Tandas and cortinas

[LittleLight]

I have been to milongas with and without. I prefer with, as I am ridiculously nervous dancing with a new person and like to have the opportunity to settle, get used to the person, trust them and let go. Obviously, if you wait untill the third tango to dance with someone new then that won't work so well, but actually, I find that most at milongas I go to even strangers ask you for the full or at least half a tanda.

 

[AndaBien]

Meh. It is what it is. Annoying at times, great at others. Some places have them, some don't. *shrug*

I just think about it most of the time. It's dancing. Whatever.

A tree or a rock is what it is independently of me, and my efforts won't change that. As a DJ, tandas and cortinas at my milongas are what they are only because I make them be that way. I could change that fact. I merely wanted some information about reasons I should adhere to the custom.

 

[Ampster]

A tree or a rock is what it is independently of me, and my efforts won't change that. As a DJ, tandas and cortinas at my milongas are what they are only because I make them be that way. I could change that fact. I merely wanted some information about reasons I should adhere to the custom.

IMHO, its just one of those things that make the tango experience..."Tango." Otherwise, it would be just like any other dance.

 

[Peaches]

A tree or a rock is what it is independently of me, and my efforts won't change that. As a DJ, tandas and cortinas at my milongas are what they are only because I make them be that way. I could change that fact. I merely wanted some information about reasons I should adhere to the custom.

And all I'm saying is that I have no preference. Both systems have their merits and issues.

I thought in your original post you'd asked for others' thoughts on the matter. Silly me for responding. I didn't realize you only wanted some thoughts and not others.

ffs

 

[bordertangoman]

At a recent milonga the DJ was playing some nice music as cortinas, and you could see people's feet tapping and them itching to dance to it...but then another traditional 20s/30s/40s tango would surface like the great white shark in Jaws and drag the milonga downwards........

 

[newbie]

I saw this a couple of times, bad DJs using cortinas more dançable than the tandas, e.g Crocodile Rock as a cortina, cut after 45 sec and followed by a soporific Di Sarli tanda. But I saw the opposite too, the DJ playing the beginning of a salsa tune as a cortina, and after seeing the audience starting to dance the DJ played another two salsas.

 

[tangotime]

.snip...

A larger variety of music was played for dancing in the 1950s than today in the milongas of BsAs. It included ,salsa,

Not possible.. it wasnt around then.. maybe you mean Mambo ?

 

[AndaBien]

And all I'm saying is that I have no preference. Both systems have their merits and issues....

Sorry about that. I misunderstood your comment to mean they exist, so why talk about it.

 

[Steve Pastor]

At a recent milonga the DJ was playing some nice music as cortinas, and you could see people's feet tapping and them itching to dance to it...but then another traditional 20s/30s/40s tango would surface like the great white shark in Jaws and drag the milonga downwards........

In similar vein, I was at a milonga where they played "traditional 20s/30s/40s tango". I don't know if there was problem with the sound system or the recordings having been ripped from old records, mp3d, whatever. It was pretty low quality, nonetheless.
My date and I went about 10 blocks away where a live "big" band wa playing swing and I was blown away before we even set foot inside the building.

Read again what Jan wrote.

It was customary to have two orchestras alternating during dances--one for jazz and one for tango. Many of the tango orchestra leaders also had jazz orchestras -- DJ Daniel Borelli shared this tidbit with me recently. Each orchestra played for 30 minutes on stage. Those who went to dance tango danced--no tandas or cortinas. Then the jazz orchestra played for a half hour. They alternated during the night since no orchestra could play several hours for dancing without a break.

Tandas originated when recordings were used in the downtown confiterias for the evening dances. A larger variety of music was played for dancing in the 1950s than today in the milongas of BsAs. It included jazz, bolero, tango, vals, milonga, salsa, cumbia.

So, here I am again, wondering which "authentic" experience we are trying to recreate.

(Jan writes also about "ballrooms" in the US. Let's just say there was a lot of variety in the dance experience here, too, rather than things being the same everywhere.)

 

[jantango]

There is a difference when dancing to live music or recorded music.

Tandas originated when recordings were used in the downtown confiterias in the 1950s.

Today when an orchestra performs during a milonga, they perform no more than 45 minutes without breaks. The audience applauds after each tango. Dancers stay on the floor as long as they want to or enjoying watching the orchestra perform.

Once again, the velocity of life in the USA and need for instant gratification may never embrace the traditions that have accompanied tango in BsAs since the 1940s.

 

[tangonuevo]

...
Tandas originated when recordings were used in the downtown confiterias in the 1950s....

To quote Sergio Vandekier (from Mar Del Plata)

"There was a time, very early in tango history (1880 - 1920) when tango was danced in "pirigundines" also called "academias". These places were situated in the periphery of the city and required special permits from the City hall to function. Pirigundines continued to function 'till not too long ago although with different characteristics from the original ones.

Those places, where music was played and hired women were available to dance with, were patronized by lonely males in search of fun and perhaps some romance.

They normally were required to buy a ticket called "lata" (tin), because they were made of tin. Those tickets allowed the male to dance a set number of tangos, milongas or valses, or a mixture of them. For example: three tangos, one milonga and one vals. The male client gave the "ticket" to the female dancer and started dancing with her.

The "Cortina" a music different from tango, announced the end of the set or "tanda". Couples separated.

To dance another tanda another ticket had to be given to the lady. This sequence continued during the evening till two or three in the morning.

There are expresions in our coloquial language of Buenos Aires that refer to certain elements of those days.

"Tener la lata" (to hold the tin) : It means to wait a long time. " Fui al medico y tuve una lata the una hora " (I went to the doctor and had to wait for one hour).

This is a reference to the time when a man had to wait for the lady, tin in hand, till she became available to dance with him. He would say then "tuve la lata" for a long time till I could dance with her."