3901  milonga the dancing place

Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 16:01:44 -0300
From: Alberto Gesualdi <clambat2001@YAHOO.COM.AR>
Subject: milonga the dancing place

Dear friends

The question What is a milonga ? Have several answers , being the first one, the search in a dictionary of the word.

The dictionary will say more or less " 1. type of music played in the Rio de la Plata, usually with a guitar , 2. type of dance similar to habanera , related to tango dance , 3. In Argentina and Uruguay, a place where people gathered to dance tangos, milongas,. and valsecitos "

But as any definition , needs to be revised .

We use here in Argentina, in our everyday speak, words that are borrowed from other languages. In spanish , bistrs cames from french and in turn from russian buistra that means " quickly !!" , the word that russian soldiers used when invaded France during Napoleonic wars, and wanted to be served at the dining places of french people quickly.

Or soirei , that is pronounced "suarei" meaning, a party that is held in the late evening but before full night . Originally it was supposed you should wear certain types of clothes , but actually this kind of parties turned very informal .

A word out of fashion , that has been adopted by a local tango music group, is vermouth , a beverage that was taken in the old times ( the 50s and 60s ) around 5pm or 6pm , as a refreshment after returning from work , and before going home. This hours of the day were so precise, that cinemas used the words "Vermouth section " to make clear there were "matinees / 2pm to 4pm" , vermouth section, 5 top 7pm, night from 8 to 10 , and afternight , from 11pm to 2 am . Actually it remains oonly the "afternight" reference, for special performances or cult movies , the rest of the sections disappeared , they simply print the daily schedule of movies and the hours .


So, if I am visiting , say , New York, and someone asks me " would you want to go to a local milonga ??" , I would ask " do you know if they play tangos , milongas and valsecitos ??" , if the person that invites me says "yes" , I wil take my tango shoes , if the answer is " now , is a kind of salsa , candombe , jazz , and latin music " , well, I may take my tennis shoes and try to enjoy as good as possible .


warm regards
alberto gesualdi
buenos aires






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