Friendly chats
Had an entertaining chit-chat session with Andres “Bichi” Moreno and Isabel Acuna, who are currently visiting Singapore, yesterday afternoon. I sure learnt a lot about some of nuances of Spanish among South American countries. And to hear first hand from an Argentine/Porteno about “chamuyo” (or the ART of) is quite enlightening! 
Popularity: 7%
A fair go
Many blogs and commenters on blogs often dish out criticisms of touring tango teachers for being only interested in our (collectively: all tango “consumers”) money, and nothing else. However, I feel that we must not forget that these people are also professionals who derive a living from their talents/skills that they have acquired hopefully through years of practice and dedication. I have personally had the fortune to interact with quite a few teachers (both internationally renowned and lesser known, and either took classes with or organised workshops for) who have a genuine love for tango and a keen interest to help develop the community they have been invited to. As for the few whose interests are purely financial, well, as long as they conduct themselves professionally during classes, I have no issues with that at all.
Popularity: 12%
Reshuffling
With the closing of Maipu 444 in Buenos Aires as a tang venue (the building was sold apparently), various milongas held weekly in that relatively small dance floor on the second floor probably had to scramble for alternatives in the last couple of months. Even some of my friends in Singapore who have been to this iconic location have lamented, as it were, an end of an era. For the detailed comings-and-goings of milongas once held at Maipu 444, please see Sallycat’s excellent update (accurate as of February 2011).
Relocation of Cachirulo – milonga for the ultra-traditionalists – to Club Villa Malcolm, better known for its nuevo associations, was a surprise to me initially. The following is a video of the inauguration that took place a couple of days ago on 5th March).
As can be seen, this clip really bears out what I have already known: a different organiser, with his/her preferences in seating arrangement, lighting and of course choice of DJs/music (not so apparent from such a short clip) can completely transform the same venue. Contrast this with the usual clips and photos one sees of Villa Malcolm. Perhaps, with the change in location and a larger dance floor, I felt the atmosphere was a little more relaxed than what I remembered on Saturday nights. Hopefully, too, in time, the same milonga can attract an even larger group of quality dancers that Cachirulo has been known for, and not the opposite as a result of the relocation.
Popularity: 12%
Organising milongas
A tongue-in-cheek vision of a good milonga.
While I don’t agree with everything shown here (food, and no mention about teaching on the dance floor, for example), for me some of the take-home messages are:
- Good music – with a not-too-shabby sound system that can produce consistent quality of sounds,
- Good floor (not necessarily dust-free but at least should be stable and safe to dance on!),
- Considerate dancing which becomes even more acute as the size of the dance floor gets smaller,
- Pleasant atmosphere, which from experience is largely dependent on the attitude of the host.
On a more serious note, I recommend highly to anyone contemplating (or even if you are already organising events) to start a milonga to read: “How to organise a milonga”. Almost all of the major points of ensuring a good event are covered, as anyone with some hands-on experience can attest to.
If you are already organising a regular milonga, how many of the issues listed have you considered? If not, probably not too late to learn something new and time to take action!
Popularity: 11%