Originally planned to celebrate the National Day of Tango (December 11--which is actually Carlos Gardel's birthday), to continue the tradition of changing holidays to weekends, the Gran Milonga is now on the Saturday night before.If you Google it, you'll find that as of today, 4 days before the event, the sites promoting the celebration are travel agencies and tourist organizations. The government site includes the information from 2008. This indicates the nature of the event--tourism, PR, free entertainment for locals, but not a high-level dance experience. The serious milongueros are dancing in their usual milongas on good floors to Golden Age recordings, because that's what they like. Dancing in the street can be exhilarating, but it's a completely different thing than a milonga in a traditional salon. But listening to hours of live music can be worth the stress of battling crowds.
The following is thanks to Sandra at My Buenos Aires Travel Guide:
La Gran Milonga Nacional, an open air event with live orchestras and street tango dancing on Avenida de Mayo, will take place this year on Saturday, December 5th. The celebration, which every year occupies that traditional Avenue from Plaza de Mayo to 9 de Julio is organized by the National Tango Academy and the Association of Promoters of Tourism, Hotel Business and Gastronomy (APTHGRA).
La Gran Milonga Nacional will start at 8 pm, with three central stages in the corners of Avenida de Mayo and Bernardo de Irigoyen, Piedras and Perú, and other smaller ones along the avenue, and the audience will be able to dance on the street to the music of live orchestras.
Among the popular orchestras performing at this event are Orquesta de Tango de Buenos Aires (dirijida por los maestros Raúl Garello, Néstor Marconi y Juan Carlos Cuacci, canta Marcelo Tomassi), Los Reyes del Tango, Gente de Tango, Sexteto Milonguero con la voz de Javier Di Ciriaco, Las Rositas, Orquesta Típica “La Otra Vereda”, Trío Cuellas, El Nacional Tango Atípico, Cuarteto Sin Vento, Malo Conocido, Yunta Brava, Tango a Cuerda, Sueño de Bandoneón, Juan Carlos Copes, Johana Copes y Orquesta de la Armada de la República Argentina.
Quite a line-up my friends. Just wear comfortable shoes (leave your CIFs at home) and don't drink too many liquids. And watch your wallets.
Feliz Cumple a Carlitos!
2 comments:
Hi,
thanks for comment on my blog. As you can see, I'm not really a regular blogger, but as I get more and more into tango, I want to share my thoughts and experiences with fellow tangueros and tangueras. As such, I'd like to know how you came across my blog, in order to know how people find others' blogs and such.
I'll check out your blog some other time when I'm less sleep deprived and less swamped with stuff to do.
Abrazo milonguero para vos
Saludos!
Thanks for visiting!
Honestly I don't know how I came across your blog, as I'm frequently out there in the blogosphere checking out what's being said about tango. Perhaps it was a link on someone else's blog? Or maybe someone came to tangocherie from your blog and it appeared in my stats.
In any event, I'm glad we are now acquainted. Come back soon!
Un beso,
cherie
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