My Big Fat Birthday 2013

A grand and exciting night for me! I am so very grateful to all the friends and students from all around the world who came to La Milonga de los Consagrados to help me celebrate and make my birthday so special!

If you just want to see us dance, skip to the bottom.

 


Ruben and I danced to D'Arienzo's "El Rey"

 


Our Canaro milonga "encore"
 


And, if you can stand a couple minutes more, here's a chacarera:
 

Milongueando in San Cristobal

Ruben and I were invited to the Gala Milonga at the Region Leonesa of Susana Miller's annual Milongueando Festival. We love this ballroom--the home of the Milonga de los Consagrados on Saturday afternoons where we are a permanent fixture. It's always fun to see a crowd that is completely different from the usual Buenos Aires milonga suspects, as it was probably 90% foreigners.

Being there last night proves how no matter if the salon is the same, each milonga has its own personality based on the organizers, dancers, the DJ, the lighting, sound system, arrangement of tables and chairs, and even the tablecloths. It seems weird that it's so, but last night the ambiance was 100% different from Los Cons on Saturdays.

Although we love the ballroom, the event wasn't our cup of tea last night--lights very dim, bad sound, everyone grouped together with no way to cabeceo. There were exhibitions by Maria Plazaola y Ricardo Viqueira, Susana Miller y Chiche Ruberto, with special guest stars, Eduardo y Gloria--the first tango dancers I ever saw when they performed in Tango Argentino at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles in 1986. Now we are neighbors in the barrio of Boedo. Life is funny.

Maria y Ricardo

Maria y Ricardo

Maria y Ricardo

Maria y Ricardo

Susana Miller y Chiche Ruberto

Susana y Chiche

Gloria y Eduardo

Eduardo y Gloria, and me


The well-known guitarist Esteban Morgado and violinist Quique Condomi of Tanghetto, Esteban Morgado Quarteto, and other recordings, took center floor and played several wonderful renditions of familiar pieces. My favorite was the smash-up of Paul McCartney's "Blackbird' with the tango "Uno." Below is a video from YouTube of another performance, but unfortunately it cuts off right after the tango begins. Last night's passionate rendition was so much better than this video, sorry that I didn't record it. I'm also sorry that the photos are not the greatest, the fault of the lighting, distance, the camera, and my lack of expertise. But you get the idea.

Here's the photo of the musicians from my point of view, which was unfortunately the back, but their sound was fantastic and professional, unlike the music for dancing.

Gaucho Fair in Mataderos

Every fair has its virgin.

Over the years I've often written about my favorite thing to do in Buenos Aires--after the tango: visit the Feria de Mataderos. 

One of the services we provide our students is an excursion to the Fair. But yesterday Ruben and I just decided to go there alone for lunch at our favorite parrilla. A beautiful day, the fair was bustling with more visitors, more booths of arts and crafts and regional foods, more music and dancing than ever.

If you'd like to visit, check out the Fair's website for all the particulars. Just remember it's closed during the summer, and don't go if it's raining. And of course you can also take a tour there with us as your guides. Ruben is a fount of information on the gaucho history and tradition and how it relates to the tango. Just email for information: tangocherie at gmail dot com.

Meanwhile, here are some snaps of yesterday's trip. Because in previous blogs about Mataderos I concentrated more on the gauchos and their horses and the music and the dancing, this time it's about shopping for food and gifts.

A coffee wagon

Who wouldn't buy country cheese from this guy? We did.

You can outfit your self completely from head to toe as a gaucho or his girlfriend, "china."

Old books for sale--did gauchos have much time for reading?

Horsey stuff one might need along with a leather mate kit

Troupe of folkdancers

Never come because a gaucho and his china!

The artist standing behind his wares will happily make you a custom plaque in the distinctive porteño style of afileado.

Lots of country cheeses from all over Argentina

Like leather? Here's the place to get inexpensive hand made craft work

Leaving the fair after a fun afternoon

I Survived La Charla

My book for sale at Kel's stand

A pretty exciting experience for me: my first book reading! I wasn't that great at it, as I get too emotional. But it was a fabulous experience in all--especially because so many friends showed up in support.



The International Book Fair in Buenos Aires has grown to be second only to the Frankfurt Fair, and is the largest one of course in Latin America. It takes place for three weeks every year in the huge Palermo fairgrounds, La Rural, where Ruben and I danced in the tango championship finals in 2006.

Four big pavilions house the many stands of publishers and bookstores from all over the world. Strange to see stands from Cuba and Paraguay, and not from the U.K. (Politics play a part in everything, unfortunately in books and information as well.) It was great to see so many people not only interested in books, but buying them too, even mine!

The U.S. Embassy stand is quite impressive with its sleek white curves and changing colors via spotlights. It is simple, elegant and clean at the same time. There are several iPads in the lobby area with games and puzzles having to do with the U.S. And then a circular room with white poofs for the presentations.

Leave it to the U.S. to have a living Liberty!
Later when Liberty was off duty, Elvis took her place.

My charla announcement in Castellano

Here I am doing my thing. You can't see the plasma screen that showed photos of the book cover, France, Mexico and the Milonga de los Consagrados

Is this ironic? I hope he gets a visa one day!

Celebrating in the VIP Salon

Many of my colleagues from the Buenos Aires English Writers Group were there (not pictured are Stephen Page and Donigan Merritt who also did presentations) Friends Beatrice Murch and Karla Freeman also attended, and several more left messages that they tried but couldn't manage the 90 minute wait in line for tickets.

We all wanted to celebrate, so we stood in line at one of the many cafes and ordered a bottle of Champagne, and another of malbec, while Ruben and Daniel were trying to arrange a table for six in the crowded cafe. Every time I looked over at Ruben, he was carrying a plastic chair over his head through the crowd.

The young man at the register told us we couldn't seat us there, and we said, no problem, our guys are arranging it over in the corner. He called someone on his cell phone while we were anxious to order some munchies to go with the drinks. The line behind us got longer and longer, but he was unflappable. Finally all was paid for, and instead of letting us go to our corner table, a waitress appeared and, opening a velvet rope, ushered us upstairs to the VIP Salon! We sat on purple and cerise velvet chairs and had our wines served in appropriate crystal far away from the bustling and noisy crowd downstairs. It was like a serendipitous miracle. And so much fun. If this is the author's life, then it's for me! But now I've got to get back to work on my prequel.

Happy book signing

Thanks so much to Holly Murten and the U.S. Embassy for inviting me to share my book with the public in such a lovely way.

My Book Reading at the Fair

U.S. Embassy Booth at the International Book Fair

I'm very proud and honored, as well as nervous, to have been invited by the U.S. Embassy to read from The Church of Tango at the International Book Fair.

The reading will be this Monday, April 30 (which is a holiday here in Buenos Aires), at 6:00 p.m. Following my presentation will be Donigan Merritt reading from his novel, Blossom, at 7:00 p.m.

Like many writers who are used to working alone in silent rooms, it's a bit traumatic to read aloud one's own work and in this case, about myself as well. I've always been afraid of public speaking, and for that reason joined International Toastmasters when I first arrived in BsAs, where I met some fabulous folks and got some experience but never conquered my fears. Still, it's a chance for personal growth, as they say.

So if you're around and enjoy books, come to the Fair, the largest book fair in Latin America, and give me some moral support while you're there.

Copies of my book will be available at KEL Books, close to the Embassy stand, for 100 pesos, and I will be delighted to sign it for you.

Hope to see you there!

For complete directions, go here.

38th International Book Fair in Buenos Aires Opens Today

Today begins the 3 week run at the huge fairgrounds in Buenos Aires, La Rural. Don't miss it if you are here and love books. And if possible, please attend my reading of The Church of Tango at the U.S. Embassy booth on Monday, April 30 (a holiday), at 6 p.m. If you go at 5:00 you can hear Ian Mount speak on the wines of Argentina, watch my presentation, and then stay to hear Donigan Merritt read from his novel, Blossom. Another American writer, Stephen Page, will be reading his poetry on Friday, April 27, at 5:00 p.m.

Read about it in Spanish on the official website.

And in English here.      

Here's a complete list and biographies in Spanish of the speakers at the U.S. Embassy booth during the Feria.

Schedules and BIOs 11 Apr 12

The Laws of Tango BA Podcast

BA Cast's Fernando y Daniel are back with their fun podcasts, and this time it's the first of a three part bilingual documentary on the tango: The Laws of Tango: Dance.

 Soon to follow are Music, and then Lyrics & Philosophy.

Ruben and I, Cyrena and Lizzy, as well as Brit Tango Bob were interviewed in their studio, and they even went to Los Consagrados to talk to various "milonga characters."


I hope you will tune in to this informative and sometimes wacky podcast in Spanglish. And while you're on the site, sample some of their previous shows. You'll learn something and get a chuckle as well.

The Church of Tango: a Memoir, published January 21, 2012

Finally.

I started writing this story at the time it began--in February of 1992, when I was so depressed after my husband's death I wanted to swallow all of his left-over meds and follow him into the beyond. So what began in a way as a journal or diary became the chronicle of my road to survival in four countries. And once I made that decision to live no matter what tragedy came my way, I plugged on, through one tremendous loss after another, by dancing. No, not yet had the tango found me, but whatever dance there was at the time came to my rescue. I had always been a dancer, and now I knew dance could save me from despair.

As my adventures unfolded, the manuscript grew and grew. I had to make cuts in events, characters, reflections and realizations. That was the hardest part of bringing this story to fruition. There is so much left out. Who knows, maybe I'll write The Daughter of the Church of Tango, or a prequel one day.

Our students come from all over the world: China, The Philippines, Australia, Viet Nam, New Zealand, Hawaii, South Africa, India, Nepal, Finland, Russia, Israel, Scandinavia, all over Europe, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Canada and the U.S. And one question almost all ask me is, how did I end up teaching tango in Argentina?

This book is my answer.

Lots of women have come to Buenos Aires for tango, stayed a while, and went home and wrote about their experiences. There are a couple of tango histories available in English, as well as a couple of Buenos Aires milonga guide books. There are self-help books using tango as a way to better interpersonal relationships. There are some novels about tango in Buenos Aires.

My memoir is not like any of them; it is not a "tango book," but a story of survival that cuts across death, cancer, Alzheimer's, loss of home and homeland and cherished heirlooms and possessions, loss of shared histories, of hope for one's children, of hope for the future, of love. But it's also about finding love and unexpected joy. And about listening to the music and dancing.

It can be ordered from the printer online: https://www.createspace.com/3733773

Now available on Amazon and soon as an ebook for Kindle.

La Confiteria Ideal--the Soul of Tango

La Confitería Ideal is the iconic tango salon of Buenos Aires. When tourists and dancers alike pass through the double doors on Suipacha near Corrientes, they feel in their gut they are entering the historic soul of tango.

However La Ideal spent almost all of its life since it was built in 1912 as a pastry shop and salon de te´, and it wasn't until the 1990s that tango dancing became its raison d'etre. The original owners were pastry chefs and entrepreneurs from Spain, who required that the building be constructed of expensive materials from all over Europe.

The French Fleur de Lys became the enigmatic emblem because at that time all of the expensive buildings in Buenos Aires were influenced by French architectural design, albeit La Belle Epoque of a few decades past. For that reason the premises seem much older than a scant century, and also because it is now derelict and decrepit. The gorgeous cage elevator hasn't worked in decades, and the iconic stained glass pastry quiosco glorieta empty but for the occasional tango shoe display.

The gorgeous elevator that hasn't moved in decades

Emblematic empty display case

I will never forget walking up its marble staircase for the first time, smelling the mustiness, the cat piss, the burning incense lit to hide the odors of a building past its prime. I was a beginning tanguera in a culture that had seen very few tango tourists up to then. The milonga habitués looked upon our tour group from America as exotic creatures from another world, as I suppose we were. That's how we viewed the salon and the dancers of La Ideal.

All of this adds to its faded glamor.

Through the decades it was the place to meet your friends for afternoon tea, particularly after work. It became de riguer for the bourgoisie of Buenos Aires (especially the English) to meet there and have their private parties on Saturdays.

The upstairs ballroom was used for special occasions; the ground floor for tea, coffee, and the delicious pastries La Ideal was famous for, as well as live music. It's said that the miga sandwich was invented there as a copy of English finger sandwiches.

Between 1979 and 1981 it was converted into a café-concert with all types of live music, including a famous all-girl orchestra and The Five Latins. The salon has been visited over the years by many celebrities, such as Maurice Chevalier, Charles Aznavour, Mirta Legrand and Daniel Tinayre, Jorge Luis Borges, Ernesto Sábato, Yoko Ono, Sting, Charly García, Diego Maradona, Julio Bocca, Moria Casán, Willem Dafoe, Robert Duvall, María Félix, Dolores del Río, Vittorio Gassman..
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It also has been used as a location for all of the tango movies, so first-time visitors feel a déja-vu, of having dreamed this place. As indeed it is the stuff of dreams--many scenes in my memoir, The Church of Tango, take place in La Ideal.

Lots of rumors surround La Ideal, and no one seems to actually know who owns it--some say the government--but the truth is that it is owned by a private organization that receives no government help to maintain this historic structure. (It is managed by Jorge Vieites Rouco.) Unfortunately, it is falling apart before our eyes, even though it is now proclaimed an official Bar Notable. I wouldn't be surprised if one day a foreigner steps in to save it--in the manner of Versailles in France. Sometimes foreigners value a place's heritage more than the locals.

Several years ago the gigantic central chandelier below the skylight on the first floor, worthy of the Phantom of the Opera, crashed to the floor, and I presume never to be seen again.

My photo from '97: see the huge chandelier? Now gone.

And on Oct 12, 2008--the ceiling falls:

Once upon a time there was the Gran Ciné Ideal (recently a porno theater) next door which insured that the confiteria was even more heavily used before and after film showings.

La Confiteria is at the right of the theater.

And a story which I find fascinating:  originally the ceiling of the ground floor was open in an oval shape matching the skylight, and upstairs was a gallery around this opening for people to look down, and for light and the skylight to be seen from below. Years later the stone dance floor was laid down.

Here you can see the oval on the ceiling of the ground floor that used to be open

When I first visited La Ideal and took my first tango classes in Buenos Aires, there was only one milonga there, the Friday afternoon dance of Diego y Zoraida. Now there are more than twelve milongas every week in the same space, with classes from different teachers every day. Another recent change is that Suipacha has recently been made into a pedestrian street.

A visiting tourist might not actually know what tango is, but feels certain that the tango was born at La Ideal, although tango didn't arrive there until the middle of the 1990s, just shortly before I visited for the first time in 1997. I too thought I saw the ghosts of tangueros of dusty years past in the mirrors lining the walls. The building itself has a haunting presence and a life of its own. May it live forever.



The BBC Documentary



Read more: La Confiteria Ideal