1046 Tango Argentino-Escape from Real Life
Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 17:11:49 EST
From: Arthur Greenberg <AHGberg@AOL.COM>
Subject: Tango Argentino-Escape from Real Life
Hi Listeros:
Someone asked me the meaning of Tango! I was at Roberto's milonga at Derek's
Dance Center. I said that it is a pleasurable way to escape from the harsh
realities of life. They told me that Tango IS Life! Life however, has so
many more varying problems that are so difficult to address successfully:
money: earnings-savings-iinvestments, mortgage and credit card problems,
physical and mental health, marital problems, boyfriend-girlfriend problems,
sex and its current accompanying communicable diseases. The difference
between Love and Herpes...is that love goes away while Herpes (and HIV) lasts
forever (a life-time). What about the constant problem of aging:
educational, career and job problems, general material problems of House,
Condo, Apartment problems, decorating,
furnishing....automobiles-motorcycles-bikes and finally after all is said and
done (with) there is still the question of diversion! How should I spend my
leisure time. Should I watch my new TV ($6,000 for a flat LED screen)
listen to my stereo (compact disks). Should I go to the Gym and work-out to
stay "fit" and acquire/maintain my muscularity. Should I install a bomb
shelter in my residence or put up bars on every window or should I move into
some condo tower in the sky, inaccessible to terrorists. Whoops! (I was
wrong aboout being out of danger on the 103 floor of the Twin Towers in NYC.)
(What am I going to do with all that newly acquired "duct tape" and rolls of
plastic sheathing???? Maybee I should get into politics and run for public
office. I must confess that although I have tried very hard to shield
myself from the inconsequential daily b---s you cannot escape from the daily
travail of life. Should I go to the spa and spend $800 to $1,000 on massages,
make up, mani and pedicures. Should I have a face lift. I am beginning to
look "old" around the eyes. Should I hire a maid to help me clean the house,
cook and serve the food, clear the table and wash the dishes.... and wash and
iron my clothes? Maybe I can go on a diet and lose weight! Perhaps I can
get a "hair transplant" or go on a rogaine program to cover the spots on my
head where my scalp is beginning to show too much! Maybe I should stop
going to my psychiatrist and instead, spend the money to get a nose job.
Perhaps I need liposuction or breast enhancement. Perhaps I should get
a wax job so I can look neater in my bathing suit that shows so much skin
(with hair in the wrong places!) So I am not the world's greatest lover...I
am going broke spending so much on viagra. What about those daily offers of
organ enlargement that are landing in my E-Mail box. Should I get a new Cell
Phone that sends pictures and receives faxes or just use the old one that
just makes and receives telephone calls. Should I fire the gardener and pave
the troublesome lawn. Should I buy a nice hummer for $102,000 and get rid
of my Jaguar and Porche. I just took my three pairs of "mangled and worn"
dance shoes.....half soles only No heels!..... cost $23 per pair. Then I
won't be intimidated by those guys driving the big pick-up trucks with the
giant wheels. Boy Life can really get complicated.
So what was my alternative? I found a group of people who have escaped from
reality!
they were locaated in a lace they called a "milonga"! My first question of
course was, "What does one do in a milonga?" We just escape from all those
real life hassles and enjoy ourselves doing Tango Argentino. Some how they
do not dance Tango Argentino in Montevideo. They dance "Tango de la Platte!
It looks the same but is called
something different. So twenty years later, I am still escaping from life and
dancing Tango (de la Platte) Argentino!
What you say! My Hummer was just stolen from the parking lot outside the
milonga. Oh Boy! Back to reality!
Arturo
West Pallm Beach, Florida, USA
Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 22:31:34 -0300
From: carolina iotti <carolinaiotti@NETIZEN.COM.AR>
Subject: Re: Tango Argentino-Escape from Real Life
Querido Arthur,
Me resultó muy divertido lo que pude entender de tu mail, soy argentina y
mi inglés no es muy bueno.Espero que alguien pueda traducirlo.
Cuando recibo extranjeros aqui en Buenos Aires y visitamos Milongas en un
determinado momento les pregunto, bueno ahora diganme: What do you do in the
real life?!...Por que es obvio que el baile, el arte de la danza y la musica
nos transportan a lugares muy profundos, yo los llamo viajes, como si
navegaramos en la pista de baile.
Tal vez lo que quiso decir roberto fue que el tango se trata de las
vivencias más relacionadas a lo sentimental, y cuando uno baila simplifica
su vida en un tango, el reflejo de tu alma se puede ver. A mi me pasa cuando
observo a los viejos milongueros, su caminar me revela sus 30 años de
caminar el tango de escucharlo, tal vez es viudo, separado, sin familia, o
tal vez sea un abuelo feliz...pero esa arrugas en su cara nos ayudan a
imaginarnos esa vida!
quien sabe?! tan distinto cuando veo a los jovenes de 20 años, con esto no
quiero decir que no tengan experiencia pero si yo pudiera explicarte con
palabras como yo bailaba el tango al los 20 y ahora a los 38, dios mio que
diferencia!! y porque?! diras vos? y bueno, matrimonios separaciones duelos
nacimientos etc, volviendo a lo mismo: "la vida" al margen de lo
materialista que nunca se puede dejar de lado.
Por algo se dice que el tango es un "sentimiento triste que se baila"
el triste no es para hacer interpretaciones es que los porteños somos muy
melancolicos, y que alguien te diga lo contrario!
Creo que hay mucho para hablar lamento que no lo pueda hacer en ingles y
haya solo sobrevolado el tema.
un abrazo,
Carolina.
Carolina Iotti
carolinaiotti@netizen.com.ar
https://www.carolinaiotti.com
Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 19:49:47 -0600
From: Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Re: Tango Argentino-Escape from Real Life
Arturo (Arthur Greenberg) wrote:
>Someone asked me the meaning of Tango! I was at Roberto's milonga at
Derek's
>Dance Center. I said that it is a pleasurable way to escape from the
harsh
>realities of life. They told me that Tango IS Life! Life however, has
so
>many more varying problems that are so difficult to address successfully
...
If we take a metaphorical approach, it is much easier to recognize tango
is life on the dance floor, and life is tango off the dance floor.
Escape from real life is when you are snowbound in New York City and you
start fantasizing about bathing suit milongas... ;-)
With best wishes to all for a great 2003,
Steve
Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 22:53:21 -0500
From: Lisandro Gomez <lisandro.gomez@SYMPATICO.CA>
Subject: Re: Tango Argentino-Escape from Real Life
Dear Arhtur,
Money, investments, credit cards...But alas, your small penis problem and
your HIV cannot be cured by your exorbitant wealth or, I am sorry to
report, by Tango. If you are having so much angst with all your material
possessions, why don't you try sharing them with people whose main angst
involves finding enough food to survive. I as an Argentinian, am sorry to
say that you don't really understand tango.
Lisandro
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 5:11 PM
Subject: [TANGO-L] Tango Argentino-Escape from Real Life
> Hi Listeros:
>
> Someone asked me the meaning of Tango! I was at Roberto's milonga at
Derek's
> Dance Center. I said that it is a pleasurable way to escape from the
harsh
> realities of life. They told me that Tango IS Life! Life however, has
so
> many more varying problems that are so difficult to address successfully:
> money: earnings-savings-iinvestments, mortgage and credit card problems,
> physical and mental health, marital problems, boyfriend-girlfriend
problems,
> sex and its current accompanying communicable diseases. The difference
> between Love and Herpes...is that love goes away while Herpes (and HIV)
lasts
> forever (a life-time). What about the constant problem of aging:
> educational, career and job problems, general material problems of House,
> Condo, Apartment problems, decorating,
> furnishing....automobiles-motorcycles-bikes and finally after all is said
and
> done (with) there is still the question of diversion! How should I spend
my
> leisure time. Should I watch my new TV ($6,000 for a flat LED screen)
> listen to my stereo (compact disks). Should I go to the Gym and work-out
to
> stay "fit" and acquire/maintain my muscularity. Should I install a bomb
> shelter in my residence or put up bars on every window or should I move
into
> some condo tower in the sky, inaccessible to terrorists. Whoops! (I was
> wrong aboout being out of danger on the 103 floor of the Twin Towers in
NYC.)
> (What am I going to do with all that newly acquired "duct tape" and rolls
of
> plastic sheathing???? Maybee I should get into politics and run for
public
> office. I must confess that although I have tried very hard to shield
> myself from the inconsequential daily b---s you cannot escape from the
daily
> travail of life. Should I go to the spa and spend $800 to $1,000 on
massages,
> make up, mani and pedicures. Should I have a face lift. I am beginning
to
> look "old" around the eyes. Should I hire a maid to help me clean the
house,
> cook and serve the food, clear the table and wash the dishes.... and wash
and
> iron my clothes? Maybe I can go on a diet and lose weight! Perhaps I can
> get a "hair transplant" or go on a rogaine program to cover the spots on
my
> head where my scalp is beginning to show too much! Maybe I should stop
> going to my psychiatrist and instead, spend the money to get a nose job.
> Perhaps I need liposuction or breast enhancement. Perhaps I should get
> a wax job so I can look neater in my bathing suit that shows so much skin
> (with hair in the wrong places!) So I am not the world's greatest
lover...I
> am going broke spending so much on viagra. What about those daily offers
of
> organ enlargement that are landing in my E-Mail box. Should I get a new
Cell
> Phone that sends pictures and receives faxes or just use the old one that
> just makes and receives telephone calls. Should I fire the gardener and
pave
> the troublesome lawn. Should I buy a nice hummer for $102,000 and get
rid
> of my Jaguar and Porche. I just took my three pairs of "mangled and
worn"
> dance shoes.....half soles only No heels!..... cost $23 per pair. Then I
> won't be intimidated by those guys driving the big pick-up trucks with the
> giant wheels. Boy Life can really get complicated.
>
> So what was my alternative? I found a group of people who have escaped
from
> reality!
> they were locaated in a lace they called a "milonga"! My first question
of
> course was, "What does one do in a milonga?" We just escape from all
those
> real life hassles and enjoy ourselves doing Tango Argentino. Some how
they
> do not dance Tango Argentino in Montevideo. They dance "Tango de la
Platte!
> It looks the same but is called
> something different. So twenty years later, I am still escaping from life
and
> dancing Tango (de la Platte) Argentino!
>
> What you say! My Hummer was just stolen from the parking lot outside the
> milonga. Oh Boy! Back to reality!
>
> Arturo
> West Pallm Beach, Florida, USA
>
Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 23:31:03 -0500
From: Lisandro Gomez <lisandro.gomez@SYMPATICO.CA>
Subject: Re: Tango Argentino-Escape from Real Life
Carolina,
Muy interesante tu pregunta, con tanta guita lo znico que este tipo puede
hacer, es comprar cosas, entonces el pobre nunca podra entender que es "Real
Life" que no pueda ser comprada ni asm al tango. El siempre terminara
bailando un tango plastico, imitado y comprado en un Mall de mala muerte. No
se da cuenta que la cultura no se compra ni se imita. Y me pregunto si esa
guita que a il le sobra no es la misma guita que a los Argentinos nos falta.
Lisandro
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 8:31 PM
Subject: Re: [TANGO-L] Tango Argentino-Escape from Real Life
Querido Arthur,
Me results muy divertido lo que pude entender de tu mail, soy argentina y
mi inglis no es muy bueno.Espero que alguien pueda traducirlo.
Cuando recibo extranjeros aqui en Buenos Aires y visitamos Milongas en un
determinado momento les pregunto, bueno ahora diganme: What do you do in the
real life?!...Por que es obvio que el baile, el arte de la danza y la musica
nos transportan a lugares muy profundos, yo los llamo viajes, como si
navegaramos en la pista de baile.
Tal vez lo que quiso decir roberto fue que el tango se trata de las
vivencias mas relacionadas a lo sentimental, y cuando uno baila simplifica
su vida en un tango, el reflejo de tu alma se puede ver. A mi me pasa cuando
observo a los viejos milongueros, su caminar me revela sus 30 aqos de
caminar el tango de escucharlo, tal vez es viudo, separado, sin familia, o
tal vez sea un abuelo feliz...pero esa arrugas en su cara nos ayudan a
imaginarnos esa vida!
quien sabe?! tan distinto cuando veo a los jovenes de 20 aqos, con esto no
quiero decir que no tengan experiencia pero si yo pudiera explicarte con
palabras como yo bailaba el tango al los 20 y ahora a los 38, dios mio que
diferencia!! y porque?! diras vos? y bueno, matrimonios separaciones duelos
nacimientos etc, volviendo a lo mismo: "la vida" al margen de lo
materialista que nunca se puede dejar de lado.
Por algo se dice que el tango es un "sentimiento triste que se baila"
el triste no es para hacer interpretaciones es que los porteqos somos muy
melancolicos, y que alguien te diga lo contrario!
Creo que hay mucho para hablar lamento que no lo pueda hacer en ingles y
haya solo sobrevolado el tema.
un abrazo,
Carolina.
Carolina Iotti
carolinaiotti@netizen.com.ar
https://www.carolinaiotti.com
Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 23:40:38 -0800
From: Rick FromPdx <bugsbunny1959@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Tango Argentino-Escape from Real Life
>>If you are having so much angst with all your material
>>possessions
This is a really good point. After a while, I think your posessions start to
own you. I heard a guy on PBS radio who's house burned down; he said he
became an instant Bhuddist & had no idea what was important to him until
then.
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 11:38:50 EST
From: Dario Mendiguren <C21DARI@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Tango Argentino-Escape from Real Life
Arthur, if you dance Tango for that reason just to escape you
definitelly are watching another channel.......... in another words
......... " you know that it is raining , but you don't know where" ...
orlet me express myself better , as we say in Argentina..........Che, no la
ves ni cuadrada!!!!!!! (meaning: when you play soccer and you are really
bad we say that you don't even see the ball in a square shape!!!!) Or
worse than that, you ar e member of the "club" that when dances to a Tango
are looking at the ceiling of the Salon (Hall) thinking that it needs some
paint................
Tango involves more than escape, I'm sorry if you only see it that way,
evidentelly you are missing other feelings involve when you dance to it or
may be you don't even understand and feel Tango music, just to tell you
something, it happens to milongueros/as when we listen and danced to the
music, we feel those Tangos in our blood stream........ I know I know!!!
if you only see it as an escape, it's hard to undertand this, To me,
Tango represents my city, my childhood, my culture, it is also a way
to express the passion contend in my soul and much more......that's why
Tango, to me is far away than escape from reality !!!
Arthur, Tango chooses you .. you don't chose Tango, as I can see you
are not part of the chosen yet, but keep dancing with an open mind, may
be some time.......... Tango will approach to you and will give you a ch
ance!!!
Dario NYC
P.S. Believe me, when I listen and I dance to "Cafe Domingues" se
me pone la piel de gallina (I get goose bumps)!!!!!!!!
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 17:11:45 GMT
From: michael <tangomaniac@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Re: Tango Argentino-Escape from Real Life
Arthur spoke about escaping from real life through tango.
I do not feel you can escape from life through tango.
Whatever goes on in your life comes into tango.
If you are stressed out, it's very difficult to just
"turn off" the stress at the doorway to the milonga.
If you are angry, it's very difficult to just "get over it"
at the doorway to the milonga. I agree with Dario who
spoke about tango being a way of life. My teacher told
me that years ago. First, I thought he was crazy.
Then I disagreed. But over time, I came to understand
what he said-- and agree with him. Understanding
back sacadas was tough for me. Understanding that tango
is a way of life -- much more complicated.
Arthur, maybe in your mind you are escaping from your problems,
but they are not escaping from your body.
Michael
Washington,DC
Escaped from NY last Monday during the snow storm
and using the work "escape" correctly
I'd rather be dancing argentine tango
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 12:31:16 -0600
From: "Frank G. Williams" <frankw@MAIL.AHC.UMN.EDU>
Subject: Re: Tango Argentino-Escape from Real Life
My dear friends in tango,
Perhaps one of the most powerful and worthwhile uses of our list is the
bridging of cultures and the opportunity to instantly share very personal
thoughts and ideas across global hemispheres.
I am sure that not all readers realized that the 'harsh realities of life'
to which Arthur referred were written (IMHO) 'with tongue in cheek'. That
is, with an attitude that is above the words, an attitude that makes humor
or criticism of the situation. Lisandro is quite correct that there could
never be the slightest hint of tango Argentino in an escape from such a list
of 'harsh realities'. I have often disagreed with Arthur and I know him
only from his writings, but his writing has always had a wry twist. The
kind of materialism he describes is not always a joke among EU gringos, but
it usually is!
Carolina's patient and eloquent response is a delight. It is a gift for us,
if we will pay attention. [Carolina, if you didn't know, danced opposite
Pablo Veron in 'The Tango Lesson'.] My translation is poor (I don't have my
diccionario today!), but the importance of the ideas warrants:
__________________
When Carolina meets visitors in the Buenos Aires milongas, at a convenient
moment she inquires about their occupation, because people's lives are
explained in their dance. The art of their dance and the music transport
them to very deep places - she calls them voyages, as if the line of dance
demarks a journey. 'Perhaps what this means' is that tango is related to
sentimental experiences [and by inference, not to material things].
When one simply dances their life in a tango, a reflection of their soul can
be seen.
She sees it in the older milongueros; their walk reveals to her their 30
years of hearing tango - their walk can reveal if they are widowers,
separated, without family, or perhaps happy grandfathers. ...but with the
wrinkles in their faces one can imagine their lives.
...she goes on to talk about how her dance has changed through her life and
the differences she sees between the tango of the young and the older
dancers... ...and finally how it is said that the tango is "a sad sentiment
that is danced" - the sadness is not a mere interpretation - Buenosarians
are very melancholic [no matter what others say (?)]...
__________________
There you go, friends:
" When one simply dances their life in a tango, a reflection of their soul
can be seen."
If the reflection is of crass materialism, don't expect the problems therein
to engender sympathy. (footnote below)
Thanks to Carolina for sending her very qualified viewpoint, and sorry that
I couldn't translate more comprehensively. For my own part, I think that
you can't know the tango unless you go to BA. ...where the sound of
everyday life on the street is reflected in the music of tango...
Regards,
Frank - Mpls.
Footnote: My observation is that personalities maintain a relatively fixed
number of problems, regardless of a person's situation in life. Why else
would wealthy retirees complain (for which they're renowned)? These are
often people who seem like they shouldn't have a worry in the world. It
seems to me that the only thing that changes is the actual size (but not
perceived size) of their problems - not the number of complaints. As
Lisandro suggests: You want to see problems? ...look almost anywhere
outside of No. Am....
