Terrible, I know but here goes it...
Tango is a very precious gem of Argentina.
Funny thing about it is that Tango didn't become popular until it went to Europe and became famous there! It was born in the Río de la Plata area and is spoken about in numerous poems of famous writers like Jorge Luis Borges who is also from Argentina! When I first came to Argentina the only experience I had with the dance of Tango was from movies like "Shall We Dance" and "Take the Lead". One of my good friends in Texas told me that I HAVE to learn Tango so I could teach her hahaha.
My first week in BA, Gaby, one of API Buenos Aires helping hands took our group to La Viruta which is off in Palermo Viejo. La Viruta is a modern milonga which are places where Tango is danced solely usually. However since it is modern and not traditional other dances are danced later in the night like Rock & Roll, Swing, little bit of Salsaaaaa WOOT! At a traditional milonga ladies sit and if man wants to dance there is a sort of eye contact that must me made first...then they just know it's time to dance. It was so much fun to learn the first simple steps...it kind of stunk that I didn't know everything that was being taught because of spanish haha. Overall, we had a wonderful time!
My next experience with the infamous Tango was when, my buddy, Patrick and I stumbled upon an amazing Tango band called El Afronte in the center of San Telmo Feria. We liked them so much we wanted to see them actually play and watch some Tango too. Pat and I enjoyed some wine, I danced some Tango with some old ladies, and listened to a wonderful band. Also, we got the amazing chance to meet the lead singer, Marco Bellini! He was a pretty funny and we had some good conversations about the tour he we about to go on in Europe and the band show we was actually their last.
Lucky us!
My final experience was getting the chance to see the Tango Buenos Aires Festival! This was a week long festival before the World Cup of Tango. My girl from the Bronx, Cristal, and I went to watch an orchestra play and see a huge group from young to old dance Tango. In August, every year, this event brings together a whole community of note worthy musicians, incredible dancers, and entrepreneurs who work on Tango-related activities all year long.
Long live Tango and the influence it has on the generations to come :^D
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