The other half of Tango

[dragon3085]

I just have returned from Buenos Aires from seeing my fiancee there that last two weeks. This time while I was there I got to meet the 'other half' of tango. The part that as dancers we don't think much of. That would be the singers. We were in a resturant in Mar de Plata when the waiteress was asking how I came to be engaged to an Argentinain woman- when I mentioned my hobby was dancing. She asked me if I did tango, I said not very well and then she asked me if I would like to hear some. I assumed she meant over the muzak system in the resturant. But no, the Chef was also a Tango Cantadoro for some 23 years. The man came out and sang to us, for an hour, with only one instrument- his voice. I will remember that for the rest of my life. He had a deep voice that need no help for musical insturments. Later that week a had the oppurtunity to meet a few more singers and found out that the act of singing tango is just as importants as the dancing of it. I think this is sometimes overlooked and thats a shame because upon hearing some of these voices, you can understand how the dance came to be as well.

Just thought I'd share,
Patrick

[SDsalsaguy]

Wow Patrick, I don't think I'd forget something like that either! thanks for sharing. :D

[pygmalion]

I think that's the thing that strikes me most about tango. It's not just a dance. It's a culture, and specific music, and a language, and an intellectual pursuit, and a history. And somewhere un there fits the dance itself.

[dragon3085]

Yep and it looks like singing tango as a hobby is every bit as popular as dancing to it. I guess its a matter of preference really.

[MadamSamba]

Wow, Dragon, now that's an experience! I could picture the whole thing.

What a great point, that singing tango might be as obsessive and fulfulling a hobby as the dancing tango...I never thought of that, but, of course, you're right. The theory probably extends to tango pianists and bandoneon players too.

What else did you learn about tango in Argentina...tell us, tell us, tell us!
:)