Comments on: Practical Mommy’s Impractical Art Project

By: Diane

Diane — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:18:33 +0000

One of the most memorable evenings I’ve had was while watching a tango demonstration. I had not looked forward to going. The dance was planned as entertainment for a bunch of stiff-suited career folks (me included) who were there to mingle and “network.” The tango demonstration threw the entire event onto a new plane. Genuine smiles abounded and the reserve typically associated with such things melted away. The people whose perspectives changed most that evening weren’t even dancing. It’s a powerful dance.

By: Ria

Ria — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:45:30 +0000

Nancy, thank you for sharing all of this about tango. The Milonga is still practiced today and there are classes offered specifically for this rhythm and style. It’s really fun but challenging for me still.

One of the things I like about tango is that because it’s a walking step, it can be danced to all sorts of music. I personally love waltzes! I am aware that there are different styles of tango music and musicians/groups that have authored those styles (DiSarli, d’Arienzo, Osvaldo Fresedo Orchestra) but I know very little about each specifically and I’m not sure I would recognize them yet without someone pointing it out.

One of my instructors, Michael likes to say that tango is continually evolving.

By: Nancy Campbell

Nancy Campbell — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:38:19 +0000

TANGO – In college, many years ago, I took a course titled “Folklore y literatura en Sudamerica” – This course was all in Spanish (my being a Latin American Studies major), but the main text was in English. This was Lord’s book about the origins of folk archetypes. We switched back to Spanish when we discussed the tango….

Our instructor was from Argentina, and the tango was her focal point. we got to watch old films from the 30s, and feel the rhythm. We studied the folk origins of the tango, as well as its stellar figures such as Carlos Gardel. Tango acutally began high in the Andes with an indigenous rhythm called the ‘milonga’. It’s a wonderful rhythm to play on the guitar. “Dan……de-da’da-dan…..de-da’da…etc.” The overriding, easily recognized rhythm of the tango is a faster, slightly more syncopated version of this milonga. Look up Violeta Parra to find some early versions of songs related to Tango.

Leave it to the Italians to turn this into the steamy dance that evolved in the Italian barrios of Buenos Aires. There were many Italian immigrants into Argentina in the late 1800s and later. Just as in the U.S., the immigrants tended to end up in the poorer neighborhoods. They freuqently would have the best music – probably assisting their assimilation into a new place, being an outlet for angst….just look at NOLa (a/k/a New Orleans – my birthplace).

The night clubs where Tango evolved were in this area. The amalgam of local and immigrant culture ‘invented’ the tango – with its heartbeat rhythm and the soulful, passionate lyrics.

…and of course, I could never picture the tango evolving in a location such as where I live now in the upper Mid-West of the U.S…..so, when gringos need to feel a passionate, heart-beat rhythm to help us feel alive, we ‘discover’ music. Salsa, tango, cumbia, bambuco, paso doble, meringue, rumba, etc…..Latin dance just tends to fit the bill.

Viva la danza! Que viva el tango! (Yeah – I know the upside down exclamation points are missing!)

By: wholesale silver jewelry

wholesale silver jewelry — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 07:07:19 +0000

I want to work with musicians and create their album art design. I want to be the actual person who does the design and layout structure.ANY advice at all would help, no matter how little you may think it is. I basically don’t have anyone to help me with this, so I’m just digging for help.