We might have gotten some gold stars for our bold experiments, but in the end, our ideas were not self-sustaining, for various reasons (not just financial).

For tango lovers, this is good news, because this ‘new’ traditinal milonga will be similar to the popular Tuesdays Flor de Milonga.

By 1AM the place was hopping, just as I was running out of fingernails to chew.   However, this did not put an end to my suffering.  I don’t know what is worse… have a milonga that is empty, or one full of people who will critically question my choice in music every time I play some nuevo tango, and as this milonga plays primarily nuevo tango, I was constantly second guessing, and defending (if only to myself at times),  each decision I made.  It was nervewracking.

This would not be so bad has I even the faintest clue about how to put together a decent playlist.  My DJing career began two weeks ago!  I was informed last night that legally I could not even call my milonga a “milonga”.  Wha!?  Yes, the government of Argentina actually has an official set of requirements that a milonga must meet in order to call itself a “milonga”… such as a very limited selection of non-tango songs can be played.  Just like Champagne laws of France and the Pizza Laws of Italy (that’s right. Italy has Pizza Laws… the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (p.s. If you live in NYC, this is the only place that has actual DOC pizza, as far a I know)) If you break these laws, you are no longer classified as a “milonga” and become a “boliche” (night club), to which there are severe buearucratic consequences.  So the quenstion is, what constitutes a “tango” song?  Do the artists, such as Gotan, Otros Aires, Tanghetto, etc., have to be registered “official” tango orchestras in the eyes of the government?  These are all questions for the Milonga de Otros Buenos Aires Legal Division.  I mention it here simply to share how absolutely clueless I am about playlists and “official” milongas.  Other issues were raised as well… “You can’t follow electro with a Vals!  It must be a tango!“, “Did you just play Troilo from 1930 AND 1950 in the same tanda!?“.  I have no idea if these people were just making this stuff up on the fly, or if these are actual “dos and don’ts” on playlist etiquette.  So where is the “Dummies Guide for Nuevo Tango Milongas”?

At one point I tried cheat and simply used a playlist from a Nuevo Tango club in Germany.  I quickly adopted a new motto: “When in Buenos Aries, don’t do as the Germans do” (I know, it seems pretty obvious).  But all was not lost!  As luck would have it, Jessica, who had read this blog, decided to come by and see what was up.   A small, attractive, Canadian living in San Francisco, visiting BA with her partner, and, most importantly, the first Nuevo Tango DJ I have ever met.  Finally, someone who a ctually knows something about this!   Of course, she is leaving in a few days   but she was more that willing to “give me a clue”, and again, like Blanche, I am quite happy to relie on the kindness of strangers.

M3U Playlist

You just can’t find domestic help like this today (but my cleaning lady is a mean cumbiana)

Click here to view the embedded video.

yeah, baby!

Regardless, whether your ‘english’,’spanish’, or ‘ basque’, you can come and swing dance this friday.

Whiskey & Swing

(All whiskey drinks 2 for 1)
Feb 11, 2010, Friday
$10
Plus
Classes by the Meistras of Swing,
Eugenia Della Latta
and
Agustina Zero-Setien
http://www.otrosbuenosaires.com/
Every Friday 23:00 – 4:00
Independencia 572

Classes 21:30 – 22:30 (includes Entrada)

Otros Buenos Aires
Bailar Alternativa

The Gypsy Jazz Reunion
Ene 29, 2010, Viernes

This Friday the Gyspy Jazz Reunion will be slinging their swing!

Plus
Classes by the Meistras of Swing,
Eugenia Della Latta
and
Agustina Zero-Setien

Plus Musica de

Guest DJ’s Gaston Fernandez and Adam Lee

http://www.otrosbuenosaires.com/

Every Friday 23:00 – 4:00
Independencia 572

Classes 21:30 – 22:30 (includes Entrada) ]]> http://www.moba.thetangosite.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=681 1 http://www.moba.thetangosite.com/blog/?p=679 http://www.moba.thetangosite.com/blog/?p=679#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:14:57 +0000 jeff.milton http://www.moba.thetangosite.com/blog/?p=679 Well, I never finished my last post with was detailing how MOBA has become a Swing Bar… Suffice to say, it is.

This is our first night of Swing, so I am anxious to see how it turns out.  I am optimistic, for many reasons.

Swing is the polar opposite of Tango, it seems.  They both evolved is a similar fashion, a fusion of sounds that arose from the ghettos in two countries that has opened their doors to world.  Ironically, Tango, a music of sadness,  loss and nostalgia,  has it’s root in the immegrants who came to Argentina to start a new life, while Swing, a music of celebration and joy, grew out of the black slaves who life’s were that of misery and suffering.  Go figure!

I love tango!  but tango, and tango dancers (in BA) are not really a ‘happy’ crowd.  Just go to any milonga and see for yourself!  While Swing dancers seem to be having way too much fun!

WhenI started MOBA, the idea was to create a place where tango can be fun, happy, exciting…  well, I am a Yankee from NYC, so I think I can do anything   After a year of trying to drag tangueros, kicking and screaming, into MOBA for a little fun, I realized I was being foolish.  Tangueros really do enjoy the sadness!  Swing dancers, on the other hand, seem to be having a great time!

So, when we decided to let a few Swing dancers into MOBA, and the place quickly was packed with ‘happy feet’… well, my eyes were opened!

There are countless venues in BA to dance tango.  Granted,  99% of them play the same music, but, they seem to be giving the customer what they want.  There are few places to dance Swing in BA.  So, in the original spirit of bringing a bit more joy into the world, MOBA (now called OBA) is cozying up to the Swingers, and the best part is I don’t have beg and plead Swingers to come!  What a concept!

Otros Buenos Aires
Bailar Alternativa

Swing Night at OBA
Ene 22, 2010, Viernes

Yes! This Friday is Swing Night at OBA! As the night goes on the swingin’ starts jumpin’! So, if you’re hep to the jive, you’ll want to be there!!

Si! Este viernes es noche de Swing en MOBA, donde a medida que pasa la noche el Swing empieza a bombar!! Si tenes fuego en los zapatos, vas a querer estar ahi ( y si no tenes fuego, veni igualmente a ver como sacan humo los bailarines)

Plus Musica de

http://www.otrosbuenosaires.com/

Todo las Viernes 23:00 – 4:00
Independencia 572

Clases 21:30 – 22:30 (incl Entrada a Milonga)

the other day I was at a milonga with a dear friend of mine, a woman who runs a traditional milonga in BA.  I was admiring one of the dancers when she stated, as if reading my mind, “que feo!” referring to that same dancer.  “Really!?” I replied. “I hope I am that good some day”.  She then began to lecture me on how his ‘nuevo’ style was an insult to tango, and that all nuevo teacher are just greedy opportunists catering to tourists and selling otu their own culture.

OK, yes… I should have known better than to  engage in a ‘conversation’.  I reminded her that tango, as she refers to it, had it’s own evolution as well, and if she wanted to be a purist, then the Bandonion itself is not an authentic to tango as the roots of tango proceed the German immigrants that introduced it.  I also pointed out the hypocritical irony that the ‘original’ tango was the result of world cultures fusing together in the melting pot of BA… just as nuevo tango is a fusion of cultural influences that changed tango from around the world, a world that the original tango artists were more than happy to introduce tango to.  Paris. NYC, London… these were the ideal destinations of the tango greats.  So, basically, my argument to her was 1) tango has continued to evolve and 2) if the creators of tango didn’t want anyone in the world to know about it they should have kept it a secret!

Her response was a bit drastic, but quite predictable… “Nothing you can say will ever change my mind.  I will not listen to any arguement… and don’t ever come to my milonga again!”

okaaaaay.

BUT! That is really not the point of this post.  The point is another thing that traditional tango and nuevo tango has in common.  When the military was in power in Argentina, milongas were mainly underground.  The government know that to erode the sense of nationalism that worked against them, they needed to import the ‘modern’, ‘progressive’ pop culture of the west. Tango music was no longer played on the radio.   Instead you heard Rock and Roll.

Milongas were closed down.  So, they went underground, like the SpeakEasy’s of the roaring 20’s in the states, and the jazz/swing clubs of Nazi Germany.

After the dictatorship fell, and the new government brought back some of the old culture that was lost, milongas were allowed to open.  Being that milongas were culturally ‘grandfathered’, the state came up with a special classification for milongas that allowed them to exist under much easier circumstances than say, a caberet.

This exists today, and the law states very clearly that in order to be a milonga at least 70% of the music must be ‘tango’ music.  They are very unclear as to what the legal definition of ‘tango’ music is…

(ok, I will finish this later as I have to go set up MOBA righjt now… stay tuned)

Milonga Otros Buenos Aires
Milonga Alternativa

tonight

Tango Nuevo/Swing
Ene 15, 2010, Viernes (esta noche!)

…with some sort of tango/swing fusion DJ thing.  Let’s see how this works out! (It’s all one big experiment anyway, right?).

…con una especie de estilo DJ con fusion entre Tango y Swing.  Vamos a ver que pasa con este experimento mix!

Plus Musica de

Gotan Project Diam BajoFondo Hugo Diaz Piazolla Manu Chao Booker T. Narco Tango Bobby Hughes Pugliese Raúl Jaurena Troilo Duke Ellington Edith Piaf Yves Montand

http://www.otrosbuenosaires.com/

Todo las Viernes 23:00 – 4:00
Independencia 572

Clases 21:30 – 22:30 (incl Entrada a Milonga)

]]> http://www.moba.thetangosite.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=675 1 http://www.moba.thetangosite.com/blog/?p=665 http://www.moba.thetangosite.com/blog/?p=665#comments Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:54:28 +0000 jeff.milton http://www.moba.thetangosite.com/blog/?p=665

Milonga Otros Buenos Aires
Milonga Alternativa

Presents

The Fabulous
The Spectacular

Ninna Fernandez

Watching Ninna perform is to be transported into the dreams of our past… haunting and inspiring, joyful and nostalgic.  Ninna brings so much more to the stage than merely her beautiful, world class voice.  You don’t just listen to Ninna… you experience her, and she moves you.  You will never forget a performance by Ninna!  Make this New Years Day one to remember, at MOBA.

Plus Musica de

Gotan Project Diam BajoFondo Hugo Diaz Piazolla Manu Chao Booker T. Narco Tango Bobby Hughes Pugliese Raúl Jaurena Troilo Duke Ellington Edith Piaf Yves Montand

http://www.otrosbuenosaires.com/

Todo las Viernes 23:00 – 4:00
Independencia 572

Clases 21:30 – 22:30 $20 AR (incl Entrada a Milonga)

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