597  La revenga del tango (bis)

Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 19:27:57 -0400
From: Daniel Saindon <gardien@TANGO.MONTREAL.QC.CA>
Subject: La revenga del tango (bis)

Good evening Keith
Good evening all

This is my answer to Keith`s email of the 6 th.

To make things clear, I did not write:
"not to dance tango to whatever you feel inclined to".
It did not write intentionally or indirectly
against people who choose counsciously or uncounsciouly
to dance tango on whatever they feel like dancing.

What I wrote to the List on my email of Sun 2 June 2002 was:

>> I do not consider La revencha del tango
>> by the Gotan Project as tango music.

and I made indirect reference to an article to Amazon.com
where I wrote: (This is the first paragraph)

>> I understand this CD has been popular in the lounges of techno music
>> at the beginning of the year but I find this CD is not Tango music
>> and is not meant to dance tango.

What I wrote in the last part of the first sentence "not meant
to dance tango" was simply because there is no tango rhythm
in the music of the revenga.

I think that Keith got carried away. There is a distinction between saying
" La revenga is not not meant to dance tango" and saying "I believe tango
dancers are not allowed to dance tango on any kind of music"

First, the distinction I made is more related to the music itself,
secondly it was not my intention to denigrate any people who
like to dance "outside the box". I think Keith knows me
better than this. I think he got carried away because perharps
of his infatuation with the Gotan Project contrasting with
my denounciation of the Project, only and nothing else.

I think that Keith, himself and I need to discuss this over a meal at his
place. Keith will do the cooking. (I like his version of Spicy Chicken).
We may have to talk about this subject or talk about this Mental Superiority
Keith seems to attach to people who usually do not leave the milongas
before 00:30 or 01:00 hts in the morning. (I did not get that part.)
But we should not talk about those things before we drink a
couple of bottles of wine. (I am buying) Then, I will
probably show Keith that we can not only dance the milonga to reggae
music but also to Country&Western music (with the likes of
Garth Brooks & alii). Western Music has also 4 times like Reggae
that he mentioned, Disco music and the milonga.
THen, I may also be in the mood to explain to him that
"thinking outside the box" is an expression that is
usually connected with a process that is conductive
to solutions that are both practical and innovative
to the problems of a particular processus and seem
inadequate to reggae-techno music.


THe problems I have with the "Gotan Project" exclusively
make no mistake about this, is first that I hear "Augustus Pablo"
everytime I listen to it. There is nothing new, ii is a fad.
I find nothing to be compared with the innovations brought by
D`Arrienzo in 1935 or the works of Piazzolla that he also mentions.
Let`s see if tangueros will remember this CD in 50 years
from now...

Secondly I find the labelling & the packaging ot the
Gotan Project to be offensive in the sense that
"The revenge of tango" is pompous ( the same adjective
used by Keith to people who seem not to like the Gotan Project
& it is also presomptuous, because I feel Tango do not use any of this
material to prove modern, innovative, danceable, etc.

There is plenty of new tango music to talk about
some to dance to, and some to dance tango to (see the distinction
I make?) and celebrate, not to be concerned with fakes...

I think for example that Miguel Villasboas need to get
more distribution because of the renewal he brought
to canyengue; not to mention the milongas and the waltzes
that get to be played frequently in the milonga of Montreal.
Same with the tangos of Carlos Libedinsky not are not
played enough to my taste.

I feel like saying that the milongas of Montreal offers
some of the widest variety of tangos to their public of tangueros.
Real Tangos outside the box includes the likes of
Evan Lurie who was very popular on the dance floor, 4-5 years ago,
same with Querer(Alegria) 3-4 years ago, Melingo last year, etc.

Daniel Saindon
gardien@tango.montreal.qc.ca