Hi again,
On Wednesday evening, after our wonderful day in the city, and dinner, we headed to San Telmo to 'El Viejo Almacen' for what has emerged as a huge highlight of our trip .. a live Tango show.
Noonie explained to us during the day that the Tango was born around the port in Buenos Aires in La Boca, where we were earlier in the day. It originated as an imitation of the frequent fist fights around the port area and was danced exclusively by men. It was only when the sailors, shipbuilders and port workers began to visit the Ladies of the Nig
ht in La Boca that women became involved in the Tango. This is why it was denounced by the Church and the upper clas
ses, as it was seen as obscene and undesirable. In fact at the turn of the 20th Century, you could get arrested and jailed for dancing the Tango ! The young aristorcats brought the dance to Europe and when the French embraced the new fashionable and passionate dance, it then became acceptable in Buenos Aires, given their tendancy to import fashions and customs from Europe
, particularly from France. So it became OK to perform the Tango in Buenos Aires.
Noonie explained the Tango and it's music as the Musical Expression of a Changing Culture in a Growing City .... which is a very fitting description.
The show was outstanding, undoubtedly the most amazing dancing show I've ever been to. The energy, the fittness, the skill and pure passion of the dancers was incredible. We had brilliant seats at the very front of the house and had a fantastic view of their feet and legs moving at the speed of light, and amazingly no injuries ! It was a truely magnificent spectacle and absolutely worth a visit to see how's it's done.
As well as the dancing, we were treated to some unique music from a group of Andean musicians, and some songs, including a few from an 87 year old former singing star, whose passion for her trade and her city was very obvious.
A truely memorable evening and definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me.
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