Murga Time: Drums Don't Lie!

Yes, it's Carnaval season all over Latin America, but at the same time various barrios in Buenos Aires have murgas every weekend through the beginning of March. No feathers and naked girls (and boys) here--for that you have to go to Gualeguaychu (where we're going next month) or Rio de Janeiro! The murga is not about pure fun; it has more of a political and protest agenda. Whatever it all really "means," it's fascinating and fun, and definitely a special cultural experience.

Sandra always has the latest information on upcoming cultural events in Buenos Aires. Read about where to catch a murga de barrio on her blog, My Buenos Aires Travel Guide.

(You can review previous posts on tangocherie about this fabulous phenomenon two years ago and last year.)

Here's the little video I made of the Boedo murga last year, just a block from my apartment. All year long I hear them practicing, and those drums don't lie!

It you decide to catch a murga somewhere in the city, wear old clothes and perhaps dark glasses to protect your eyes because the kids have fun spraying everyone with soap foam!

Bicentenario en Boedo

We are almost at the end of the huge Bicentennial celebration here in Buenos Aires. A legal four-day weekend, it actually began one day earlier for many as they headed out to their "contries" or to the beach or Uruguay.





































Ruben and I did our part in celebrating Argentina's Bicentennial this weekend, and we began on Friday. The local colegio, Martina Silva de Gurruchaga in Avenida Boedo, had a beautiful historical pageant in which Ruben and I took part (the only adults.)

Maybe because the official Bicentenario only gave the tango a passing nod, the school pageant was all over it, and the show portrayed the history of social dance in Argentina from the minuet up to tango electronico.




































The kids portrayed early colonists, indigenous, immigrants from Italy fresh off the boat in La Boca, comparditos, and the beginnings of tango. One boy even danced with a broom, a long tradition in Argentina. When it came to the 20's and El Choclo, Ruben and I were honored to perform it (and I was also all decked out in Argentina's colors). Unfortunately, the video got erased by accident before I had a chance to download it, so you'll just have to take my word for it how the audience of students, parents, faculty and friends enjoyed it. :) And I was SO proud to take part.


After El Choclo, the kids went on the demonstrate Piazolla with rhythmic gymnastics and tango electronico, and traditional tango was left behind as an historical artifact.

It's Carnaval Time in Boedo!

Every Saturday and Sunday night in February the corsos of Boedo will be participating in Carnaval.

It's great fun, free, and a true time of dancing in the streets.
(Parking is difficult, BTW.) It's not like Rio, or Gualeguachu with naked ladies in feathers, but it has a wonderful vibe and rhythm of its own.

So starting this weekend, I hope to see you there. Just wear old clothes and maybe glasses or sunglasses in case you get squirted with soap suds (the tradition.)

Read more here.

Previous tangocherie posts on Carnaval here and here.

And here's my 2007 post on the Murgas of Buenos Aires.

Dancing in the Streets

The festivities for tonight, Sunday, to celebrate Tango as recognized by UNESCO to be a cultural world heritage were canceled because of the official day of mourning for Mercedes Sosa.

Here's a video of last night's performance of Juan Carlos Godoy, taken by Guillermo Thorpe for Diostango.





What a shame that when we returned to Boedo after the milonga last night, everything was over. We expected the dancing in the streets to continue until dawn. But then we said, well, there's tomorrow.

Where Have All the Theaters Gone?

The famous corner of San Juan y Boedo still bustles after San Lorenzo wins a football game and during the Murgas.

But here in the old Barrio de Tango, it used to be where the elite meet and greet.

The famous cafe on the corner, Esquina Homero Manzi, was the in place to have coffee after going to the theater and then dancing a half a block away in what is now Rodo, a big appliance store. The only sign of the building's old glory days is a large golden angel plaque high up on the back wall, so out of place now in this big bare white space full of refrigerators and vacuum cleaners.

A few decades ago, instead of shorts and flipflops, beautiful people wearing suits and furs came here to dance tango and hear the best live orchestras. And then went to the corner to hang out with Homero Manzi, the famous composer of Sur, and other tango notables.



















Two blocks down Boedo, is the Coto supermarket where we shop. I don't know what it was before, but if you stand back you can see it once was a gorgeous elaborate building like so many that have vanished from old Buenos Aires.




I lament that my barrio has no cine, but the building is still there, just a half block away; now it's an evangelical revival temple. Here you can see it from my terrace. Sometimes I can hear the hymn singing on Sundays. But when I want to catch a film, I have a ways to go.

I can only imagine what it used to be like living in Boedo, el barrio de tango.

Wordless Wednesday

The view from my terrace last night.

Inauguration of New Friday Milonga at Boedo Tango

Well who knew when Ruben told me we were invited to the inauguration of Beto Rusconi's new milonga last night that there would be a surprise for me? I certainly didn't know that we were supposed to dance an exhibition of milonga traspie, the only performance of the evening! So we did, and I was very thankful I had worn my Comme Il Fauts! (Here I am with the organizer, Beto, in the Caminito restaurant inside the salon.)

This milonga in the gorgeous space above the Carrefour supermarket on San Juan, near Boedo, is in addition to the datenight dance there on Saturday, and Julia's mega hit on Wednesday, Sueño Porteño. It begins late, 10:30, so it's an option for those who go to Gricel. Since they are close, one could easily hit both of them. And it's ony 3 blocks from my house!

Unfortunately, last night it was more of a "baile" than a "milonga," in that they played a lot of "otros ritmos" -- cumbia, jazz, folklore, paso doble. We spoke to Beto about it and explained that tourists only want tandas of tangos, although they can bear up under the occasional tropical. He's hoping that groups of tourists will come, as the setting--with its 3 dance floors and attractive "Caminito" restaurant--is spectacular. Last night there were only a couple of foreigners amongst the large throng of revelers. Oh by the way, while we were performing, Beto announced over the microphone, "She's an American, ladies and gentlemen!"

Time will tell. I'll keep you posted.

For a previous post on Boedo Tango, go here.

Holiday Tango

The holidays can be problematic for tourists in Buenos Aires: no transportation, everything closed, nothing to do.

Julia, the organizer of Sueño Porteño in Boedo Tango, has planned festive milongas for the late nights of Christmas and New Year's Eves. If you want to dance, and can get there, these are good options.

Notice that the milongas BEGIN at 1 a.m.!! Advanced ticket purchase recommended.


Felices Fiestas Tangueras!

Restaurant El Mirasol

Boedo has been barrio mio for 2 1/2 years now. Ruben and I don't go often to restaurants, but when we do, our neighborhood favorite is the historical Cafe Margot (Boedo 857).










But when we got our "new" cat and named her Mirasol ("Sunflower"), Ruben suddenly remembered that when he worked for the TV station TeLeFe, he would often dine at El Mirasol with his companeros. So last week he took me, because, as he said, he knew I would like it. And I sure did! Just my type of place.












Avenida Boedo 136
4864-5890/2379








Now here is a photo of MY Mirasol:

Sueño Porteño in Boedo Tango

A few months ago I wrote enthusiastically about a beautiful new milonga venue (that just happens to be two blocks from my house!), Boedo Tango, over the Carrefour supermarket at San Juan 3330 close to San Juan y Boedo. This large gorgeous salon has 3 wooden dance floors, a restaurant with the ambiance of Caminito, lots of seating, and a romantic atmosphere.

Previously open only on the weekends, there's a new Wednesday milonga there called Sueño Porteño, which begins at 8:00 p.m. Now that Patricio's y Adriana's Wednesday milonga in Gricel has closed, many good dancers from there go up the street to Sueño Porteño.

Hope to see you there!

Friendship Day in Boedo

Yesterday was El Dia del Amigo here in Argentina. We don't have an equivalent in the U.S., but it's a very nice thing to celebrate. And so everyone calls or emails their friends, all of the TV shows send friendly greetings, there are banners and balloons in honor of friends.

Also it was the opening of a street fair in my barrio of Boedo, which will continue all week (except today it's cold and rainy so there won't be much going on.) It was fun to walk the one block over to Avenida Boedo and listen to a big (3 bandoneones!) tango orchestra of young people.



Then we had lunch at our favorite barrio restaurant, Cafe Margot.

Boedo Tango -- Who Knew?

Last night our normal Saturday routine of dancing at Los Consagrados was discombobulated when all the milongas at Region Leonesa (Nino Bien) were closed. The entire building was shut down due to "problems," which may have been ordered corrections not carried out, bribes not paid, or that someone forgot to pay the electric bill.

In any event, tango in Buenos Aires continues, and so we moved our base of operation to Norma y Hector's Cachirulo, Maipu 444, where we had the forethought to reserve a table. Because it was a zoo! The 300+ dancers from Los Consagrados had to go someplace, and many filtered to Maipu. (Unfortunately Saturday is a tough day for tango, as there aren't that many milongas to choose from, especially if you don't have a date.)

From 8 p.m. on, lines of people (mostly women) waited to get in and then had no place to sit. But it was fun, even if there was no room to dance in that small salon, especially the way Ruben dances. But Howard, Flo and Cristina played musical chairs at our table and we drowned our sorrows in a couple of bottles of Federico Alvear demi-sec champagne.

But on the way back home to Boedo, we decided to check out a new milonga on Avenida San Juan, which is just 3 blocks from my apartment, and upstairs over the Carrefour supermarket.

What a wonderful surprise! The place is absolutely huge, as large as the supermarket downstairs, with 3 wooden dance floors, and several different areas for sitting, all beautifully decorated in a sophisticated way. The smoking section is a mini-Caminito with cobblestones and twinkly fake stars overhead. (Here I am holding my breath with the handsome owner, Luis.)


There were a surprising amount of people, couples, singles, birthday parties, who obviously knew what we hadn't. This is a gorgeous new milonga not allowed by Carrefour to put up a sign outside or to post fliers around the neighborhood. So you have to know. But once up the stairs, you are warmly welcomed and are for sure going to have a good time.

Ruben and I had another bottle of Federico Alvear Champagne (ten pesos cheaper than at Maipu), and a pizza. While the bar menu is extensive, the bar snack selection is minimal: pizza, empanadas, tostadas, sandwiches de miga, and a picada. But there is also a restaurant which is open daily for lunch.

The milonga is open Friday and Saturdays at 10 p.m., and will soon open on Sunday afternoons at 6:00 p.m.





I always wondered why Boedo, the barrio de tango, didn't have anyplace to dance. The milonga in the Salon Mallorca one block from my place, closed after only a month last year.

But now there's Boedo Tango. We'll be back!

Note to tour operators: this is fantastic for large groups.

Boedo Tango
San Juan 3330
4931-4028

More Barrio Mio!

M


Last night after their tango lesson, our wonderful students from Minnesota, Bill and Mary, very kindly invited us to dinner to celebrate their last night in Buenos Aires. What a perfect opportunity to show them our Boedo!







First we had a tasty parrilla dinner at the packed and lively Cafe Margot.












Then we walked down to Esquina Homero Manzi to have coffee, but their tango show was going on. We walked back to Esquina Pugliese, where they were also having a show, but we were welcomed to come in.


Next thing we knew, Ruben and I were on on the tiny stage dancing two tangos as part of the show! (Luckily Mary lent me her new Comme Il Fauts.)








As Ruben put Mary and Bill in a taxi, I snapped a picture of another of those ugly public art sculptures, as yet still unfenced. (see previous post below)



What is this thing anyway? Is this what makes Boedo "Bohemian?"

Barrio Mio -- Bohemian Boedo

The New York Times recently did a travel piece, Rebirth of a Bohemian Barrio, (by fellow blogger Ian Mount from GoodAirs) on my neighborhood of Boedo, sort of as the "new" San Telmo or Palermo, that is to say, up-and-coming and trendy.

Far from being "new," Boedo is old. Boedo is the original historical barrio de tango. The intersection of San Juan y Boedo (2 blocks from my place) was made famous in the tango, Sur, and El Esquina de Homero Manzi, famous for tourist tango shows, has been on that corner since 1927. Two blocks down is El Esquina de Pugliese, which is the discount version of the tango show at Homero Manzi, but it is said that the great orchestra leader used to hang out there.

But if you want to actually dance tango yourself, there are no milongas here. For a month or so last year a couple of new milongas opened just one block from my apartment in the Salon Mallorca, but they didn't last long and are now closed.

Anyway, this N.Y. Times article doesn't address the tango dilemma, but it does cite trendy bars, which of course Ruben and I don't go to. The article does mention our favorite neighborhood restaurant, Cafe Margot, however, which is historical and satisfying.

Testifying to the Bohemian theme of the article, the public art sculpture is touted. But I ask you, just look at these photos. The fences are brand new; was the city afraid of theft??












The Times agrees with me that there is no shopping to speak of, but then they don't know about my little Bolivian fruit stand just around the corner.

But the truly best things about Boedo are not even mentioned in the article: it's safe and quiet (not trendy at all, thank goodness), no hotels or tourist attractions (except for the aforementioned tango shows), and absolutely close to almost everywhere. And no amount of ugly fascist fenced-in sculpture can change that!

More on Boedo at Buenos Aires Weekly.