5742  piazolla in the milongas

Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:06:09 -0300
From: Deby Novitz <dnovitz@lavidacondeby.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] piazolla in the milongas
To: tango-l@mit.edu

I have been dancing here since 2000 and living here since 2004. In the
milongas I go to they would never play Piazolla nor any of the
electronic music. In addition to the ones mentioned there are many many
other milongas in the barrios such as Saraza, Imagen, Club Rivadavia,
Sin Rumbo, Los Glorias Argentinas, Sunderland, that would never ever
play alternative or Piazolla. These milongas are drawing people of all
ages.

If your world is Villa Malcom, Practica X, and so on, then yes you are
going to hear that music. Those milonga/practicas are mostly frequented
by foreigners and young people looking for something other than the
traditional boliche. I know many young people who go to those places
who don't dance and don't want to learn. Those milongas are cheaper and
"mas tranquila." in the words of one of my young friends.

Yes there are two new alternative milongas. Most of them do not last.
The ones that have are the same 5 that have been around for the last 6
or so years. If that is what you like, hey, enjoy, but don't kid
yourself that tango here in Buenos Aires is becoming open embrace with
the same repetitive step because it is not. BTW, 3 new traditional
milongas opened last week - 2 at Maipu and new organizers at Leonesa on
Wednesday.

The old guys do pop up in the alternative milongas. Do you want to know
what they call it? "Fishing" or worse "Shopping." Not all but a great
percentage of them. They might go to dance, but with other intentions
well honed over years in the "traditional" milongas.

I am always amazed at this attitude held by foreigners who want to dance
alternatively about Argentine tango danced here. It is like they have
to win a war and are going to try and prove it anyway they can. There
is no contest. 120 milongas that are traditional and around 10 that are
not. There is an attitude in general that it is the foreigners who are
going to shape what is danced here. Whether it is here when they come
here to dance or in their own countries. Tango is part of the Argentine
heritage not something invented for tourists to spend money on. Why
cannot people just enjoy the dance for what it is?