Tango is an undeniable trademark of our local identity. All over the world, when foreigners are asked about Argentina, they answer “Carlos Gardel” or “tango” — probably also Maradona. But there isn’t only one kind of tango, because there are many approaches to the genre.When a festival is prepared, there’s a concept of tango underlying. Today, the BA city-sponsored event opens with the genre’s living legends like Horacio Salgán, Leopoldo Federico and Horacio Ferrer.
Old-school, traditional tango played by típica orchestras is the rule, and there’s also room for some bold innovations.
Tomorrow, a similar fest (Tango en la tierra del vino) organized by state-run organisms like the National Culture Secretariat and the recently-created Tourism Ministry, musician union Sadaic and private associations like wine makers begins with musicians of the intermediate generation: Lidia Borda, Soledad Villamil, Lito Vitale and Juan Carlos Baglietto are some of them. Renovated, fresh and modern versions of old tangos prevail.
There are also versatile artists who will participate in both festivals: Raúl Lavié, Adriana Varela, Guillermo Fernández, Rodolfo Mederos and Ariel Ardit, to name but a few.
Whereas BA City’s tango fest is concentrated on several venues of the porteño downtown area, Tango en la tierra del vino is distributed across seven provinces of the Andean region: San Juan, Catamarca, Mendoza, Neuquén, La Rioja, Río Negro and Salta. If BA City’s festival aims at tango as a BA export and a tourism cash cow, the national one works for the promotion of tango within the country.
The porteño fest is musician Gustavo Mozzi’s creation, who has been the artistic director for the past three years. Tango en la tierra del vino’s mastermind is Hernán Greco, owner of the tango venue Torquato Tasso in San Telmo neighbourhood. As every event is influenced by its mentor’s ideas about tango, the Herald talked to both planners to shed some light on what each fest is all about.
BA city tango. In last year’s edition, the event summoned over 300,000 people, and a similar success is expected now. “Regardless of figures, I wish this year’s incarnation preserves the festive atmosphere. This space has become a popular party that celebrates porteño culture,” Gustavo Mozzi says.
There are many especially-commissioned shows, such as Tangos ricoteros. “We would like to bring into the spotlight up-and-coming, young artists. Ciudad Baigón, for example, are presenting a re-reading of local rock band Los Redonditos de Ricota’ songs played by a típica orchestra lineup. Young tango ensembles like La Vidú, Julián Peralta and Astillero chose a repertoire that is completely familiar to them because they grew up with rock.”
In a similar way, musicians from Pandora Project, led by Javier Leichman, launch a previously unreleased show that combines tango and electronica. In a similar spirit, tango will be fused with other genres like candombe and murga, and that’s why many Uruguayan-born artists are welcome.
“Río de la Plata orchestra are making their debut. I wish they continue working on a regular basis.
Contemporary musicians are working together, they are composers and songwriters aged from 30 to 40 from both sides of the River Plate. ‘Pinocho’ Routin will be one of the main voices of the Río de la Plata orchestra, as well as Tabaré Leytón and Gabriela Morgare. Their music is deeply rooted in murga and candombe, these genres run in their veins — that’s why they are the core artists of the so-called New Uruguayan song.”
The king of intellectual salsa, Panama’s singer-songwriter Rubén Blades, blends his popular Latin songs with tango. “Blades confessed his interest in getting closer to tango. Given his extraordinary traits as an artist, I thought it would be a good idea that he approach it with a giant like Leopoldo Federico. Blades will revisit his own classics with a milonga and tango rhythm, arranged by an expert: New York-based Carlos Franzetti.”
For Mozzi, these blends mean that tango is growing. “We take a few creative risks. We can do this because we have a clear idea of what tango really is. From a solid identity, we can blend tango with other melodies. But crossovers are not forced, we let musicians play the melodies they feel natural with. The festival’s intention is to be provocative and generate surprise.”
A new section for kids runs almost every day in the afternoon. “Doing something for children was a pending business that has materialized now. For the past few years, Guillermo Fernández have been working on a show for children that he’s now opening. The Momusi (movement of children music), presided by María Teresa Corral, prepared a new show, as well as Brian Chambouleyron, who has a long tradition when it comes to kids-oriented music.”
Another 2010 innovation are the Noches de recalada, a series of free-spirited, intimate gigs by anonymous local talents. “They rescue the atmosphere of several spaces that came up naturally in BA. They are a sign of the vitality of tango in the city. I am talking about the meetings at Sanata bar and El faro. We leave some room for freedom and improvisation, so musicians from the local indie scene are given the chance to choose their repertoire and play live. There’s a huge production in the underground circuit and I wish we could expand it.”
The richness and variety of the tanguero universe will also be communicated in talks and visual arts exhibitions. “Some lectures were commissioned from experts, like the collectors’ seminar which this year is dedicated to Carlos Gardel. It will analyze and exhibit albums, personal belongings and other private items of the singer. Some of Eduardo Rovira’s recordings were especially restored and will be exhibited in the event. There will be book presentations and talks to promote productions, and clinics for music students.”
One of the seminars is dedicated to 94-year-old tango legend Horacio Salgán, who plays live after 7 years out of the public eye (except for a recent gig during the bicentennial celebrations). “Salgán is leading a show that pays tribute to the Quinteto Real. There will also be a technical talk dedicated to the style that Salgán founded. He is a living legend, we feel honoured that he will participate.”
There will also be international guests, like French-born actor and director Jean François Casanovas, who inaugurates a show with his group Caviar. “He revisits his historical shows associated with tango, and some sections were especially commissioned”.
In the dance front, there will be a tribute to the late dancer Osvaldo Zotto, with his world-renowned brother Miguel Ángel hitting the stage along with top-notch colleagues Mora Godoy and María Nieves. A similar tribute will be paid to bandoneon player Rubén Juárez.
On August 30th, winners of previous worldwide competitions will perform at the Cumbre de campeones, choreographed by Laura Falcoff.
In Mozzi’s words, BA City tango fest’s main accomplishment is diversity. “In the audience, there are people from all walks of life. Plurality also prevails when it comes to music. At present, tango is part of everyday life for any local person. The festival and the worldwide competition are a space of collective construction. The event is a celebration for music lovers and also an opportunity to reflect on tango’s chance to keep on developing”.
Tango in the provinces. The ceremony to present the national festival At the Casa del Bicentenario was attended by many musicians and civil servants, who chatted, drank wine and enjoyed a great show by the duet Julio Pane and Hugo Rivas, with Raúl Lavié joining in to sing La última curda – the perfect song to describe the occasion.
Tango en la tierra del vino proposes a new connection between tango and wine that has been a smash hit abroad, but has never been experimented here. Over the rest of the month, several concerts will be played at unusual venues: wine houses.
Tango queen Amelita Baltar told the Herald: “I am a great wine taster. It doesn’t matter if a bottle of wine is expensive or not, it’s all up to the flavour. I like discovering wine gems hidden in cheap markets. Some wines drive me crazy, and the same happens with tango.”
For Ariel Ardit, tango and wine are related. “In any tango show, people drink wine and tangueros are hooked on it. Wine is also present in tango lyrics. Taking tangueros to places like Mendoza or San Juan is fantastic, because it is out of the ordinary.”
In fact, there are many first times. Lidia Borda, for instance, makes her debut in Neuquén. “Wine and tango are the perfect couple. It seems powerful to me to create a national movement with tango. Unlike deeply-seated folk music, tango is not usually played in the provinces. This big production will surely give way to repercussions. Over the following days, there will be a party all along the Andean region.”
Hernán Greco, the organizer, proposed a toast to celebrate the reunion of tango and wine. “The reason to come up with this festival is to celebrate tango, with the genre’s best artists, the ones who make us shine all over the world, in the provinces.”
The president of the state-run Tourism Council, Luis Böhm, quoted Atahualpa Yupanqui: “‘God created man and wine as a unity in his own image and likeness. If we are the same, let almighty God’s will be done.” Cheers.
So, whether you are in BA or in a province, you won’t escape from tango. Although some kinds of excesses are not advisable, a tango overdose is healthy and recommended. Choose your gig, lesson or milonga: tango in August in Argentina will catch you anyway.
Written by Mariana Marcaletti for the Buenos Aires Herald
Source: http://www.buenosairesherald.com/BreakingNews/View/42081
