Amanda Lucero -- A Solo Tango

A moment in the ladies' room of Los Consagrados...

(Video by Gail Miller)

I'm very sorry that I had to remove this video from YouTube at Amanda's request.

The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club

Who doesn't buy a book from time to time because of the cover, or as in this case, the title?

I'm human, and so I ordered The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club by Jessica Morrison, from Amazon. I sort of "collect" all novels of Buenos Aires and tango in English, well that was my excuse anyway.

And I got what I deserved.

The heroine, Cassie, is a 28 year old web producer from Seattle, who comes to Buenos Aires after a bad breakup to heal and find a new life (read: new man) as in reality so many women do or would like to do.

With a glibly written predictable plot, without graphic sex, it could be a "young adult" novel, although those tend to be of higher quality.

While set in Buenos Aires, with a few details changed the exact same story could take place in Rome or Mexico City or any other foreign metropolis. There are many errors in descriptions of the Buenos Aires background and Argentine culture and language. Of course there is the obligatory tango class at La Viruta and the drinking of mate. Otherwise why not Istanbul?

I got the impression the book was written by committee via long distance, and that the author is certainly not from the U.S. (Actually she's Canadian, and it shows in the book.)

OK, "beach read" and "chick lit," but not worth more than an hour, and certainly not during a flight to Buenos Aires!

English Book Swap

Expat Annie Ory organized a very successful English Language Book Swap last weekend. Apart from the obvious benefit of exchanging read books for new ones, I got to meet personally several friends who I only "knew" via the computer. It felt like a Facebook Friends party, which indeed it was. And I came home with three new books and several new friends! Thanks, Annie!


























And I saw my friend Camille Cusumano who presented me with a copy of her memoir, Tango An Argentine Love Story.

Have a Lucky Day!

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day!

(And my mother's maiden name was Dooley.)

Tango Deja Vu? at the Borges Center

The Compania Tango Deja Vu? gave a 2 part program last night at the Borges Cultural Center in the Galeria Pacifica (Viamonte y San Martin).

The Borges Center almost always has a dance program going on in one of its several theaters, and much of the time it's tango. It's a nice option for stage dancing from the expensive tango tourist shows. although a whole lot less glitzy (maybe that's a good thing.) And just entering the over-the-top Galeria is a shock of tasteful glitz, which ought to please anyone.

The first part of the program, Brazos y Abrazos, was pretty standard stage tango for 5 dancers, one of whom, Carina Pazzaglini, did the choreography and direction of the whole show. It was very deja-vu--full of clichés, and the same old Piazzola music that is in all tango shows. There was way too much made at one point of the one tanguera's waist length hair, and it became a little creepy.

The second half, Quien les Quita lo Bailando...a esos Cisnes y Malevos!, was much more interesting and creative. The two women of Part I were exchanged for three young ballerinas with one foot on pointe and the other on tango heel, quite a feat in itself. But these lovely girls did an impressive job dancing a kind of tango ballet in tutus and their uneven footwear, with nods to The Dying Swan and Dance of the Little Swans. The three men were the same guys, but a new classical ballarine was brought in for contrast and to compete with the malevos.

Some folks left after Part I, but I'm glad we stuck it out because the Cisnes y Malevos made it all worthwhile.

Name Your Favorites!

Sick of complaining about bad music? Crowded (or empty) milongas? Endless debates on the best teachers and/or styles?

Now you can speak up about your favorite cosas tangueras.



La Tanguera at Del Tango, Amor, y Otros Demonios is collecting ideas from all of us to compile into a report on Favorites: milonga, teacher, tango, etc. You must respond in a blog comment, and you have until April 1st.

She'll publish the results on her blog. If enough tango people contribute, this will be better than endless arguments on Tango-L or other internet mailing lists that always end up nowhere.

Go on, get heard!

Photo Op in Cafe Tortoni

This photo was taken by our student from Champaign, Illinois, Paul N. Yang.

Three Years of Tangocherie

Today marks the third anniversary of tangocherie.

After writing more than 440 blog posts, which I started doing almost by accident, I have to say how much I've enjoyed blogging, how the blog and my fellow bloggers enriched my new life here in Buenos Aires.

Thanks so much to my followers, my fans, my readers, my commentators, and yes, my critics.
You all are treasured by tangocherie. You will never know how much.



And today, March 8, is also International Woman's Day.
Not quite sure why 50% of the world's population needs a special day, but here in Argentina, it celebrates the day women were able to finally vote in 1947.




Feliz Dia a Todas!

A Bat in "Caseron de Tejas"

Last night Ruben was singing, and a small bat was the audience.

The bat isn't in the video; my Survivorman got him out before the cat had a heart attack!