The Tango-L mailing list archive

Digest from 5 Oct 1999 to 6 Oct 1999





Reply-To: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango          <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
To: Recipients of TANGO-L digests <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Date:     Wed, 6 Oct 1999 03:00:05 -0400
Sender: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango          <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
From: Automatic digest processor <LISTSERV @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Subject:  TANGO-L Digest - 5 Oct 1999 to 6 Oct 1999 (#1999-26)

There are 4 messages totalling 158 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. PIROPOS 2. Help transfering MP-3 files to hard disc (2) 3. Argentine "culture"


REMINDER: Announcements of Tango events or products should be sent to Tango-A and not to TANGO-L. To subscribe to Tango-A, send the command "subscribe Tango-A Firstname Lastname" to LISTSERV @MITVMA.MIT.EDU.





Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 11:20:33 +0100 From: white95r <white95r @HOTMAIL.COM> Subject: Re: PIROPOS Dear fellow listers: I recently posted a contribution ;-) about the piropos thread. Among other things I said: > When speaking piropos does one turn slightly to ones left or > right Snip >Which are the "true" > piropos? those uttered by the educated and well spoken or > those in the must vulgar lunfardo? Anyway, some people wrote me privately to comment on my use of "sarcasm" or to say I was hostile. I wish to apologize to anyone who may have taken offense. I wrote totally in jest and meant to inject some levity in the proceedings. Although tango is all about love lost, betrayal and losses, I think it is OK to poke a little fun at ourselves from time to time. Tango, like life, has a bit of everything in it. sadness and melancholy for sure, but also laughter and joy. I personally feel tremendous positive energy when I listen and dance many tangos. As far as the piropos go, they are quite common in all of South America and I'm sure in Central and North America as well. Some are quite witty and even poetic while many would be considered nothing more than sexual harassment and crude cat calls. Piropos are not part of tango per se or even exclusively an Argentine custom, but I think the thread is OK fodder for the list's discussion. Happy tangos to all and tasteful piropos to the ladies, Manuel


Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 08:16:23 -0800 From: Steve Hoffman <DrSteveH @IBM.NET> Subject: Help transfering MP-3 files to hard disc Hola Listeros, Perhaps a more computer-literate person can help me with this. I am planning a trip, need to take the Macintosh laptop, and would like to transcribe favorite tangos from CD to the computer hard disc, for playback on the road. What is the best way to do this? I can obtain the SoundJam MP-3 application, which I understand may be the most suitable for the Mac. I know I must use some particular cable from my stereo to my computer (what is it called?/where do I get it?). What else do I need? Is this going to be straightforward, or my usual computer nightmare? How much disc space does a typical tango piece utilize? If someone with a Mac has done this, could she/he help me out with some advice? Muchas Gracias, Steve Hoffman


Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 11:37:39 -0500 From: Tom Ronquillo <chitiger @MAIL.DAVE-WORLD.NET> Subject: Re: Argentine "culture" Charles Roques wrote: > > re. piropos > > Yes, It is good to understand something about the culture that created tango but any one who has lived in Latin America can tell you that verbal flirting whether unsavory or "creative" is hardly indigenous to Argentina. It's pretty rampant all over the latin world. > It's just a matter of whether you find it offensive or not. Perhaps a woman who finds it "charming" in Buenos Aires might not find it so in Santo Domingo. It's not a question of being politically correct, I just find it much more interesting to try to express these kind of feelings silently on the dance floor. > > Charles Charles' last statement triggered an unsettling thought. What if the men on the list didn't adhere to Charles' wise approach? I had a vision of men at practicas and milongas suddenly unleashing a torrent of piropos on the unsuspecting women. The men would be doing this because they had followed the piropos thread and assumed that the complete milonguero must employ verbal and physical skills. This development would signal the ultimate demise of the fabled piropo due to overuse and less-than-poetic delivery by many. Given that scenario, milongueras could hardly be faulted if they chose to reciprocate by executing intentionally wayward ganchos and boleos on the worst of the piropeadores. Now, to the heart of Charles' last statement about silent expression on the dance floor - This form of expression is the truly elusive tango skill for some people, particularly when the brain is focused on dance steps and collision-free navigation around a crowded dance floor. A wonderful tango is not simply about how well a man attends to a woman; it also involves the quality of the woman's response to a man in terms of following the lead and expressing emotion. Expression in this regard does not necessarily have to mean torrid sensuality and explosive libido, but it could mean a sweet, quiet feeling that mixed age groups can comfortably enjoy during a tango. There are risks involved in trying to teach emotional communication because something gets lost in the attempt to create a syllabus for everyone to follow. It might be useful though to hear people on the list describe how silent communication during a tango works for them. Tom (El Tigre) Ronquillo


Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 12:40:40 -0700 From: Peter Adler <adlerpe @HOOKED.NET> Subject: Re: Help transfering MP-3 files to hard disc >Hola Listeros, > >Perhaps a more computer-literate person can help me with this. I am >planning a trip, need to take the Macintosh laptop, and would like to >transcribe favorite tangos from CD to the computer hard disc, for playback >on the road. > >What is the best way to do this? I can obtain the SoundJam MP-3 >application, which I understand may be the most suitable for the Mac. I >know I must use some particular cable from my stereo to my computer (what >is it called?/where do I get it?). What else do I need? Is this going to >be straightforward, or my usual computer nightmare? How much disc space >does a typical tango piece utilize? > >If someone with a Mac has done this, could she/he help me out with some >advice? > >Muchas Gracias, >Steve Hoffman Hey Steve... I have a long description of the process for you; but until you clean out your mailbox, I got nowhere to send it.... Peter Adler technical coordinator, BMUG contributing editor, NeTProfessional Magazine moderator, BMUG Music and Sound SIG/TelecomEssentials (510) 845-4936 <adlerpe @hooked.net>


End of TANGO-L Digest - 5 Oct 1999 to 6 Oct 1999 (#1999-26) ***********************************************************