Nuevo musicality

No, by nuevo musicality I don't mean interpreting the music with huge volcadas across the floor followed by intricate leg wrap combinations and other such quasi-stage moves that seem to defy conventional limits of biomechanics. In fact, as a respectable tango snob, I look down upon such dancers with contempt and disgust. What I am talking about is what has been referred to as "Mickey Mousing" at the great tango blog Simba Tango (be sure to check it out). I had previously been told by my 'tango aunt' Flor that my musicality is often superficial in that it shows I know the music well, but it's interpreted from the ear, and not the heart. Back then, I only half-heartedly agreed, thinking that there are different kinds of loving, and you can love the music by interpreting it with the ear.

A milonga tanda last night, however, made me realize that my musicality indeed tends to be 'Mickey-Mousy'. It was a mixed orchestra tanda, and the first and third song in particular, Que tiempo aquel (Lomuto) and Milonga criolla (Canaro) respectively, offered many opportunities to do extremely detailed musicality steps. Paloma, the tanguera I was dancing with, was cracking up the whole time because of this. To get an idea of what I was doing, see the below video, in particular at 0:42, 1:42, 2:02, among other instances:



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Although the musicality I talk about does not necessarily involve moves generally associated with tango nuevo, this way of interpreting music seems to be pretty much exclusive to the exponents of nuevo, like Chicho and Arce. There was a time when I used to idolize these two, and in fact they shaped my prioritizing in tango. I prioritized musicality above all else. The connection with the partner, the posture, the embrace, everything was a mere element to serve the higher purpose of musicality. In fact, one of the reasons I started hating electrotango and nontango music was the incessant percussion, which is very hard to ignore when you want to go deep into exploring the music (more on that later). There is no doubt that such view still reflects my dancing today, although (I hope) to a lesser degree.

Of course, it is trivial to mention that you can only listen with your ears, but it may be less obvious that you interpret the music with your heart. To be sure, it is unrealistic to be expected to love all music by all tango orchestras. In fact, one necessarily gets more and more selective with the music one loves with time. And by definition, loving is selective. I don't love all music, and in my defense to the accusations of nuevo musicality, I don't interpret the calmer kind of Troilo music, like some with Fiorentino or Marino (neither of which gets much play at milongas here, unfortunately... more on that later), the same way I interpret Troilo instrumentals, which, for the most part, I find impossible not to mickey mouse. I really like playful music for mickey mousing, but I don't love it. I like to make food analogies to tango - the playful music for which I fool around is like a guilty pleasure, an indulgence that is to be enjoyed sparingly.

(Personally, such music tends to be instrumentals. It is because, for all the beautiful sounds the bandoneons, violins and pianos can make, they are no match for the emotion and the poetry expressed by the human voice.)

To be politically correct, I would say that there is no right and wrong in tango, and as such no way to say how one should interpret the music. But as an irreverent tango snob, I am compelled to be judgmental and say that there definitely is right and wrong in tango. And blindly memorizing music just for the sake of musicality is wrong. There is no nuevo musicality, because there is nothing new with the music. It is right to learn to love the music and pay it the homage it deserves.

The role of the DJ... revisited

I have previously written about the role of the DJ at a milonga, so this is not a new topic to write about, but a particular experience changed my perspective. Back then, I suggested that a good DJ should cater to the best dancers, even at the expense of newcomers with not much knowledge of music, that in the long run it would be more beneficial to forgo short term profit by catering to nuevo/electrotango seekers and create a true tango community. Though I still stand by this, someone told me something this past Wednesday that made me realize one needs not choose one or the other. I DJed for the Sebastian Missé and Andrea Reyero's farewell milonga, and by the end of the night I received many compliments about the music... indeed, people kept dancing until nearly 3 in the morning, which is almost unheard of for a weekday. The visiting teachers, the organizers, a visiting DJ from abroad, and some of the city's best dancers came to thank me for the music, which was flattering. But for me, by far the most moving comment was made by a tanguera who has only been dancing for 3 months or so. She told me that it was the first time that she enjoyed the music so much. Of course, I always take these comments with a grain of salt, but that night, especially that one comment, it seemed genuine, especially since she was having such a great time dancing to many great tandas.

Beginner tangueros have it tougher, of course... The aforementioned tanguera was able to have a wonderful time because the guys she danced with were able to make her enjoy the simple and beautiful music. But once they go past that learning curve, it's the right way to have a virtuous cycle for the tango community. The point is that the role of the DJ is not to show off what an extensive music collection you have by playing obscure orchestras and obscure songs; you play what will rock the floor through the whole tanda. At the same time, you implicitly educate the community on what is good dance music.

A DJ caters to the best dancers because the truly best dancers of a community love the staple orchestras. For this week's farewell milonga, I had begun preparing about a month in advance by asking the visiting teacher's sister (whom I have previously met) through e-mail what music she thought they would enjoy the most. Her reply was simple and true: They like the best orchestras. Play the more light hearted music at the beginning of the milonga, like Tanturi-Castillo and Canaro. For the milonga's peak, play the best of the best, Di Sarli-Rufino, Di Sarli-Podesta, D'Arienzo-Echague, D'Arienzo-Maure, Calo, Tanturi-Campos, D'Agostino-Vargas, Troilo-Fiorentino... and the killer tandas, like Pugliese, Di Sarli-Duran, for later in the evening. Nothing specific in her answer, really, but it applies to most good dancers. Experienced dancers have a defined taste for the music they like, but for the most part, they can be included in the above list, which by no means is meant to be comprehensive. You won't see an experienced dancer going to the DJ booth asking when Piazzolla is coming up... because I will tell them it's coming soon if they so wish, as a cortina, with all due respect to Piazzolla as a musician. But anyway, this is a non-issue in this community.

You can play the staple orchestras week in, week out, without being repetitive, because most of them have rich enough scopes for DJs to explore without going too far and seeming like they're deliberately playing music nobody knows.

As a side note..... people, the DJ booth is the DJ's personal space. Please do not come in unless you are going to give me a massage (especially with a happy ending). I promise I'm not watching porn while I DJ. And more importantly, I promise there are some amazing tandas coming up, and this is a pledge I make as a DJ. There is no need to peak into the booth to see what is going on. And also, please refrain from speaking loudly near the DJ booth. One of the duties of the DJ is taking care of the sound system, and this can't be done properly if all you hear is meaningless chit-chat.