original and to the Greek and Turkish versions, with
much enjoyment. Tango teachers who emphasize
musicality (the only ones worth your time once you
have mastered the rudiments of the dance) will not shy
away from experimenting dancing to non-tango music
stricto sensu; it is a wonderful exercise and will
certainly throw off the ones who tend to switch on the
automatic pilot upon hearing the first few bars of La Yumba.
Susana Miller, for one, likes to teach milonga
rhythms to none other than Elvis' "Don't Be Cruel" and
"All Shook Up", and it works.
As for "Tango to Evora", I find it best to play it
towards the end of the milonga, when the moods have
mellowed out and when the music really supplants the
mind games or barnyard behaviours which tend to
prevail in the early hours of your average milonga.
Jean-Pierre Jacquet

Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 12:47:58 -0700
From: Brian Dunn <brianpdunn@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: Tango to Evora

Subject: Tango to Evora

Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 12:47:58 -0700
From: Brian Dunn <brianpdunn@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: Tango to Evora

Subject: Tango to Evora

>>>>

I was wondering if anyone out here has danced to this song & what there
experience was? The last time I requested it here locally I was met with a
look of alarm from the DJ...

Rick Anderson
Portland, OR
<<<<

Brigitta Winkler (of Berlin and NYC) introduced this Loreena McKennit song
to the Colorado tango scene some years ago, in the form of a version done by
the Greek singer Haris Alexiou. My partner and I have performed to it in
several venues, and frequently use it at our milongas. Brigitta's
credibility as a tango dancer and teacher of more than twenty years'
standing makes this beautiful song a relatively non-controversial choice out
here. Of all the music we use at performances, this is the one that
provokes the most queries from novices and newbies of "What was that
MUSIC?!"

Brian Dunn
Boulder, Colorado USA
www.danceoftheheart.com

Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 15:16:35 EST
From: Jack Karako <JKarako@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Tango to Evora

Here in New York we use the Turkish version (by Nilufer) of the same song for performances and at the milongas, a very well received piece by all. Though it is not embraced by all milonga organizers.

Experimentation is a mind set.

Jak
www.BailaTango.com

>
> >>>>
> I was wondering if anyone out here has danced to this song & what there
> experience was? The last time I requested it here locally I was met with a
> look of alarm from the DJ...
>
> Rick Anderson
> Portland, OR
> <<<<
>
> Brigitta Winkler (of Berlin and NYC) introduced this Loreena McKennit song
> to the Colorado tango scene some years ago, in the form of a version done by
> the Greek singer Haris Alexiou. My partner and I have performed to it in
> several venues, and frequently use it at our milongas. Brigitta's
> credibility as a tango dancer and teacher of more than twenty years'
> standing makes this beautiful song a relatively non-controversial choice out
> here. Of all the music we use at performances, this is the one that
> provokes the most queries from novices and newbies of "What was that
> MUSIC?!"
>
> Brian Dunn
> Boulder, Colorado USA
> www.danceoftheheart.com
>

Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 08:18:28 -0700
From: Tom Stermitz <Stermitz@RAGTIME.ORG>
Subject: Re: Tango to Evora

>I was wondering if anyone out here has danced to this song & what there
>experience was? The last time I requested it here locally I was met with a
>look of alarm from the DJ. Figuratively speaking, a crucifix & string of
>garlic was thrust in my direction from the DJ bunker, eeeek! Seriously, I've
>never known this piece of music to threaten or hurt anyone. I've only
>enjoyed a very deep satisfaction from dancing to it. All the dancers I've
>spoken w/ share this experience. I believe this songs represents a threat to
>a vary narrow idea of what is appropriate for Tango music. I mention this
>whole thing, because I still run into resistance trying to coax my swing
>dance friends into dancing Tango due to the multi-hour sets of (uninspiring
>to them) classic era Tango.
>
>Rick Anderson
>Portland, OR

I understand where the super-traditionalist DJs are coming from.
There are so many great tangos from the 1940s that there is no reason
to go to the "non-danceable" stuff.

We are creating a "revival" community in situations with few examples
of "real" tango. The most prominent examples are often stage
oriented, people who choreograph to orchestrated, complex, modern
tangos.

Therefore it takes some effort to learn what is played in Buenos
Aires and even more effort to educate N. Americans to the social
dance music.



I'm very dedicated to the "authentic", yet I'll occasionally play
non-tangos for people to tango with.

I have a specific reason for doing so. I'm trying to translate the
emotional content of a Buenos Aires milonga to a N. American
audience, and yes, educate the dancers on what music works best for
social dancing.

Tango for Evora has a very romantic and moody feeling. Milongas in
Buenos Aires are FULL of seduction and romance, things that we could
use a little more of here.

Where are all the dangerous guys? Sometimes it feel like a studio
party at the local ballroom.


Another non-traditional tango that works in the same sense is
Piazzolla's Oblivion. Again you would never play this in Buenos
Aires, but it translates the emotion nicely. I like the version on
the CD Passatori, by Richard Galliano. The rest of the CD is very
nice.
--
Tom Stermitz
2612 Clermont St
Denver, CO 80207
home: 303-388-2560
cell: 303-725-5963

Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 07:45:19 -0500
From: Neal Goldman <nealg1@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Tango to Evora

i posted on this topic a year ago or so......I was impressed in my short
visit to the Rochester NY community in their experimentation of
tango-danceable non tangos at milongas. They played another Lorena M song
other than tango evora which i was initially surprised to dance to and then
came to await anxiouly at the end of every milonga. Yet when i played the
same thing in my community about 6 or seven people decided to use this as an
excuse to rapidly and disgustedly leave the milonga (in a milonga where
there were only about 10 people left!) Since then i have never tried to
experiment at that milonga again but continue to play these "alternative
pieces" at other opportunities where these people do not frequent.

I have thought about the problem over the past year. There is a group of
people who feel there are certain rules to tango....for example..."there is
no tango except to argentine music" "only tangos of these orquestras are
acceptable" "only these instruments are tango" "Never dance to this
composer...it is forbidden" "No Tubas in tango." "piazzolla is only for
listening" etc

There is another group of people who dance because they love the connection
you get from sharing beautiful music completely in sync with a gentle
partner. The boundry between the music, your partner and the dance
disappears and you find yourself caught up in the combination. To these
people, they may not have a lifetime of exposure to just argentine tango
music. Audio quality and familiararity to music they have grown up to love
may therefore be easier for them to appreciate than the beauty of
traditional tangos if they have not learned to "hear" them......but may
still find the emotive quality in Lorena M, or even a good blues song, or
even a bluegrass waltz!.

I would hate a milonga without tango. But.... i do appreciate good music of
many kinds and am not offended by people enjoying dancing to them. I have
also learned not to force this music on people who i recognize won't change
in my community. So I dance to the music i like and let them dance to the
music they like and keep my mouth shut the rest of the time.

Neal Goldman
Winston-Salem NC

Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 00:54:58 -0800
From: Bugs Bunny <bugsbunny1959@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Tango to Evora

I've listened to enough less-than-ideal fidelity classic era Tango to last
me a life time. Listening to more of it or having someone try to explain why
they love dancing to it is not going to change my mind about it. After
hearing a live orchestra recently in Portland, I realized that the
recordings we have of this era just don't sound enough like the original for
me. They just don't have the music's soul. If this classic era had happened,
say 10 or 15 years later when recording technology had advanced more, I'm
sure they would do justice to the original musicians, orchestras,
arrangements & so on. I know that people go to great lengths processing this
music to try to make it sound better. I've heard people turn the volume way
up on this music & it sounds like less_than_ideal-fidelity music turned up
really loud. The quality of sound just isn't there & perhaps never will be.

I've heard Tango music of a much higher fidelity from I'm assuming the 40s,
50s & 60s that is of a high-fidelity & does not sound tinny or muddy. I know
the music is out there.

Perhaps its possible to just informally survey everyone that dances over a
period of time as to what they want to hear & format the evening's music
accordingly. Beginners or anyone that wanted to, could hear different
selections of music, lower fidelity & high-fidelity Tango
music, as well as non-Tango music, before making their decision.

I knew I was encountering a major political/religious issue (with all the
associated baggage that goes with it) when I asked about Tango to Evora.
Tango sure has a lot of myths floating around out there.

Rick Anderson
Portland, OR

Date: Sun, 25 Aug 2002 22:53:26 -0700
From: Sergio <cachafaz@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject: Cok Uzaklarda - Tango to Evora

Tango to Evora by Loreena Mc Kennit - CD "The Visit". was adapted and
arranged into Greek and Turkish music.
It was re-baptized 'Cok Uzaklarda' in Turkish. The renowned singers that are
the interpreters in those languages are Haris Alexiou in Greek and Nilufer
in Turkish.

It is a very beautiful peace of music, somewhat repetitive like a litany. It
is a little slow for tango but one can be hypnotized by it and it has a
calming, soothing effect.

Loreena Mc Kennit was born in a rural area in central Canada. She grew up
among Irish, Scottish, German and Icelandic immigrants. She thinks that
modern life tends to dilute and diminish our sense of identity this in turn
greatly increased her curiosity to understand who we are, what our roots are
and where they are connected.
It is important to understand why things are the way they are. For that we
must understand history.

This thoughts brought her to explore her Celtic heritage. Started to become
interested in Celtic music.
Her interest took her to many places in the world, exploring Celtic ruins
and artifacts.
Finally she visited Galicia the Celtic corner of Spain. (NW. Spain)
When you cross from Spain into Portugal you leave by the city of Badajoz and
enter through Evora.
This is a city of more than 2000 years of history, the Celts, Romans, Moors
and Christians ruled the area.
There are megalithic monuments and a great Dolmen near by.

Her music influenced in this strange way is very pleasant and well accepted
all over the world. She has sold more than 40 million copies.