Tregar Otton, founder of the orchestra, playing the violin
Orquesta La Moderna Tradición has been one of the most legendary groups of Cuban music in its entire history. It is a group whose members are based in San Francisco, California, and consists of 11 members who play different genres such as danzón, timba, guaguancó, cha cha chá, son, rumba, charanga, among others. They also mix in elements from American jazz, violins, and Afro-Cuban rhythms.
The beginning of this orchestra’s story goes back to 1996, since they started to perform throughout the United States to bring the best of traditional Cuban music to every corner of the country and transport Cuban immigrants back to the Havana’s streets and clubs during the 50’s. All the success accumulated allowed them to perform at the San Francisco Jazz Festival, the Smithsonian Institution, the Lincoln Certer and many other venues of high prestige.
Recently, Orquesta La Moderna Tradición once again displayed their talent at Yoshi’s, a jazz club and restaurant located in Oakland, California, whose reputation in the San Francisco Bay Area is not up for discussion. Our editor Eduardo Guilarte was present at the show to cover the details of the event, which left all those present in awe.
Conversation with Tregar Otton, founding director of the orchestra
Tregar Otton and Maru Pérez-Viana, his wife and an important part of the orchestra
Based on the above, we talked with Tregar Otton, founder, director, composer, and violinist of the group. This talented musician, born in the Marshall Islands and raised in Texas, started to learn about classical music from an early age and joined the Berkeley Symphony while he still was a teenager. By the 1990s, this musical promise worked as a regular part of Virgilio Mart Y Sus Majaderos, La Tipica Novel and the Charanga Orquesta Broadway.
By the year 1995, Otton founded Orquesta La Moderna Tradición with Roberto Borrell. At the beginning, the group started to become well-known for its soft sounds of Afro-Cuban charanga, which are accompanied by a set of wind instruments and violins that give a unique touch to this group’s music.
Today, we have the welcome presence of the musician to talk about each and every one of the issues raised in this brief review and anything he wants to reveal to our dear readers. It is such a pleasure to have you here today, Tregar. How are you feeling?
I am fine here near San Francisco. Good to see you today.
Very good, Tregar. You got started in the world of music at a young age. Could you tell us a bit about your beginnings?
I started playing violin when I was four years old and my family had a violin teacher as a neighbor. My parents did the laundry for all our neighbors, so we met her and she ended up giving me classes every day. After that, I studied a lot of classical music, bought music when I was about 20 and fell in love with it because it used the violins differently from classical music. I really enjoyed playing dance music because the connection with the public is quite different from that of classical music. In the case of classical music, many people get bored, but Cuban music and salsa music make a much more direct connection to the audience. There is nothing like playing for a floor with dancers.
We understand that you were born in the Marshall Islands, but grew up in Texas, is that correct?
Yes. After my dad married my mom, they both moved to Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, in the middle of the Pacific. After that, I grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, till I was 13 or 14 about when I moved to California.
I asked because it is very interesting how you set your eyes on Cuban music despite your origins. Where does this interest in Cuban music and the rhythms you play come from?
For the same reasons I play dance music. It caught my attention when I heard Charanga de La 4 or one of these New York bands. I was impressed that violins were part of the percussion and were making repetitive sounds with the refrain and the son montuno. We are more part of the rhythm section than the melodic section in many of our songs. We can dance while we are on stage. I was also impressed by the improvisations of Cuqui and Alfredo de la Fé. I had many Latin friends I met in college while learning Spanish because no one in my family spoke it.
How did Orquesta La Moderna Tradición come about and who joined you in its foundation?
I was working with a group. I was in New York, where I was playing with the Broadway Orchestra and the Orquesta Tipica Novel. I was very lucky to have been in that city because I got to know many veteran musicians in the 80’s like Renato Valdés, Virgilio Martí, and Adalberto Santiago. I visited a Cuban friend from San Francisco named Fito Reinoso, who had a group called Ritmo Y Armonía and he visited us here in New York. I was tired of the cold in New York, so I decided to go to San Francisco, where Tito and I had the idea of creating a group. It was there that I met a great drum instructor and dance teacher Roberto Borrell, who joined us to found Ritmo y Armonía. After two years, we had to be apart, but Roberto and I still wanted to play danzón. At least here in the Bay Area, it is very difficult to get singers. The ones we have are good, but there are not so many. So, we planned to make a danzonera or danzón group. When the orchestra began to work, we only played danzón songs, rehearsed every week and did many tours with this musical genre because there was a boom with swing dancing and dance music during the 40’s. So, we were surfing that wave. So, we were surfing that wave and doing collaborations with swing groups because it was older music. Danzón is a very rich genre, but it is no of interest to many people because they do not know how to dance it, so we started expanding our repertoire to include more modern and dance music. We still play danzones, but only two per set. There are still musicians from the original group in the orchestra including Michael Spiro. Roberto went to Peru about a decade ago, so Michael and I stayed with the group and invited Eduardo Herrera, who is a singer born in Caracas, Venezuela, to perform with us. We expanded the repertoire by doing the best we could with my own creations. Let’s remember I am the arranger of the group, so I do some songs and we have one that is included in the new recording in which I wrote the music and maestro Carlos Caro from Cuba added the lyrics.
Orquesta La moderna Tradición at one of its shows
Although rhythms like danzón are not so popular, did you feel the acceptance of the public?
There were many people who knew danzón who began to notice that it was a very interesting genre due to the presence of the violins. As Roberto Borrell is a dance teacher, he teaches many of his students how to dance danzón, which is not easy because they should be affixed on each turn they have to make according to the sounds of the instruments.
Can you go from one genre to another in the same song?
Yes, we do that a lot. On our new album, we have rhythms with batá drums from music of Santería, which we use for our danzón songs. It sounds complicated when I explain it, but it is easy at the time of listening to it.
What makes Orquesta La Moderna Tradición different from other Latin music groups in the United States?
Well, I know no other group that plays danzón or charanga. There are two genres of popular dance music in Cuba that come from son montuno, which uses violins and flutes. In the case of charanga, the musicians use violins and flutes. Since the 70’s and 80’s, charanga is now no longer heard in the United States. In Cuba, neither do you hear danzón much. We are a group that has so many danzones in the repertoire. There are not too many groups that play cha cha chá. Me being an arranger, I try to create cha cha chá songs that are not copies of what was played by Orquesta Aragón and other bands in the 40’s and 50’s.
Given that music has evolved so much, what reaction do you perceive from the young public when you play charanga, cha cha chá, danzón and other rhythms?
Interesting question. For young people who do not know and are not salsa fans, our music sounds like salsa because it is difficult to distinguish the genres without knowing them well. However, I work as a music teacher and I have many groups of children, in which there are many salsa fans. They listen to Ray Barreto, Willie Colón, and Hector Lavoe. They also like charanga and understand it well. However, I think danzón is more difficult because it has to be a reflection of what people are feeling in their culture. Cha cha chá is simpler and innocent, but danzón is finer and refined. I think music can influence people and play its part in changing the direction of their culture.
Can you tell us a little bit about your performance at Yoshi’s?
Because of COVID-19, for a year and a half, we could not do anything. We could not even rehearse until the vaccine came on the market. We got this date with Yoshi’s because we have played there many times before as well as Yoshi’s in San Francisco. So, they gave us a date and we had the support of local DJs like Luis Medina, Chuy Varela and Jose Ruiz. We also made use of social media to promote us, sell our CDs and attract people to our shows. The staff of Yoshi’s was impressed because it is rare that a local band has been able to sell so many tickets. We were very excited to see so many people loving us and showing how much they love music. We have a large audience that is very loyal to us and has been going wherever we perform for over 20 years.
Orquesta La Moderna Tradición performing at Yoshi’s
What are your future projects?
We get everything ready for the repertoire of the new album. When I was in New York, I was working with Juan Carlos Formell, Juan Formell’s son, who is the bass player and took over his father’s position in Los Van Van. I was one of the first people he met here in the United States and we became very good friends. Then he told me that I could arrange any of his songs without any problem, so I have about four or five of his songs ready and some others that I have not finished yet. We have enough material to make at least two albums, but it is very expensive. One could only cost us about $15 to start with.
Cover art work for the Orquesta La Moderna Tradición new album El Encantado
Spanish Harlem Orchestra is for many one of the best Latin jazz and salsa bands in the world due to its long career, impressive relevance and numerous awards throughout its 19 years of existence. This Latin music orchestra based in the United States was created by producer Aaron Levinson and producer, composer and arranger Oscar Hernandez, who gave birth to a legendary group, which was Grammy winning twice and whose style has differentiated it from many others of its kind.
It all started with a call from Levinson to Hernandez to offer him the opportunity to join an ambitious project he had in mind, which consisted of the creation of a Latin jazz orchestra with a very peculiar sound and style. The producer could not resist such a proposal, so he agreed to lend his talent to the nascent initiative. This is how they debuted their first album Un Gran Día en el Barrio in 2002, thanks to which they received their first Grammy nomination for Best Salsa Album. After their first singles, the new group began to garner major success and to offer great performances all over the world.
One of the main objectives of the members of the band is to set for themselves is to keep salsa dura alive in order to be lasting and to reach as many lovers of good music as possible. This is how the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, or SHO as its fans affectionately call it, has managed to preserve the best of traditional salsa, but from a fresh and innovative perspective.
Its centerpiece Oscar Hernandez
Oscar Hernández playing the piano
Its most famous member Oscar Hernandez got his taste for music in the vicinity of Harlem’s Latin Quarter, where he spent his early childhood that would mark his professional future. As a young boy of 12, he became a trumpet player, but it would not be long before he decided to switch to the piano. He spent much of his adolescence playing with many Latin Jazz artists of the time. One of those great stars with whom Hernández had the opportunity to explore his talents was Rubén Blades, for whom he worked as a producer, arranger and pianist.
In the 90’s, the musician produced the album Dance City, for which he received good reviews in the New York Times and was called by singer and composer Paul Simon for his Broadway show.
Today, we are fortunate to have the pleasant presence of Oscar Hernádez to tell us about his beginnings and the path he had to take to join the project for which he is best known today by many of his fans, Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Mr. Hernandez, reading your story, we noticed that Spanish Harlem started with a call from Aaron Levinson in 2000, could you tell us a little about that?
Aaron Levinson is the producer. I did not know him. I have to make it clear that he is not a musician, but a DJ with a lot of connections and was called to make a record with the Warner Bross label with a specific concept. They thought he was the right person for that. He called me to help him with the musical part. Everything related Spanish Harlem Orchestra I owe to him because that is how I joined the project. That was what had to happen in terms of my fate. That is how God told me to wake up and understand that this was what I had to do. Until such time, I had only been a producer, arranger and pianist, so Levinson came to me and I accepted. We talked about the tracks and he picked some that I did not want to do. To make a long story short, we recorded the album, but Warnes Bross said they did not want to release it, so they gave it back to Aaron. A year and a half later, he sold it to a small company whose owners were friends of his and it was nominated for a Grammy. Since then, I started with the orchestra in 2002. The orchestra is almost 20 years and has been a great blessing for me. It was intended that he called me to put my personal stamp on that record with my brain and my heart, so I could create all the music that I have made these 20 years. Aside from that, we have gotten incredible reviews all over the world and won three Grammys. People know how good the orchestra is and how good the concepts we have recorded are because it is all documented. Listen to any of the albums and you will immediately note our quality, integrity, professionalism and musical concept. Obviously, I have very good musicians helping me, but final decisions start and end with me.
After you decided to carry out the project, how did you combine what you already had with Spanish Harlem Orchestra?
It was a moment in time that things were changing. I did not have anything stable at that time, as I had just finished working with Paul Simon in a stage play which was quite a large process. I was freelancing, so I was working for whoever called me. The perfect time came when I had the chance to create the orchestra and it was not easy because I had no ambitions for a career as a bandleader. It was not something I wanted to do, but I had to learn a lot of things after I became one like dealing with people, with musicians and with situations that were not easy. During that process, I had to get rid of a lot of people because I realized that I had good intentions, but that is not enough. You have to have willpower and be clear about the concept musically and in terms of business. I always try to deal with musicians in the best way because I was one before anything else. I try to be transparent and understand all situations, but there are also selfish people who want to enjoy all the advantages for themselves and I am not in that plan. My plan is to look for what is in the best interest of all of us as a group. At my age, I do not have time for anything but high quality and professionalism. I lasted seven years with Ray Barreto and recorded six albums. I lasted 12 years with Rubén Blades and we also recorded six or seven albums. What do I say? I have already worked with many people like Juan Luis Guerra, Paul Simon and many others who have left an important mark on me as a musician and as a director.
Oscar Hernández next to his piano
What do you consider to be the most valuable thing you have learned from the artists you have worked with?
I think all these people have love for music, which is the most important thing. I remember my times with Barreto, who listened to all the mixes we made and drove musicians crazy in search of perfection. Like Rubén Blades, who was a transparent person and always wanted to do his best as a musician. It is not just one thing I have learned, but several because they are all important. I believe that love, professionalism and willingness to work with musicians. I remember that Rubén was the bandleader, but he always considered our views as musicians. I was even the arranger and my musical value was respected from the beginning. I respect my musicians very much and I give them all the value they deserve.
You told me earlier that you were on tour in New York. Could you tell us how it went? How did the audience respond? How did it feel to be back on stage after such a long time?
It was incredible. Our first concert with the orchestra was in the very heart of of New York City on 42nd Street in Manhattan. There is a place called Brian Park and there were about 10,000 people there, as the event was free to the public. It filmed live and virtually streamed. I mentioned to the audience that this was the first time we played live and that we had only one rehearsal the day before. It was an amazing experience because I felt that musicians were in the best position to make a first-rate performance and they did. The audience warmly and gratefully applauded. When you do something all your life and suddenly it stops for a year and a half, you realize many things.
What other events are you going to do? Are you planning on touring outside the United States?
We are scheduled to have a tour in June in Europe, but it remains to be seen what will because COVID is still present and countries are evaluating how things are going to go in the next few months to specify dates and cities. In December, we will have four shows, two in Santa Fe, one in Albuquerque (California) and one in Costa Mesa (California). We are no longer touring as such, we are doing dates. It had been years since we have toured like we used to. The new album is done and sounds amazing. Last week, we were in New York finishing the vocals with the three singers, who are some of the best and it was a pleasure for me to share with them. They are clear that they have to do their part in what is going to be another great record.
Oscar Hernández with his Grammy Award
Questions from a lifelong admirer of Oscar Hernandez
Augusto Felibertt, international director at International Salsa Magazine, professional DJ and collector, asked Oscar Hernandez some very interesting questions to learn more about his past as a musician.
I want to know your feeling about your time with Grupo Libre de Manny Oquendo and Grupo Folklorico y Experimental Nuevayorquino.
Associating with Andy and Jerry Gonzalez was an incredible experience for me as a young musician in New York. They were an important part of my development. They were a little older than me, but I remember Andy came up tome and presented himself when I was playing with Ismael Miranda in a club. He told me it was nice to meet me and that we sounded great. Since then, we became friends and he invited me to his house. When I arrived, it turned out he lived with Jerry in an apartment below his father’s and had an incredible record collection. We would spend many hours listening to music I had never heard and arguing about musicians. We would debate about who was the most important, who else we liked. It was a very nice time from which Conjunto Libre de Manny Oquendo emerged. I was the founding pianist of the group that recorded the first three albums. The image of Grupo Folklorico y Experimental Nuevayorquino also emerged. That group composed of of Andy, Jerry and René López became larger with other musicians who joined later such as Alfredo Chocolate Armenteros, Virgilio Martí, Heny Álvarez, Willie García, Milton Cardona, among others. There were so many musicians that the image of what a jam was (a spontaneous concert in which an artist or group performs before a small group of spectators) was expanded.
Ray Barreto’s album Reconstrucción, a musical jewel for the salseros of the world. I want to know about your experience on that recording.
Reconstrucción was one of the most important recordings of that time because the elements that Rey used to design the concept resulted in something incredible. I am very proud of that record with more than 40 years old. I was 25 years old when we made it and it went down in history. I am very grateful to Ray Barreto because he gave me the opportunity to work as a pianist and arranger on that recording. Even today, many musicians tell me that they listened to that album every day and were inspired by it.
I would like to know about your time with Carabalí.
Carabalí was the group of Raúl Primo Alomar, who was a conguero, and percussionist Rey Colón, who was a bongo player. They wanted to make a septet and called me to join as a producer. He was the producer of the two albums. I am very proud of that experience because I can be anywhere in the world and people still call me Carabalí wherever I go. Aris Martinez, the singer of the group, was about 20 years old at the time and I kept correcting him in the studio all the time. Nowadays I listen to him and he sings very well. However, it got to the point where we had a disagreement, so I left the group and wished them luck.
You recorded an album entitled Como Nunca with Orlando Watussi, could you tell me a little about it?
I do not remember much about the details, but Watussi has always been in the music business and has been considered one of the best singers. We don’t talk much, but he is a great person and a lifelong friend. That was a great opportunity for us and another example of how I have done my bit in the music scene with what I feel in my heart.
Oscar Hernández, Rubén Blades, Eddie Montalvo, and Ralph IrizarryOscar Hernández’s last recording entitled Visión
Bachata Xtreme 2021, Arturo Y Su Azucaribe, Abrázame And Tu Música Cubana
End 2021 with this route of events in Switzerland
This year is already ending, and before saying goodbye, enjoy four authentically Latin parties in this mountainous country of central Europe.
Bachata Xtreme 2021
Kiko Ortega and Christina Schirjaev (Bachata Xtreme 2021 Organizers)
Kiko Ortega (Seville – Spain) and Christina Schirjaev (Hamburg – Germany) are the organizers of the event in Switzerland that highlights Bachata, the Latin dance with the most sensual movements and one of the most popular of the last decade.
Bachata Xtreme 2021 will be based on the Dominican rhythm, giving 6-hour workshops that include the clean and social style, working in pairs with the primary purpose of achieving an impressive connection between the two, and offering additional detailed information on the concepts of Lead and Follow in this Latin dance that will improve your skills with great success. With this didactic teaching mechanism that they impart, they differ from the rest of their peers in the area.
Besides, it is also important to know that attendees will only be able to access the event by presenting a valid Covid certificate along with identification. If the event is canceled due to current circumstances, the tickets will be fully refunded.
Arturo y Su Azucaribe released their debut album Llegó Mi Son with the single Mi Son Cubano in January 2019
World Music Festival 2021 presents Arturo y su Azucaribe in concert on the last Tuesday of November. This band integrated into Swiss society but whose music is molded to their cultures of origin takes a tour of traditional Cuban melodies.
This orchestra founded in 2012 displays its talent during concerts with the Guaguancó, Son Cubano, and Boleros fusing them with the Salsa hits of the last two decades of important personalities such as Héctor Lavoe and Marc Anthony among many others.
Arturo y su Azucaribe released Llegó Mi Son, their first record production in January 2019, with unpublished compositions written by the band´s members with the production and direction of the bassist and conductor Arthur Furrer.
So, remember to stay in Zurich and dance to the rhythm of Salsa at this week-long festival.
Two Latin events that will infect you with Sabor y Son!
Abrázame is a Latin event that takes place every month and brings the most current Puerto Rican Salsa, New York On2 style, as well as the best of Cuban Salsa, Bachata, Cha-Cha, and other Afro-Caribbean rhythms.
In addition, Abrázame will have a sensual Bachata workshop and a representative show of the genre. The social dance will start at 10 PM with DJ Samy (Salsa Mix) and DJane Energía (Bachata / Kizomba)
The biosecurity system will be implemented by disinfection in all areas of the venue and there will be a constant tracking system due to the reduced space. It implies that attendees must complete the complete registration with their data: last names, names, telephone numbers, and email addresses (data that will be kept for approximately two weeks).
Date: Saturday, November 13th
Venue: Dalmaziquai 69, 3005 Bern, Switzerland
Price: CHF 35 / person (Only Cash)
The second authentic Latin party in the Swiss capital is Tu Música.
Every third Friday of the month, you can enjoy this Cuban Salsa (Timba) event on a free dance floor with DJ Saltho for all salseros who wish to move and immerse themselves in the rhythm for three continuous hours.
Any Body Can Dance Revives The Latin Party In 2022
Dance classes begin for all levels On Friday at 9 PM
After a long absence as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Any Body Can Dance (ABCD) returns to the arena of major Latin music events in the capital of the United Kingdom in Europe.
ABCD will be the great school for four days of the best dancers with an international projection of the rhythms: Salsa, Bachata, and the musical genre Kizomba.
In this 17th edition, there will be no time or access restrictions. It is calculated for an audience of close to 1,300 people (success achieved in their16th edition), there will be four huge party rooms to dance in a style all night while maintaining adequate space. You will also have air conditioning and ventilation zones in each room to ensure that heat is never a problem. The lineup of artists present will be even larger than their predecessor events with more than 30 dancers on line performances, qualified instructors in each musical genre, and 11 DJs mixing the best and most varied Afro-Caribbean music every night.
ABCD gives you unforgettable moments with your dance family to remember for a lifetime!
And if you want to practice for the 2022 event now, you can start attending classes on Mondays and Thursdays at the Escuela Haverstock School and the SoHo Bar with the professional dancer Fadi K (organizer, instructor, and DJ of the ABCD festival) and eight of the best instructors in London.
During the lessons every Monday you will do footwork (7:30 PM) and coordinated movements in the couple (8:30 PM) in three levels: beginners, intermediate, and advanced.
While on Thursdays of each week you will practice Cross Body Salsa, Cuban Salsa, and Rueda for beginners.
FK Dance Company is a dance school based in London that specializes in a wide range of Latin dance styles and techniques.
It was originally founded by the exclusive dancer and DJ Fadi K, who has evolved the academy by including a variety of expert teachers in each style to the team that has allowed the company to expand its offer to teach, DJ, and performance events such as the ABCD.
An Academy Of Maximum Creativity With A Unique Approach!
Likewise, FK Dance offers several Salsa lessons throughout the UK. Classes and events are held at various locations in London, including the North West London headquarters, Haverstock School.
All FK Dance events, classes, and parties are the ideal combination of professionalism, technique, and fun made by dancers for dancers.
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Enjoy the last Social Dance of the ABCD Festival 2022 on Sunday at 5 PM
At Haverstock School, you are entitled to two free parking spaces.
If you are going to school by car, follow these instructions: Leave the school building on your right, turn right at the traffic light, and then take the third right. At the end of this street, there is a large door to your right. That is the parking lot where you can park your vehicle for free.
But, if you decide to go on foot you can access the school from Chalk Farm Station (2 minutes), Camden Town (7 minutes), and finally, you can also get there through Belsize Park (18 minutes).
Buenos Aires, Argentina, the place where the spirit of Tango was born, so when tourists visit this beautiful city they say that to get to know it you have to immerse yourself in the magic of dance.
Tango is a dance full of sensuality that was born during the 1800s, a musical style that results from the fusion between African culture and the local cultures of the gauchos and native peoples, in addition to the contribution of European immigrants –mainly, Spanish and Italian – and from the Middle East.
The elegant and passionate movement of tango shows the exotic cultural mix of the first tango dancers and the solemn melodies of this music offer the listener a glimpse into the lives of the first Argentine immigrants, and over time the tango later spread to the wealthier areas of Buenos Aires and at the beginning of the 20th century it became a sensation throughout Europe and the United States.
Tango dancers in Buenos Aires
For many years, Tango Festivals have been held in Buenos Aires every year, being a very attractive event for both national and foreign citizens, where many professional Tango dancers participate and compete and this year it is organized again by the Ministry of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires, Tango BA Festival and Mundial who announced the champions in the categories Tango de Pista and Tango Escenario which was filling the Buenos Aires center with magic with more than 4000 people who enjoyed it with the Obelisk on Diagonal Street North as part of the stage.
The Tango BA Festival and Mundial was held from September 16 to 26, where shows, tributes and the best dancers performed on stage; more than 400 couples from Argentina, Brazil, Russia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Spain, Romania, Poland, Malaysia, Turkey, United States, United Kingdom, China, Germany, Colombia, Indonesia, Ecuador, Mexico, Latvia, Georgia , Bolivia, Canada and Switzerland competed in the Tango de Pista and Tango Escenario categories in this edition of Tango BA Mundial.
The inauguration began on Thursday, September 16 at the Auditorium of the Usina del Arte at 7:30 p.m. where a tribute was made to maestro Aníbal Troilo (he was a bandoneonist, composer, orchestra conductor of Argentine tango) with the orchestral direction, arrangements and solo violin by Fabián Bertero, the special participation of the dancers Sandra Bootz and Gabriel Ortega, and the presence of notable guests such as the singer Sandra Luna and the pianist José “Pepe” Colangelo, the special production “Pichuqueando”.
Dance stage for the Tango festival in Buenos Aires 2021
September 17:
Starting at 5 pm: the Carlos Gardel Museum presents the Fileteadoras Talk, by Patricia Berman and Claudia Medori and in turn an interview by Silvia Brunelli and Mercedes González Bracco.
At 6:00 pm: at the Abasto Shopping, the La Juan D’Arienzo Orchestra performed.
Starting at 7:00 p.m., Hernán Reinaudo presented his album Toro mañero in the Chamber Room of @usinadelarte
7:30 pm: María Garay presented 80 years of Life and Song, in Concert, at the Auditorium of the Usina, which were an exciting celebration of her career, with Marcos & Louise, Champions of Tango de Pista 2020, as dancers, Also at the same time, “Eternamente Di Sarli” was presented with the Orquesta Típica Misteriosa Buenos Aires on the voice of Eliana Sosa, at the Amphitheater of Parque Centenario. With Carlos Rossi, as special guest, and Carla Rossi and José Luis Salvo, as guest dancers, not to mention that at the same time there was a class and exhibition by Soledad Rivero and Cristian Gallardo.
September 18th:
From 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tango BA drinks the Historic Quarter. He toured one of the most emblematic areas of the City while enjoying concerts, guided tours, and dance shows. In addition, throughout the afternoon, “La Calle de la Música” came to life on a stage set up on the corner of Chile and Balcarce: where Ache Rey & Foul Envido Tango performed; Vanina Tagini & Gabriel Merlino Trío; Alfredo Piro and Profética y Fatal.
At 7:00 pm: Walter Ríos Quinteto presented El Tango y la Danza in the Amphitheater of Parque Centenario. A musical journey through the history of tango, from its origins to its contemporary expression.
At 8 pm: Cantá began at the Festival at the Carlos Gardel Cultural Space, with Alberto Bianco as host. Those who dare will be able to show their talent and love for tango on stage
September 19:
12:30 pm: at the Usina del Arte, the Qualifying Rounds of the Tango World Cup were held, in the Tango Track Category.
5:30 pm: in Sur en Vivo – Cultural Center – Milonga del Pueblo by Oscar Héctor, Cantá took place at the Festival, with Alberto Bianco as host. An open microphone for tango players who want to break it on stage.
6:00 pm: The Emilio Balcarce Tango School Orchestra presented a tribute to Elvino Vardaro, the great senior violinist of tango, at the Centennial Park Amphitheater. Roberto Leiva & Valentina Cipollone will dance.
September 20:
5 pm: Milonga Lo de Celia Photographic show Espíritu Milonguero, by Silvia Rojas and the magazine La Milonga Argentina.
7 pm: Milonga Lo de Celia and there was a talk about the spirit of the Argentine milonga, with Silvia Rojas and guests.
September 21:
At 1 pm: in the Auditorium of the @usinadelarte (it is a unique space that brings together people from all over the world through the love of tango and dance) where all the qualifying rounds of the Dance World Cup were seen, in In the Stage Tango Category, here each couple presented themselves individually where they demonstrated all their talent to the whole world both live and on the web (internet)
September 22:
6pm: The Milonga La Nacional begins with the presentation of My life in the milongas, by Oscar Héctor. The dancer, milonguero and organizer of spaces, portrays what he has experienced from the age of 9 to the present in the neighborhood clubs.
8pm: Milonga El Beso and Hugo Mastrolorenzo presents his book: El tango ha died on stage. A dystopian tale about a robotic and cloned tango.
September 23:
A concert was held from Italy in tribute to Astor Piazzolla, and another from Japan with a repertoire of classics and new compositions
September 24:
There were classes and shows in emblematic milongas, proposals in cultural spaces, and the show Remembranzas, by Corporación Tango, in the Centennial Park Amphitheater. In addition, at the Usina del Arte, José Colangelo celebrated his 80 years with special guests: Gabriela Rey, Laura Colangelo and Fabián Bertero.
Photo of the Obelisk on Diagonal Norte street
On September 25 and 26:
The grand finale of the BA Tango World Cup began, which will be enjoyed both live and through social networks from Vivamos Cultura; This final was very striking since for the first time the great stage set up was on Diagonal Norte, with the Obelisk in the background, giving it a unique image and experience, with different shows and tributes that filled the heart of the City with tango mysticism with:
Concert by the Sans Souci Orchestra, presented by Porteñisimo with the singers Emiliano Castignola and Walter “Chino” Laborde.
An emotional tribute was made to Juan Carlos Copes, who died this year, in which Johana Copes, his daughter, participated.
32 couples took the stage to compete for 1st place in the Tango de Pista category.
Pablo Banchero accompanied by a guitar trio presented Serenatas de Arrabal.
The Sexteto Mayor, which together with Roxana Fontán, performed a repertoire with classic themes from all periods and compositions by contemporary authors.
The dancers María Nieves and Silvia Toscano, “La Cachorra”, met in a public talk in which María Nieves told the story of how she brought tango to the stage.
At the end, a tribute show to “Tango Argentino” was held, a show by Claudio Segovia and Héctor Orezzoli, which was decisive in the international recognition of tango. This tribute included exhibitions by important dancers such as Milena Plebs and Fernando Carrasco, Vanina Bilous and Javier Rodríguez, Guillermina Quiroga and Mariano Logiudice and Analía Morales and Gabriel Ponce. The general direction was in charge of Julio Zurita.
The Obelisk on Diagonal Norte Street – The Tango BA Festival and Mundial 2021
And at the moment of the climax, a great emotion was experienced when Fernando Bravo finally announced the winners in each category, not to mention that the couple chosen by the public was awarded in celebration mode.
“The world champions to the couples formed by Agustín Agnez and Bárbara Ferreyra in Tango de Pista; and Emmanuel Casal and Yanina Muzyka in Stage Tango. ”
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many people could not be at this beautiful festival, so the organizers made a great gesture with all their followers and transmitted it live by streaming to the whole world on Vivamos Cultura and the Canal de la City with the conduction of the event was in charge of Carlitos Lin and the awards, in charge of Fernando Bravo, so that he would know how the event was going and they could enjoy it from the comfort and safety of their homes.
Tango BA Festival and World Cup 2021- tango dance champions
If you want more details or videos of the event held:
