527 Finnish tango - the original?
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 12:00:14 +0100
From: John Ward <jmward@BUN.COM>
Subject: Finnish tango - the original?
On a recent visit to Helsinki I had some lessons in the Finnish tango. I asked how it came to lose its figures, as there are a great many in =
Argentine tango and the ballroom tango consists of nothing but figures. I was told the Finnish tango had never had figures. Is it possible that =
Finland has preserved the original tango in its pristine purity? Does anyone have any comments?
John
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 09:34:07 +0100
From: Preston Palon <ppalon@QUALCOMM.COM>
Subject: Re: Finnish tango - the original?
>Is it possible that Finland has preserved the original tango in its
pristine purity?
I doubt it, as Finnish tango has evolved in so many ways to become quite
different from the original. Here is my explanation for the lack of figures:
In the Finnish tango it is mainly the singers who are ambitious and
competitive. The musicians are happy to stay in the background, earning
their (below average) income by touring around the country, playing tango
and other dance music, often supporting the same vocalist night after night.
As for dancers, for virtually all of them it is a purely social activity;
Most of them have never taken any tango lessons. It is more like your friend
showing you some steps, and five minutes later you are ready to go. As an
activity it is not dissimilar to what teenagers do in mainstream dance clubs
all around the world: Virtuosity is not an objective.
It is a country where most men are so tongue-tied that expressing their
feelings or romantic interest verbally is a mission impossible, and so tango
came to play a very important role. In Argentina the problem was lack of
women, and so men developed sophisticated and elaborate figures to get their
attention. In Finland there was no shortage of women, the problem was
connecting with them, and thus it was important that tango was easy to
learn.
Still, the Finnish tango has a lot going for it. It has a rich history, and
as a nation they are crazy about tango, possibly more so than the
Argentinians, although I'm not qualified to compare the two. The countryside
is the real tango stronghold, and the venues are often located in places of
outstanding natural beauty. So, it's well worth investigating if you ever
happen to travel there.
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 15:24:48 -0300
From: la guacha <lamasguacha@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Finnish tango
I don't know much about the figures in Finnish tango. I only know that I
shared a beautiful dance with a man in Berlin at a milonga. They played a
Finnish tango and he led me in some unfamiliar 'figures' but I was able to
follow them quite easily. I experienced an incredible connection within the
dance and afterwards, during the cortina he talked about the history of the
Finnish tango and I was quite impressed. Afterwards, I bought some of the
music and I was very struck with this description (which I will quote from
the text of the c.d.) It seemed to describe the emotional quality of the
connection I felt while dancing with him.
"Without a doubt the tango did find a new home in Finland and its origins
are hardly recognizable today. No filigre bandoneon that 'wails and pants
and sets aggressive accents' but instead the stout accordion cries and
consoles. The syncopations were crossed out. The key is always minor. And
the dancing of the couples is far away from any eroticism or obscenity, no
'eternal fight of man and woman in the act of love' but a 'melancholic
togetherness' knowing that we are all 'prisoners of the ground'. ...No 'sad
thought that can be danced' but a sad life that has to be lived."
-from text of Finnischer Tango Tule Tanssimaan
a beautiful and different take on the tango. One I will not forget.
-la guacha
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 01:47:12 +0100
From: Daniel M Iannarelli <dmi@OSTEOPATH.THERAPIST.ORG.UK>
Subject: Re: Finnish tango
Hello.
Let's not lose sight of the fact that Argentine Tango is practiced in
Finland as well as Finnish Tango.
In June of last year (2001) I visited Tampere in Finland for a conference
(not tango). While there, I had the good fortune to meet up with a Finnish
AT dancer who I met through this discussion group. She kindly took me one
evening to a lovely island off Tampere where a milonga was being held. It
was a weekly event.
The setting was absolutely wonderful. An hourly ferryboat took us over to
the island of Vikiinsaari on which, in a fantastic 'colonial'-style mansion,
a Milonga was in progress. There was also an excellent Finnish AT
band/orchestra (6-piece, if I remember correctly) playing that evening -
called 'LA MILONGA'. I must say their arrangements/sound was terrific. The
only thing was that the weekly event finished (excuse the pun) early due to
the last ferryboat leaving the island at 11pm or thereabouts.
Overall, it was great to visit Finland and dance AT - especially in such a
lovely setting. So thanks again, Heini, for taking an interest in a tango
foreigner visiting your wonderful country.
From what I saw of 'pure' Finnish tango, it relates in no way to AT. It
seems to be a forward and backward-type motion performed by the leader and
follower. That's about the limit of my analysis, as I saw very little due to
lack of time.
Anyway, all the best; and . . . happy 'tango-ing',
Dani
Daniel M Iannarelli
Scotland
United Kingdom
Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2002 14:07:31 -0500
From: Agnes Gorgon <agnesgorgon@YAHOO.CA>
Subject: Finnish Tango
Hello Everyone,
I am currently trying to compile a list of resources
of the topic of Finnish tango. I am in the process of
writing a paper of tango in Finland, and have not been
able to get my hands of too many resources in English
about this topic.
I would be interested in anything at this point -- any
format I mean: books (chapters in books), articles,
Internet resources, etc.
If anyone could help me with this, I would really
appreciate it.
Thank you,
Agnes :)
=====
Agnes Gorgon
University of British Columbia
School of Library, Archival and Information Studies
agnesgorgon@yahoo.ca
