3270 A change in music format in the milongas of BsAs
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 14:01:43 -0300
From: Janis Kenyon <jantango@FEEDBACK.NET.AR>
Subject: A change in music format in the milongas of BsAs
The current topic of conversation is last week's closing of Salon Nuevo
Argentino on Bme. Mitre and Callao. The DJ played a cumbia for the cortina
between tandas, and the police shut the place down. The city government
recently passed a new law which prohibits any music other than tango,
milonga or vals to be played in the milongas since they now have their own
classification. Most dancers feel this is outrageous since salsa, cumbia,
and jazz have been played in the milongas and confiterias bailables since
the 1940s. It's interesting to note that at last night's concert during the
city's annual tango festival, the Portena Jazz Band was on the program at El
Dorrego playing the big band standards. I estimate there was an audience of
4,000 for the Baile de Carnaval which lasted 3-1/2 hours.
Dancers are waiting to hear what Dr. Anibal Ibarra will think of next. He's
the equivalent of mayor in Buenos Aires. At least the city has finally
realized that the tango festival deserves its own venue. El Dorrego is a
massive space in Palermo Hollywood which can handle the enormous crowds that
turn out. If you are in BsAs, I recommend going to see the exhibitions,
movies, and concerts scheduled there through Sunday. You will find vendors
selling everything tango--books, CDs, calendars, shoes, clothes, jewelry and
even a new line of bed linens with a BsAs design.
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 15:27:26 -0500
From: Clint Rauscher <clint@AXIALPARTNERS.COM>
Subject: Re: A change in music format in the milongas of BsAs
> Argentino on Bme. Mitre and Callao. The DJ played a cumbia
> for the cortina
> between tandas, and the police shut the place down.
Wow.. that is amazing... Talk about "Tango Police"... Do the police just
hang around the clubs waiting for some other type of music to be played? Do
the police really know enough to differentiate between the different styles
of music? What about newer tango music? Would they know that Narcotango or
Bajo Fondo were tango?
Sounds like a lot of non-sense. How does it get to a point where that is any
of the government's business?
Clint
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 14:43:19 -0600
From: "Christopher L. Everett" <ceverett@CEVERETT.COM>
Subject: Re: A change in music format in the milongas of BsAs
Janis Kenyon wrote:
>The current topic of conversation is last week's closing of Salon Nuevo
>Argentino on Bme. Mitre and Callao. The DJ played a cumbia for the cortina
>between tandas, and the police shut the place down.
>
>
Hmmph. Power corrupts and absolute powr corrupts absolutely.
Don't know about you, but anarchy looks more and more like a viable option.
--
Christopher L. Everett
Chief Technology Officer www.medbanner.com
MedBanner, Inc. www.physemp.com
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 13:09:48 -0800
From: Malcolm Spittler <malcolm.spittler@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: A change in music format in the milongas of BsAs
Not to defend the recent action in BsAs, but if Milongas are going to
be treated differently than other clubs operating in the city, it is
necessary that someone defines what a Milongas is. While I would never
contend that a club which plays anything less than 100% tango or vals
music is not holding a Milongas, I would also contend that one which
is only playing 10% is not one. I glad that I will never have to
formulate an exact opinion of what I think musically is necessary for
what a Milongas is, but this is a necessity for creating a special
circumstance for Milongas.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but I understand that the Milongas
were allowed to reopen with relatively little change, because of the
cultural position of Tango.
Rather than hate the person who has to make such a determination I
pity them greatly. Becoming an arbiter of culture is an awful job.
Malcolm in Portland
On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 14:43:19 -0600, Christopher L. Everett
<ceverett@ceverett.com> wrote:
> Janis Kenyon wrote:
>
> >The current topic of conversation is last week's closing of Salon Nuevo
> >Argentino on Bme. Mitre and Callao. The DJ played a cumbia for the cortina
> >between tandas, and the police shut the place down.
> >
> >
> Hmmph. Power corrupts and absolute powr corrupts absolutely.
>
> Don't know about you, but anarchy looks more and more like a viable option.
>
> --
> Christopher L. Everett
>
> Chief Technology Officer www.medbanner.com
> MedBanner, Inc. www.physemp.com
>
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 22:59:56 +0000
From: Jay Rabe <jayrabe@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: A change in music format in the milongas of BsAs
Janis, this is truly amazing, if it's fully true as stated on the surface.
However IMO everything is political, and hidden agendas and good-ol-boy
networks are almost always present in public decisions. So my question to
you is, what is the undercurrent of issues/personalities/rivalries that
might have contributed to the shut-down, or do you believe that it really
was the pure administration of an interpretation of a rule of music
classification? And in a broader question, why was the rule made to begin
with?
J in Portland
www.TangoMoments.com
----Original Message Follows----
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 18:57:18 -0700
From: Chas Gale <hotchango@MSN.COM>
Subject: Re: A change in music format in the milongas of BsAs
People, let's not forget the almost 200 young souls lost tragically
during Christmas. They burned to death or where asphyxiated. Not a
pleasant way to die I'm sure. Imagine the horrific image those kids
mothers will carry the rest of their days.
I'll never forget the 15 minutes I spent in total darkness at the locked
iron gate at La Catedral with at least 15 others waiting for the guy
with the key to let us out. "How will Mom know which pile of ash is me?"
I thought.
How will you indict the powers that be should another 200 die? Perhaps
we should quit our belly aching and let the city government (such as it
is) do what it can to insure the events of Christmas, 2004 never happen
again. Lest it be you the next time, or worse yet, me.
Chas "Come on baby don't light my fire" Gale
Denver, Colorado, USA
www.thetangohouse.com
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 1:43 PM
To: TANGO-L@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: [TANGO-L] A change in music format in the milongas of BsAs
Janis Kenyon wrote:
>The current topic of conversation is last week's closing of Salon Nuevo
>Argentino on Bme. Mitre and Callao. The DJ played a cumbia for the
>cortina between tandas, and the police shut the place down.
>
>
Hmmph. Power corrupts and absolute powr corrupts absolutely.
Don't know about you, but anarchy looks more and more like a viable
option.
--
Christopher L. Everett
Chief Technology Officer www.medbanner.com
MedBanner, Inc. www.physemp.com
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 19:21:10 +0000
From: Jay Rabe <jayrabe@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: A change in music format in the milongas of BsAs
Chas, I don't think anyone has forgotten the tragedy. But I think that
government people with scope over the issues often over-react, mostly to
cover their own butts, not wanting to appear unconcerned and risk doing too
little to prevent a repeat, but really a major motivation is preserving
their own public image. It's arguable that the shutdown measures are really
the most effective way to fix the very real problems. Certainly it's
difficult to see how rigidly controlling the music that is played could have
any possible corrective benefit.
J in Portland
www.TangoMoments.com
----Original Message Follows----
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 13:57:13 -0600
From: "Christopher L. Everett" <ceverett@CEVERETT.COM>
Subject: Re: A change in music format in the milongas of BsAs
Malcolm Spittler wrote:
><snip>
>
>I glad that I will never have to
>formulate an exact opinion of what I think musically is necessary for
>what a Milongas is, but this is a necessity for creating a special
>circumstance for Milongas.
>
>
Everyone knows what a Milonga is. There are few things people on this
list can agree on, but if I point at a Milonga, everyone will nod their
head
and affirm, "yes, that's a milonga".
><snip>
>
>
>Rather than hate the person who has to make such a determination I
>pity them greatly.
>
Who said anything about hatred?
>Becoming an arbiter of culture is an awful job.
>
>
No one should be allowed to act as an arbiter of culture -- like the death
penalty, no one is fit for the responsibilty.
--
Christopher L. Everett
Chief Technology Officer www.medbanner.com
MedBanner, Inc. www.physemp.com
