Galería Güemes
Last night I attended a tango performance in Galería Güemes, a restored Belle Époque building in Buenos Aires. The Art Noveau design is gorgeous, and the building has a gallery, apartments, restaurants, and offices as well as the tango theater and cabaret.
Four Seasons of Tango
The Four Seasons of Tango by Piazzolla Tango was performed in the Galeria’s underground theater. The performance featured the traditional songs of Astor Piazzolla, the world’s foremost composer of Tango music.
The Argentine version of tango requires great physical strength. The power and energy of the dancers was impressive! The show lasted two hours with amazing music, dancing, and singing.
The performance included twenty vignettes accompanied by musicians – two bandoneons, two violins, a bass, and a piano. In between tangos, singers performed solos and passionate duets. Each unique tango exhibited spectacular costumes and lighting.
Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla
Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla was born in 1921 in Argentina. When he was a boy, his family moved to New York City where Astor’s father gave him a bandoneón (similar to an accordion). He took lessons and became a virtuoso.
In New York, Astor met Argentine actor and singer Carlos Gardel, famous for his tango ballads. Gardel became a close family friend. He hired Piazzolla as a translator and encouraged him to become an actor.
Astor made a short appearance in one of Gardel’s tango movies – El Día Que Me Quieras (The Day You Love Me). The small part introduced him to classic tango and the many ways of expressing the dance. Piazzolla became the composer and bandoneonist who changed tango music forever by incorporating elements from jazz and classical music.
Piazzolla’s family returned to Argentina in 1936. Astor started playing in bands and joined several famous orchestras. He produced experimental compositions through the 40s and 50s. During the 60s through 90s, he perfected his controversial style and performed worldwide. In June 1983, Piazzolla proudly played a program dedicated to his music at the Teatro Colón.
The extraordinary performance last night inspired me to take a few tango lessons before leaving Buenos Aires. It will be a fun experience. During my time here, I’ve seen the presence of tango everywhere. Buenos Aires and tango are inseparable – exciting city, exciting dance!
Since the performance ended late, I decided to take a taxi rather than ride the subway. Buenos Aires is magic at night, and I totally enjoyed the city lights!
What a wonderful experience … memories that you will never forget – thanks for sharing with your words and pictures.
The experiences of traveling are indeed wonderful – thank you for your comment!