In Strangers' Arms: The Magic of the Tango

233 Pages·2011·2.77 MB·English

by  Beatriz Dujovne

In Strangers’ Arms
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In Strangers’ Arms
The Magic of the Tango
BEATRIZ DUJOVNE
Foreword by Alejandro Martino
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
Lyrics (translated into English by Jake Spatz) are used by the permission
of the copyright holders. See the Table of Lyrics on page 215, which will
be considered an extension of the copyright page, for permissions.
AUSPICIADO
In March 2010, the governing body of
the Buenos Aires National Academy of Tango
endorsed this book as a legitimate vehicle for
the dissemination of the national genre, the tango.
Resolución CD No. 0006/2010
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
Dujovne, Beatriz E. (Beatriz Elena), 1941–
In strangers’ arms : the magic of the tango / Beatriz Dujovne ;
foreword by Alejandro Martino.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7864-6389-3
softcover : 50# alkaline paper
¡. Tango (Dance)—History. 2. Tango (Dance)—Social
aspects. I. Title.
GV1796.T3D85 2011
793.33—dc23 2011023799
BRITISHLIBRARYCATALOGUINGDATAAREAVAILABLE
© 2011Beatriz Dujovne. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, i ncluding photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without p ermission in writing from the publisher.
Front cover image: Guillermo Merlo and Fernanda Ghi,
internationally acclaimed professional dancers and instructors
from Argentina, dance the social tango at a milonga in Sweden
(photograph courtesy Jerzy Dzieciaszek, Stockholm, Sweden).
Manufactured in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 6¡¡, Je›erson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
To Carlos
for his infinite patience and unfailing support
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Acknowledgments
This book could not have come to fruition without the generous
spirit of dancers from the international tango community. Countless
exchanges with them illuminated the intriguing world of the tango, as a
phenomenon existing both inside their hearts and as a pulsating alternative
community. Many dancers from the United States and from Buenos Aires
trusted me with their innermost feelings. Some agreed to long, taped inter-
views. Some wrote candid narratives. Some responded to surveys. Hun-
dreds of anonymous tangueros of Buenos Aires showed me, through their
desire to connect, their curious gaze, their romanticism and their playful-
ness, that tango is who they are.
I was fortunate to find in Jake Spatz an editor knowledgeable of tango
in its various aspects. In addition to helping me shape and revise every
aspect of the manuscript, he captured the spirit of the original “letras” in
his English translations quoted in the text, despite the difficulties inherent
to the task of translating poetry.
Talented photographers from various countries caught the visual
dimension of the tango with their camera lenses, and Steve Anderson con-
tributed his expert assistance by helping prepare the archival and personal
illustrations for publication.
For the time invested, I am especially indebted to Korey Ireland, Jim
Roberts, David Gibbin, Guillermo Ibarra, Sabine Zubarik, Mikas Kalin-
auskas, Mila Vigdorova, Murat Erdemsel, Ozlem Elgun, Damian Lobato,
Judith Chinea, and Keith Elshaw. Peers and colleagues joined me during
various phases of this project, which began in 2005: Vera Anderson, Ravi
Bhaskar, Jack Brannon, Marilyn Dawson McCarthy, Michael Figart,
vii
Acknowledgments
Richard Keith, Susan Lawrence, Horacio López, Taisuke Nakata, Jason
Pollen, Julia Pugliese, Mary Spalding, Peter Theoharis, Patricia Touagliaro,
and Daniel Zárate.
Mary Posses, Laura Allen, and Dotti Pope were my dear supporters
and sounding boards throughout this project.
At the Buenos Aires National Academy of Tango, the mentorship of
Alejandro Martino opened a new path in my research. I thank Alberto
Romeo of the same institution for his availability.
The personnel of the Archivos de la Nación Argentina, of the Instituto
Nacional de Estadística y Censos de la República Argentina, and of the
Archivos de la Academia Nacional de Tango graciously assisted me in data
collection. So did Libertad Marilef of the “Blas Parera” library of the
Sociedad Argentina de Autores y Compositores de Música.
The final critical evaluation of the manuscript by Enrique Binda of
the Buenos Aires National Academy of Tango, and by Sergio Pujol of the
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, motivated me
to seek publication of this book.
Dancing with all of you throughout the creation of this work has
enriched my life.
viii
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Foreword by Alejandro Martino 1
Introduction: More Than Fishnets and Fedoras 3
PART I. THE PEOPLE
1. In Strangers’ Arms 25
2. Buenos Aires: Connection Metropolis 37
3. Shadows in the Temple: Inside the Milongas 54
4. The Invisible Heart of the Dance 76
PART II. THE PLACES
5. La Boca: The Rebel Embrace 93
6. San Telmo: Improvisation in the Wilderness 114
7. The World Milonga: Tango Gypsies of the 21st Century 128
PART III. THE POETRY
8. The Conversation of Song 145
9. Milonguita: A Thread of the Tango Epic 164
10. Four Weeks and a Lifetime with Alberto Podestá 186
ix