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Digest from 29 Feb 2000
to 1 Mar 2000
Reply-To: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
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Subject: TANGO-L Digest - 29 Feb 2000 to 1 Mar 2000 (#2000-58)
There are 17 messages totalling 1036 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Meditative Tango and the "Invisible Something" (2)
2. It may take two, but ten is dynamite
3. Tango as meditation (3)
4. Prevalence of Psychotherapy in Argentina.
5. Blood, life, death and tango lyrics (3)
6. Cultural justification for murder
7. Guitars
8. Meditango
9. Meditango (glitch)
10. Guitars and Tango (2)
11. unsubscribe
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Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2000 23:44:36 -0700
From: "Brian P. Dunn" <brianpdunn @EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Meditative Tango and the "Invisible Something"
Kate Withey wrote:
"The more I do this, I realize how much tango is like meditation, & how
much I can get out of my tango if I approach it as a meditation
practice."
My teaching partner and I have on our class flyer the tag-line that tango is
"somewhere between meditation and sex". I've often had that sense of flow in
a dance that feels like being entranced by the present moment, which reminds
me of meditative practices.
I've been fascinated with what goes on between tango partners on an
"energetic" level. I have lots of anecdotal evidence that keeps me
interested, and some verifiable evidence that lends my interest support.
One verifiable connection exercise I've used is to have couples part
slightly, close eyes facing each other, and without touching, have one
partner slowly approach the other. The goal is to try to keep an awareness
right in front of your heart of "something happening". Each person signals
silently to the group when they feel "something" in that empty space between
them. Although this sounds vague, observers can very often see the
simultaneous signals indicating that "something" has just formed between the
partners before they have touched each other physically.
Not every couple has the experience of simultaneous awareness of a
connection; the discussion about why this would be so is interesting in
itself. But this lack of universality can pose problems in a class. In my
experience, this works best in a close-knit mutually supportive medium-sized
class as opposed to an anonymous group.
When I share this experience with a new partner, and she feels "something",
I suggest that we dance while trying to keep the awareness of that
"something" alive between us. The dance is always memorable.
If this topic intrigues you, you might also enjoy the back page article in
this month's Yoga Journal called "The Tao of Tango".
Abrazos,
Brian Dunn
Boulder, Colorado USA
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 12:04:16 +0100
From: Gero Iwan <iwan @I5.INFORMATIK.RWTH-AACHEN.DE>
Subject: Re: It may take two, but ten is dynamite
You have to look at the Monday-Times
http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/Monday-Times/frontpage.html?999
and follow the "Arts"-Link. Or go directly to
http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/tim/2000/02/28/timartdan02001.html?999
-- Gero
Nitin Kibe <nkibe @WORLDBANK.ORG> wrote:
http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/Times/frontpage.html?999
A review of Tango Por Dos, currently playing in London.
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 12:35:17 +0100
From: Peter Niebert <Peter.Niebert @IMAG.FR>
Subject: Re: Tango as meditation
America Mauhar writes:
> I notice, that so far this thread is being carried by women. Is this
> merely a chance occurance, of the people who have had the opporitunity to
> respond? Or is this the follower's endowment only? Is it a gift for
> surrendering the lead?
It is a gift for surrendering. Leaders can also surrender, but it may
be harder for them, even for an experienced leader. You write that you
are happy to find it once in an evening. I have to survive the
majority of evenings without it. I am not saying that those other
evenings are bad, but ... once you know how it can be, it takes some
effort to accept deprivation of the real thing.
And it takes the right partner, and there are not so many of them.
> Are there too many external concerns for the leader
> to ever be able to acheive the same level of medatative bliss?
In the couple experience, be it on the dance floor or - in bed, I
believe that the man depends on the woman in order to fly. It is not
symmetric. Maybe you need us to make you fly and we need you to climb
on your back when you actually take of. What a strange symbiosis, men
and women ...
Greetings from Amsterdam (I just LOVE this city and its milongueras),
Peter
normally Grenoble, France
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 16:30:51 +1300
From: Alex White <alex_tangofirulete @XTRA.CO.NZ>
Subject: Re: Prevalence of Psychotherapy in Argentina.
Original Message -----
From: Natarajan Balasundara <rajan @EMC.COM>
To: <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2000 10:01 PM
> There was a recent article in 'The economist' which refers to a study
> which
> says there might be correlation between amount of overall sunlight and
> suicide rates. In Europe, sunnier Italy and Greece do better(less
> suicide)
> than for example, Finland. The situation is quite bad in the canadian
> arctic
> circle as well. Perhaps some of the southern parts of argentina do not
> receive as much sunlight overall...
Hi List & Rajan,
this caught my attention and I feel like sharing this little something:
I lived for six months during winter....
in southern Argentina, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego (only 800km's from
Antarctica)
which is famous for been the southernmost city in the world. Also where I
first started to learn el tango.
during winter there are only around five hours of sunlight, it snows, and is
not cold....but FREEZING...
although it had it's advantages like skiing to School, and having 4 ski
fields within 30 mins drive.
I remember trekking through hail & snow to reach my Tango class (or
basketball training), arriving covered in snow, but willing to learn more.
(after changing etc!)
So one needs to "do something" to keep warm...I danced and played
sports.(basketball, volleyball soccer, swimming etc)
my first two tango & folklore teachers down there were: Plutarco Schallez &
Javier Peralta in 1996.
I noticed that the folk music seemed more "depressing" (maybe a bit strong),
the further south you went, while up north the more livelier the music felt.
listen to " hugo gimenez aguero" -from south
" los Chalchaleros" - from Salta - north
" Luciano Pereyra northern Argentina
Anyway...
Ushuaia used to be the place where Argentina sent "dangerous criminals", and
is a military base.
so in some parts I found the atmosphere a little sad & depressing - which
I felt especially walking down the corridors of the old carcel. It can be
hostile during winter, yet great during summer
- an outdoor paradise.
Summer is very different - the snow stays in the beautiful mountains, it
still is quite cold, but you get used to it. (-10 to 15.C)
you can go camping, tramping or climbing...or nightclubing.
I thought at one stage that Ushuaia represented the Argentine flag: having
perfect blue sky, snow-topped white mountains, the sun, and deep blue sea.
very touristy, a popular honey-moon spot, and an international port.
my host family were very warm & friendly - I understand why Argentina is
number one there. I still need to visit Venezuela though :)
By the way I' ve confirmed that I'll be going to CITA-2000...
so...hasta la pista
Alex White
e-mail alex_tangofirulete @yahoo.com
website http://come.to/tango_firulete
Ph: +(64 4) 567-9406
021 254 3891
I teach Argentine Tango (milonga, Vals, canyengue styles too)
Also Salsa, Merengue
Mon,Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun.
* DJ FRESCO *
@ Cricketers Arms , cnr Tory & Vivian Sts
Wellington, New Zealand
Tango & Latin Dance Party every Thurs / Fri / Sat
Ask about kids courses too :)
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 14:27:40 -0500
From: Sergio Suppa <sersupa @INFOVIA.COM.AR>
Subject: Blood, life, death and tango lyrics
Rudy Zelaya said that many tango lyrics are gory.
I would like to submit a translation of "Amablemente" by Juan Bautista
Devoto; to exemplify what he is talking about.
These verses appeared today, in the history supplement of the national
newspaper Clarin.
"Amablemente"
"Kindly"
La encontro en el bulin en otros brazos; He found her in someone
else's arms;
sin embargo, canchero y sin cabrearse, However, used to difficult
situations,
Le dijo al tiburon:"Puede rajarse; He said to the man:"
You may go;
El choma no es culpable en estos casos". The guy is not guilty in
these situations".
Al quedarse bien solo con la mina, Once alone with the girl,
busco las alpargatas y, ya listo, he looked for his
sleepers, and when ready,
murmuro, cual si nada hubiera visto: he whispered, as if he
had seen nothing:
"Cebame un par de mates Catalina". "Catalina, would you make me
a couple of mates". (tea).
La grela, jaboneada, le hizo caso. The woman scared,
fulfilled his request.
El tipo, saboreandose un buen faso, The guy, enjoying a good
cigarette,
la mateo, chamuyando de pavadas... drunk the tea, talking about
trivial matters...
Y luego, besuqueandole la frente, Then, kissing her
forehead,
con toda educacion, amablemente, very politely, very
kindly,
le fajo treinta y cuatro punialadas. stubbed her thirty
four times.
This tango lyrics are rich because of the beautiful rhyme, it has in the
Castilian versification.
It is also rich in the use of lunfardo terms (slang).
To evaluate the message; one has to remember that tango originated in
the peripheral area of the city; the scenery for the dance was bars, cafes,
gambling places,
where prostitution was part of the enterteinment; male
clients,"compadritos" (very macho men),
frequently fell in love with those women. The only kind they had the chance
to socialize with.
Women that were never forgiven for their pasts, and who fataly and
faithfully to their
professional tradition cheated on them, who in turn had to kill to save
their "honor".
One should listen to these lyrics with an open mind, to enjoy the folkloric
elements, the musicality
of the versification without allowing the sadness of the story interfere
with a beautiful experience.
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 12:32:52 -0800
From: ramiro garcia <ramiro9 @YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Meditative Tango and the "Invisible Something"
Brian,
--- "Brian P. Dunn" <brianpdunn @EARTHLINK.NET> wrote:
> I've often had that sense of flow in a dance that
feels like being
> entranced by the
> present moment, which reminds me of meditative
practices.
> ...
> One... exercise I've used is to have couples part
> slightly, close eyes facing each other, and without
> touching, have one partner slowly approach the
other.
> The goal is to try to keep an awareness right in
front of your
> heart of "something happening". Each person signals
silently to the
> group when they feel "something" in that empty space
between them.
> Although this sounds vague, observers can very often
see the
> simultaneous signals indicating that "something" has
just formed
> between the partners before they have touched each
other physically.
> ...
> When I share this experience with a new partner, and
she feels
> "something", I suggest that we dance while trying to
keep the
> awareness of that "something" alive between us. The
dance is always
> memorable.
That's pretty amazing. I'd like to try that with a
receptive partner and see what happens.
A tango teacher once had people pair up, and the
ladies close their eyes. They were to walk around the
room, and the men were to keep their partners from
colliding with anyone else. With the least physical
contact, none, if possible.
Despite showering before class, I found I rarely got
within a foot of my partner. She could sense me up to
a couple of feet away. Coincidentally, she's one of
the better dancers. 8^D.
ramiro
=====
ramiro garcia
ramiro9 @yahoo.com
__________________________________________________
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Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
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Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 12:37:40 -0800
From: ramiro garcia <ramiro9 @YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Tango as meditation
> ... one night a week...I go to a group meditation &
Buddhist dharma
> talk, then I go from there to a milonga. The
meditation people ...
> think this is utterly incongruous,
Integrating strong passion and strong spiritual
practice can be a conceptual challenge on the
"right-hand path". This is a false dichotomy between
the material and the spiritual.
> I dance well at that milonga: I am more present,
more centered, more
> grounded, more *there*... increased "present moment
awareness"
> acceptance of things as they actually are (not as
you want them
> to be).
Here and now.
--- Sramana Mitra <sramana.mitra @UUMA.COM> wrote:
> Long ago...a friend & teacher explained Tango to me
as: Argentine
> style Tantra.
> Rajneesh ... explains God as a mental state - of
bliss, of perfect
> harmony... a connection.
> The best form of this connection ... is the
man-woman communion.
The follower waits, receives a lead, follows it, and
waits again.
The leader finds a space, gives the lead, waits for
the woman to move, follows her, then waits for her to
finish.
When this feedback of lead-and-follow, move and wait,
becomes progressively more subtle, the two bodies
become more and more closely attuned. Physical tantra?
With experience, the dancers can perceive each other's
emotional states. When that perception becomes an
element in picking the leader's next step, this will
touch his partner's heart, and unite them. Emotional
tantra?
--- America Mauhar <amauhar @TPIMS.ORG> wrote:
> ...there was ... an ... article in the March/April
edition of Yoga
> Journal on this topic- The Tao of Tango, by Deirdre
Guthrie....
> "...While dancing I am fully present, aware, as in
yoga, of the most
> subtle movements of my inner anatomy."
For the leader to be aware of which foot the follower
is standing on requires him to be keenly attuned to
her subtle movements as well.
> ... dancing is one of the few places that I find
that cessation
> of [mental] chatter,
A quiet, alert mind is a sine qua non to be able to
pick up, interpret, and follow a lead. A firm, quiet,
flexible body is its physical concomitant. Mental
practice, physical practice.
> and Argentine Tango, ....to be one of the best forms
of dance that
> I have experienced for inward focus and meditative
experience.
> .... There is nothing to think about but letting
the leader
> and the music flow through me.
--- Kate Withey <withey @SFO.COM> wrote:
> ... Tango at its best is about being 100% in the
present, completely
> aware, totally focused on my partner & the music.
Transparency. Dancing with a follower who does this is
exquisite.
--- America Mauhar <amauhar @TPIMS.ORG> wrote:
> I certainly don't find that place every time....
Sometimes I admit
> to thinking about work...while I dance, and when I
do, the dance
> suffers. The connection with the music [or my
partner, or myself]
> simply isn't there.
Like Nito says, "Bailas como sos." You dance who you
are.
If I don't bring a good state of mind to tango, it
will inevitably seep into the dance. Tension and worry
will manifest. If I can bring a calm, centered state
of mind, I have the space to focus on my partner, and
allow her presence to fill my awareness.
Sadly, some partners never seem to get out of
"themselves". It's as if they're continuously looking
into a mirror and checking their appearance. Even when
they achieve technical proficiency, dancing with them
is rather cold.
> I notice, that so far this thread is being carried
by women.
The guys usually think it's Perfectly Normal when they
dominate the conversation on Tango-L. It's wonderful
to be perfect and complete.
--- Peter Niebert <Peter.Niebert @IMAG.FR> wrote:
> ... once you know how it can be, it takes some
effort to accept
> deprivation of the real thing.
>
> And it takes the right partner, and there are not so
many of them.
It takes two to tango.
When my partner and I have quiet, firm frames, free of
tension, poised on our own balance, I can "whisper"
intimacies, instead of "shouting" or wrestling.
Effortlessness is key.
--- Kate Withey <withey @SFO.COM> wrote:
> (Leaders, even if ... they don't have to consciously
think or plan,
> still have to keep their eyes open, focusing on the
external as well
> as the internal.)
--- America Mauhar <amauhar @TPIMS.ORG> wrote:
> .... It seems relatively easy for women (followers)
to slip into the
> meditative state, but how long is it before the
leaders can [achieve
> the same level of meditative bliss]?
"Driver, how do you get to Carnegie Hall?"
"Practice, practice, practice."
The follower listens - to the music, the lead, her
partner's body. If so moved, she can add adornos. Or
not. She can add her interpretation of the music. Or
not. She has a voice, but she doesn't have to use it.
The leader *must* lead, he must 'speak'. It's harder
to experience quietness while you speak.
His attention has to be constantly outwardly focused
on the dance floor so he can navigate.
At the beginning of the tanda, he must determine his
partner's current skill level and mental state, to
know what kind of steps he can lead and how to lead
them. He must find the "fit" between his leading
skills and her following skills. This is an analytical
process, the antithesis of 'surrender'.
He adds the music, his internal state, and the foot
the follower is on to the recipe and finally gets "my
next lead".
If the leader dances mindfully, he will get more
efficient at this "management" process. He will get it
all done with less and less effort and conscious
intervention. His mind will gain the opportunity to
settle down-or look in the mirror, or gossip, or think
of his next move.
You can only "surrender" what isn't tied up managing
the dance. I think you need to free a certain minimum
amount of resources before you can cross the threshold
to get to "tango heaven." You prepare the conditions,
and then you wait. You get good at waiting in AT.
As mechanics require less attention, his follower's
heart can take center stage, if he chooses. Finally at
some point, some fortuitious combination of the right
music and the right partner occurs, and tango heaven
strikes like lightning.
ramiro
=====
ramiro garcia
ramiro9 @yahoo.com
__________________________________________________
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Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
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Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 17:40:23 -0500
From: Sergio Suppa <sersupa @INFOVIA.COM.AR>
Subject: Cultural justification for murder
Paul Winlelbauer wrote:
"Sergio,
The lyrics you sent are thought provoking. I am curious about the
cultural justification for murder.
It is difficult for me to understand why a person would kill a prostitute
for "cheating" on him. Perhaps the part of the story that is missing is
that the prostitute had promised to quit her profession and only love this
man.
In historical context, maybe the explanation lies in the tradition set by
the early Romans. They considered the wife the property of the husband. He
could treat her like any of his household property. "
The cultural justification for murder.
The man fell in love with the woman, she promissed to leave her life of
prostitution behind and moved in with him.
He could hardly forget her past, but he could try; Carolina is now "his"
woman.
A treason would have the same significance in his mind as if she had been a
virgin when he had found her.
Whatever happened before she had met him "does not matter"; but if she
cheats on him this would have a
desvastating significance to his manhood and honor. A man can never tolerate
such a behavior in a wooman;
otherwise he would be ridiculed and humiliated by his family, friends and
neighbours. He would be called "Cornudo".
Faced with that situation a latin man (Portugal, Spain, Italy, the coutries
formed by the ex-Spanish colonies, and I am
sure many other)has to take an action; leave her or kill her.
From the legal point of view, at the end of last century, killing a woman,
without premeditation, under intense emotion, due to unfaithfulness, if the
murder took place immediately after discovery of the treason; the man
failing to recall the events clearly,(lacunar memory), would be equivalent
to transient maddness; carrying a maximum sentence of two or three years in
jail. The fact that he was a Compadrito and that she was an ex-prostitute
would increase the jail sentence.
But maybe he was not a compadrito and she had not been a prostitute. The
result could have been the same, and perhaps
easier to understand by our modern standards.
Lacunar memory: refers to the fact when a person remembers certain elements
of a crime but not all of them. This is accepted as a sign of transient
maddness. Total amnesia of the events would be thought as simulation, from
the forensic point of view.
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 20:17:38 +0100
From: Natarajan Balasundara <rajan @EMC.COM>
Subject: Re: Guitars
Original Message-----
From: Jean-Pierre Jacquet <jpjfilms @cybercable.fr>
Date: Friday, February 25, 2000 7:31 PM
>I am the proud owner of zillions of tango recordings (or so it seems to
>the ones who share my life on a daily basis and have to endure my music
>listening habit). Yet I have only one CD with a sole guitarist
>performing...
May be this is because the guitar refuses to sound sombre :-)
Much of the flamenco music is for the instrument and I can not
remember a sad sound or, putting it another way, even the sad
ones sound cheery...
rajan.
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 16:24:38 -0600
From: Stephen P Brown <Stephen.P.Brown @DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Re: Tango as meditation
Some who have contributed to this thread see an inherent tension
between the inner awareness they associate with meditation and the
outer awareness associated with leading. At a minimum, a follower
must be aware of her partner. So at least some of the follower's
attention must be outward. She is not completely free to focus
inwardly.
But outward attention is not the enemy of awareness. Mindfulness is
mindfulness, regardless of the activity. Mindfulness is the objective
of some activities, such as the traditional sea ceremony. So, it can
be with tango, or writing about tango.
Ramiro Garcia wrote:
>The leader *must* lead, he must 'speak'. It's harder to experience
>quietness while you speak.
>His attention has to be constantly outwardly focused on the dance
>floor so he can navigate. ...
>If the leader dances mindfully, he will get more efficient at this
>"management" process. He will get it all done with less and less
>effort and conscious intervention. ...
>You can only "surrender" what isn't tied up managing the dance. I
>think you need to free a certain minimum amount of resources before
>you can cross the threshold to get to "tango heaven." ...
>Finally at some point, some fortuitious combination of the right
>music and the right partner occurs, and tango heaven strikes like
>lightning.
For me, a meditative sense of dancing outside myself occurs when I am
able to dance with my partner and everyone else in the room one step
at a time in the moment that exists, taking what the floor has offer
and moving to the music without regard to past steps, future steps or
a sense of time. When I find quiet mind, I no longer have the
sensation that I am the one who is leading, although I am.
I suspect that Ramiro may be right that a certain amount of resources
must be freed before we are able to reach tango heaven, but certainly
many us who dance tango must catch a glimpse of that heaven before we
are able to enter it on any regular basis. Otherwise, we would have
little reason to wait.
--Steve (de Tejas)
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 14:28:35 -0800
From: Ruddy Zelaya <ruddy.zelaya @ENG.SUN.COM>
Subject: Re: Blood, life, death and tango lyrics
Sergio,
I like it. Begging your indulgence, here's an
alternate translation that deciphers the lunfardo.
--
ruddy
Amablemente Amiably
Juan Bautista Devoto Juan Bautista Devoto
La encontr=F3 en el bul=EDn en otros brazos. He found her in the bedroom i=
n someone=20
else's arms.
Sin embargo, canchero y sin cabrearse, Nevertheless, self-assured and wi=
thout=20
anger,
le dijo at tibur=F3n: "Puede rajarse. he said to the Don Juan: "You m=
ay go.
El choma no es culpable en estos casos". A man is not guilty in these=20
situations".
Al quedarse bien solo con la mina, Upon being utterly alone with the=
=20
woman,
busco las alpargatas y, ya listo, he searched for his slippers and,=
when=20
ready,
murmuro cual si nada hubiera visto: whispered as if he had not seen=
=20
anything:
"Cebame un par de mates Catalina". "Brew me a couple of mates Catali=
na".
La grela, jaboneada, le hizo caso. The woman, scared, did as told.
El tipo, saboreandose un buen faso, The man, enjoying a good cigarett=
e,
la mateo, chamuyando de pavadas... had his tea with her, chatting ab=
out=20
trivialities...
Y luego, besuqueandole la frente, And later, lightly kissing her=20
forehead,
con toda educaci=F3n, amablemente, with good manners, amiably,
le fajo treinta y cuatro pu=F1aladas. he stabbed her thirty four time=
s.
Notes: The usage of lunfardo gives these verses much of its flavor.
Bul=EDn: Bedroom, room. From the italian slang for bed.
Canchero: Someone who takes command of difficult situations.
Cabrearse: To get angry.
Tibur=F3n: A Don Ju=E1n. A ladies man.
Rajarse: To leave.
Choma: Vesrica (backwards) form of Macho, Man.
Mina: Woman.
Cebar: To brew.
Mate: A South American tea.
Grela: Woman.
Jabon: Fear.
Faso: Cigarette.
Chamuyar: To chat.=20
Pavada: Sillyness, foolishness. Unimportant thing or saying.
Fajar: To give punishment, hit.
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 16:20:12 -0700
From: Flora <Elizabeth.Flora @COLORADO.EDU>
Subject: Meditango
The things I practice during zen style sitting meditation transfer into
my tango regardless if I lead or follow. Likewise, my tango influences
my sitting practice. Both require mindful concentration of the moment.
Also, both require practice, practice, practice.
My sitting practice does not mean zoning out or escapism. Neither does
my dance.
My sitting practice is about learning compassion, patience, less
chatter, generosity, loving kindness. So is my dance. Relating to
other dancers on the personal level that is required during classes,
practicas, and milongas meant confronting my limits and abilities in the
above mentioned moralities. As a result, my tango has informed my
sitting practice, as well as my mindfulness as a member of several
meditation communities.
Both tango and my sitting practice requires dignity, inquisitiveness,
and fearlessness.
Abrazos/Namaste
Elizabeth Flora
Boulder, Colorado
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 16:39:40 -0700
From: Tom Stermitz <stermitz @CSN.NET>
Subject: Re: Blood, life, death and tango lyrics
>Notes: The usage of lunfardo gives these verses much of its flavor.
>Canchero: Someone who takes command of difficult situations.
>Tibur=F3n: A Don Ju=E1n. A ladies man.
>Choma: Vesrica (backwards) form of Macho, Man.
>Mina: Woman.
>Grela: Woman.
I like the word:
(el) choma.
Then we have:
pibe
dorimo
varon
pibeta
jermu
chica
mujer
These are but a few argentine Spanish words for man and woman, but
surely they don't all equal Man or Woman. I'd be interested in a
glossary of translations including the shades of meaning.
By comparison, how shallow and neutered is English!
Tom Stermitz
stermitz @ragtime.org
http://www.ragtime.org/ragtime
http://www.tango.org/dance
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 16:51:14 -0700
From: Flora <Elizabeth.Flora @COLORADO.EDU>
Subject: Meditango (glitch)
Somehow my first message had the wrong "Reply To" name. Therefore, I'm
correcting the situation with this resubmission.
> The things I practice during zen style sitting meditation transfer into
> my tango regardless if I lead or follow. Likewise, my tango influences
> my sitting practice. Both require mindful concentration of the moment.
> Also, both require practice, practice, practice.
>
> My sitting practice does not mean zoning out or escapism. Neither does
> my dance.
>
> My sitting practice is about learning compassion, patience, less
> chatter, generosity, loving kindness. So is my dance. Relating to
> other dancers on the personal level that is required during classes,
> practicas, and milongas meant confronting my limits and abilities in the
> above mentioned moralities. As a result, my tango has informed my
> sitting practice, as well as my mindfulness as a member of several
> meditation communities.
>
> Both tango and my sitting practice requires dignity, inquisitiveness,
> and fearlessness.
>
> Abrazos/Namaste
>
> Elizabeth Flora
> Boulder, Colorado
>
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 17:56:17 -0600
From: Stephen P Brown <Stephen.P.Brown @DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Re: Guitars and Tango
Jean-Pierre Jacquet wrote:
>>I am the proud owner of zillions of tango recordings (or so it seems to
>>the ones who share my life on a daily basis and have to endure my music
>>listening habit). Yet I have only one CD with a sole guitarist
>>performing...
To which Rajan replied:
>May be this is because the guitar refuses to sound sombre :-)
>Much of the flamenco music is for the instrument and I can not
>remember a sad sound or, putting it another way, even the sad
>ones sound cheery...
I could not disagree more. As a guitar player, I have not found that the
guitar has a limited range of expression. On the contrary, I find it
to be a very expressive instrument.
Solo guitar requires the player to develop an arrangement that allows
the accompaniment and melody lines to be played simultaneously. Most
often, solo guitar is played fingerstyle rather than with a pick
(plectrum). For the right-handed player, fingerstyle playing typically
means using the fingernails on the right hand to pluck the strings while
holding down the notes with the left hand finger tips.
Outside of flamenco music, the current conventions in fingerstyle guitar
playing on both sides of the Atlantic derive primarily from Segovia's
approach to classical guitar or Merle Travis' approach to American country
and folk guitar. Both approaches rely heavily on the use of arppegiated
chords--that is chords in which notes are sounded sequentially rather than
simulataneously.
Development of the arppegiated approach to solo guitar may owe to the fact
that the sound of a plucked guitar string decays rather quickly on an
acoustic guitar. The use of arppegiated chords, allows the sound to be
more continuous and makes the playing more smooth sounding.
In my opinion, heavy reliance on arppegiated chords does not allow a
solo guitarist to play a truly adequate accompaniment for either jazz or
Argentine tango. For this reason, I suspect, few solo guitarists are drawn
to playing either much jazz or Argentine tango, nor would we find it very
interesting as listeners. In playing solo guitar myself, I have find
the use of non-arppegiated chords better preserves the harmonic and
rhythmic feel of the accompaniment in both Argentine tango and jazz.
--Steve de Tejas
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 21:12:34 -0600
From: kortnee <kortnee @COMPUVISION.NET>
Subject: unsubscribe
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Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000 23:27:27 -0800
From: "Pelayo Llamas, Jr." <pelayojr @LANMINDS.COM>
Subject: Re: Guitars and Tango
I too disagree with Jean-Pierre's generalization about guitar being unable to
sound somber. One of the most beautiful performances I have ever heard is the
recording of "Nostalgias", a duet between bandoneon and guitar on the
soundtrack of the movie "TANGO" by Carlos Saura. In that recording, the
bandoneon and guitar trade the lead while the other instrument "comps" the
chord changes. Its a virtuoso performance by both musicians, but the guitar
particularly struck me because it is rare these days to hear guitar featured
in Tango. I wonder if anyone is left cold by this recording.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, we are blessed with a group, Flor de Tango
http://www-ccrma.stanford.edu/~guille/flor/welcome.htm , comprised of three
Argentineans. The line up is vocalist, flautist and guitarist (some kind of
amplified hollow body). The guitarist is excellent. I understood that they
were recording a CD last year, but have heard nothing about its release. When
it does come out, I encourage guitar lovers to check it out.
Finally, some of Hugo Diaz's recordings feature an acoustic guitarist which
sounds great.
Stephen P Brown wrote:
> Jean-Pierre Jacquet wrote:
>
> >>I am the proud owner of zillions of tango recordings (or so it seems to
> >>the ones who share my life on a daily basis and have to endure my music
> >>listening habit). Yet I have only one CD with a sole guitarist
> >>performing...
>
> To which Rajan replied:
>
> >May be this is because the guitar refuses to sound sombre :-)
> >Much of the flamenco music is for the instrument and I can not
> >remember a sad sound or, putting it another way, even the sad
> >ones sound cheery...
Steve de Tejas wrote:
>
>
> I could not disagree more. As a guitar player, I have not found that the
> guitar has a limited range of expression. On the contrary, I find it
> to be a very expressive instrument.
etc . . . .
>
>
>
> --Steve de Tejas
End of TANGO-L Digest - 29 Feb 2000 to 1 Mar 2000 (#2000-58)
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