Monday,
December 03, 2007
Tango: Italians had Great Influence in
Development in
The
ANNOTICO Re port
The
Spaniards and the Italians made up the majority of the immigrant population.
Italians, known as superb fisherman, work the port. The porteqos,
or port dwellers, are famous for the tango, "a melancholy thought that
dances," and actually a code language developed by the dancers and
audiences of the tango.
The
three important parts of the Tango are the Dance, It is complicated. Your feet walk
forward, stop, take three or four pasos, or steps in and around while your body moves in the
opposite direction. There are kicks. Mostly, there is drama. The couple locks
eyes. There are expressions of love, anger, jealousy and even a slap of
rejection or of enticement.
The Music, An accordion, a
guitar and sometimes a violin or a flute are used. Street tangos have a guitar
and an accordion. Both musicians sing. Show tangos have a full orchestra. The
music flows, goes up and down and has dramatic interludes, where the singer
tells the story, highlighting a stanza.
The Lyrics, the dance itself
is a mixture of musical and lyrical styles from the Africans, Gauchos,
Italians, Spaniards from Andalucma -
the region of the Flamenco, Cubans and several indigenous tribes. The man is
dressed in a suit, sometimes with a hat and the woman in a dress, seductive and
beautiful. Her hair is pulled back and her makeup is exotic.
When
it is done right, it can grab your heart. I was fascinated by a Communal
Italian Community that was dedicated to the Tango.
Shall We Tango?
Sea
Coat Online
By
December
02, 2007
The
Spaniards arrived during the 16th century, on their conquering mission. They
established their government, religion and lifestyle.
On
a recent weekend trip to the coast, my visiting friend Joanne and I saw the
organized working
The
working part of the port exports fish, repairs military vessels and is home to
a very large community of seals. Mostly Italians, known as superb fisherman,
work the port. During a walk to the post office to buy stamps the next day,
we heard drums and chanting. The fishermen, our guide later told us, were on
"paro,"
or strike because they want more money, more benefits and recognition.
How
do the Argentine people work out everyday worries, frustrations and loss, in a
country so vast that a response may take months, if not years? Our next weekend
voyage to
The
porteqos, or port dwellers, are famous for the tango,
"a melancholy thought that dances," wrote Enrique Santos Discipolo. Lunfardo, the dialect
of
Part
1 is the dance.
The dance itself is a mixture of musical and lyrical styles from the Africans,
Gauchos, Italians, Spaniards from Andalucma the region of the Flamenco, Cubans and
several indigenous tribes. It is complicated. Your feet walk forward, stop,
take three or four pasos, or steps in and around while your body moves in the
opposite direction. There are kicks. Mostly, there is drama. The couple locks
eyes. There are expressions of love, anger, jealousy and even a slap of
rejection or of enticement. The man is dressed in a suit, sometimes with a hat
and the woman in a dress, seductive and beautiful. Her hair is pulled back and
her makeup is exotic.
Part
2 is the music.
An accordion, a guitar and sometimes a violin or a flute are used. Street
tangos have a guitar and an accordion. Both musicians sing. Show tangos have a
full orchestra. Listen to Astor Piazzolla. No wonder
the Prince of Denmark wanted his tangos played at his wedding! The music flows,
goes up and down and has dramatic interludes, where the singer tells the story,
highlighting a stanza.
Part
3 is the lyrics.
This is poetry that reaches in, showing us the thread of mistakes or unexpected
happenings that lead to unhappy endings. In "Mi Noche
Triste" (My Melancholy Evening), Pascual Contursi wrote: "And
on your dressing table/ all those bottles with ribbons of the same color/ the mirror has steamed
up/ looking like he has wept/ for your love has vanished..." And from 'We
are Even," with music by the famous Carlos Gardel
and Josi Razzano, Celedonio Flores wrote: "Totally daft in my sadness/
today I reminisce and/ realize that you have been/ in my poor orphan life/
nothing but a good woman/ your well-to-do lady's presence/ warmed up my
nest..."
We
watched a tango show. It was elegant, beautifully performed and the costumes
carried us through the various historic periods of the tango. Jeanni McCartin would have been
in her artistic element! The singing was superb, clear, and with gestures to
accompany those who were not dancing! It was like watching a ballet.
The
next day, however, when we visited La Boca, the Italian section of Buenos Aires, we were dazzled.
Accompanied by Alicia's sister Martha, we were invited behind the street
scene, and into an open courtyard. The owner of the house and the restaurant
outside explained that in this inner courtyard several Italian families lived,
all together, like a mini-barrio. The cement patio was empty, except for a
couple of cats. There were two stairways leading up to doors that opened into
brightly painted apartments. The owner explained that here there were many
tango dancers. I imagined the smells of Italian cooking, music, lots of
talking, children playing and practice tangos on the patio. A large cement wash
basin served as a laundromat. All was quiet.
We
learned that the tango was forbidden by the Catholic church
in its early years and NEVER danced or attended by society members. This was a dance born in
the "hoods of the working classes," performed in dive bars and on the
streets, under "faroles," or gas street
lamps. Outside, we sat at a table and ate empanadas, watching two musicians and
two dancers perform. It was theater. An older man was invited to sing. He sang
from "Mientras Tanto"
(Meanwhile). He began to cry as he finished. Martha was crying too. She later
commented on the beautiful moments spent listening to the tangos, remembering
her mother as she sang to them as children, and recalling how deeply she loved
her deceased husband. And the moments were spectacular indeed. The tango whether you listen to it, watch it, or
are performing it, calls and calms your spirit. You feel connected. You
realize that you have PARTICIPATED in an art form. This is only a wayward
though t, but perhaps tangos can be played as background music at future
challenging negotiations say, over oil?
Editor's
note: Nancy Wheaton Modern, from the department of International Languages at
Portsmouth High, is on a Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program in
The
ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed (and are Archived) on:
Italia
Italia
Mia: http://www.ItaliaMia.com (3 years)
Annotico
Email: annotico@earthlink.net