tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890040553965708058.post1226965237066588592..comments2023-05-03T12:41:18.124-03:00Comments on virtualapiz: Jumping on the loaded bandwagonMalevitohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17850833081606590926noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890040553965708058.post-14012917177440389552007-11-06T23:25:00.000-03:002007-11-06T23:25:00.000-03:00Well, if the organizer allows for a dj to play in ...Well, if the organizer allows for a dj to play in that manner I guess there's not much you can say. I'm not necessarily one who thinks there is one set way of doing things, but it seems the usual manner of tandas separated by cortinas has a very clear and sensible logic to it. My good friend Rina, who is herself an excellent and experienced dj, once said that a good dj will pretty much make themselves invisible, which goes back to your comment about how you appreciate a good dj more when you're in the presence of a bad one. Funny thing, though, it seems that lately the dj is getting to be more appreciated in tango circles, and I'm finding people who one might regard as connoisseurs of djs. Suddenly, people are paying more attention to just how a night is programmed and evaluating the dj's skill tanda by tanda. I guess it's just human nature to be critical, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.Malevitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17850833081606590926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890040553965708058.post-69839849803806910262007-11-06T14:43:00.000-03:002007-11-06T14:43:00.000-03:00Hello again,I don't think any of us knew much abou...Hello again,<BR/><BR/>I don't think any of us knew much about the whole blogging thing when we got started, so you're not alone. You certainly will learn as you keep doing it, and I'm sure there are lots of rules and all of that. <BR/><BR/>To answer your question about how tango escaped the slums and became white collar, that happened in Europe right after WWI. Tango became a craze for the upper-middle society types and its popularity spread throughout the world. Even today, many Argentines do not dance tango. I was talking to a young man there about where he dances, and he bluntly (yet sweetly replied): "Oh tango is for old people and tourists!"<BR/><BR/>I'm glad to hear you're careful and traditional in your music choices. A well-constructed tanda and flawlessly executed milonga is one of those things we may not instantly recognize but appreciate when we feel its absence. I once went to a milonga down the peninsula (where I will never ever go again) where there were NO cortinas, and you never knew which kind of song was next. You could dance to a vals, then a milonga, then a tango, and the worst part was that there was no regular break in the music so you could escape to your seat gracefully. Incredible but true.<BR/><BR/>I was told that this was the DJs personal style and he liked it that way so no one could tell him otherwise.tangobabyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01288974184200212536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890040553965708058.post-91955662653744934082007-11-05T23:50:00.000-03:002007-11-05T23:50:00.000-03:00Hi tangobaby. Wow, that was a quick response. I wa...Hi tangobaby. Wow, that was a quick response. I wasn't exactly sure about this whole blogging thing but I figured since everybody else is doing it...<BR/><BR/>Honestly, the income/class thing has never really been an issue for me, it was just a random thought that I had at the time of writing. Although I find it kind of curious how a dance from the slums of Argentina (or Uruguay, to be diplomatic) became largely white collar once it left the country. I suppose it's yet another of the contradictions inherent in the dance and the culture - which means it fits perfectly.<BR/><BR/>Regarding tanda construction, it takes me an inordinately long time to put together a night of music that I feel good about. Most other djs I know who are more experienced than me (as tango djs, that is - give me two decks and some hip hop records and I'd take them to school ;P) like to make them up on the fly, gauging the response from the floor and deciding what is appropriate. It takes me WEEKS of prep time. I like to have my tandas pre-constructed and then plug in the right one at the right time. It's kind of the safe way to go. I generally don't surprise anybody with my selections but I just trust the classic, familiar selections that every tanguero knows and loves.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, thanks again for the response and the encouragement. Nice to feel welcome :)Malevitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17850833081606590926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5890040553965708058.post-40322539816794347112007-11-05T21:18:00.000-03:002007-11-05T21:18:00.000-03:00DearMalevito,I read your comment on colbay's blog,...DearMalevito,<BR/><BR/>I read your comment on colbay's blog, which led me to your first post here. I think you sound like a balanced and thoughtful individual.<BR/><BR/>You're right. Everything comes in cycles. Energy, desire, money. You just have to tango when you can, because you want to. But it sounds like you've got that figured out already.<BR/><BR/>Please don't sell yourself short. I can only speak for myself here, but as a follower I'd much rather dance with a guy that uses his hands for a living, who reads and has something interesting to say than someone who's got a bunch of degrees and can't talk to me during a break. I'm not looking to dance with a degree, but a human partner with a sense of musicality, sensuality, and humor.<BR/><BR/>And constructing a tanda, that takes a lot of knowledge as well as intuition. One of my teachers, Roberto, gave a class in how he does it, and it's intense. You have to know the music intimately, and be able to fine tune it on the spot as you watch the dancers react to it.<BR/><BR/>I hope to meet you on the dance floor someday, if I haven't already. And to read more of your blog entries. We need a nice balance of male bloggers here.tangobabyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01288974184200212536noreply@blogger.com