It takes one to tango
Argentina | Anno 2017
Monday, November 13 | Buenos Aires
Tuesday, November 14 | Buenos Aires
Monday, November 13 | Buenos Aires
With the golden glow of the evening sun at our backs, we skim low over hundreds of residential blocks in the northern barrios of Buenos Aires. It seems as if we almost touch the rooftops at times. If anything goes wrong here, it would be an unparalleled disaster.
However, the Boeing 737-800 effortlessly touches down at Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Newbery just before eight o'clock, bringing an end to our tour of Patagonia. Whether we will make it to the planned tango performance on time is another question. The aftermath of the pilot strike at Aerolíneas Argentinas has caused us significant delays.
It's already twenty past eight when we recognize the familiar face of our guide Claudia in the sea of people. She assures us that we will make it; the theatre knows we are on the way. Now follows an endless walk to the other end of the airport. Driver Beto is waiting for us there with his bus.
Carlos Gardel, the king of tango, used to eat and sing tangos there until sunrise with his friends
He promptly navigates through the bustling evening traffic towards Esquina Carlos Gardel. This is the place where Chanta Quatro was once located, a modest restaurant and family hotel. Carlos Gardel, the king of tango, used to eat and sing tangos there until sunrise with his friends – if we believe the colourful stories.
It's past nine o'clock when we enter the theatre. We are the very last ones. In the blink of an eye, a perfectly oiled machine takes over – a sensual photo is taken with one of the graceful dancers, a photo per couple, a photo per table, orders are noted down, wine is poured into our glasses, the appetizer is presented at the table, ... In an instant, we catch up with the other tables. We feel at home right away.
Less than fifteen minutes after our entrance, we have finished the appetizer and get the chance to calmly observe our surroundings. Tables with guests are scattered everywhere – on the theatre floor, in the boxes, on the balcony... often very close to each other. According to reliable sources, 430 guests can dine here every night, likely from five continents. The waiters deliver the orders efficiently and swiftly. Everything is geared towards one higher goal – the show, which must start promptly at half-past ten.
And that is achieved effortlessly. It becomes a dazzling, intelligent evocation of the historical evolution of tango. Starting with the simple dance steps of lonely paupers from different nationalities seeking each other's company. It evolves into the social mix of Club Social Almagro, a true breeding ground for tango dancing.
Dancing is in these people's blood. Even when everyone has long left the dance floor, the cleaner starts a little tango. It takes two to tango? Not at all. The cleaner dances alone, with his broomsticks as his partner.
Esquina Carlos Gardel – Orchestra
The small orchestra, featuring a piano, double bass, two violins, and of course, two bandoneons, shows no signs of stopping. The artists with their incredibly elastic legs are equally tireless. They enjoy themselves; for them, this is not a job but a passion.
Tango is much more than a dance; it is the erotic expression of body language, a sensual play of attraction and repulsion. The provocative is not shunned, but the sublime is also present.
It turns into a swirling, intelligent evocation of the historical evolution of tango
Esquina Carlos Gardel – Carlos Gardel |
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Tango |
Then the guitars take the stage, accompanying melancholic songs of loneliness and homesickness. There is also a brief flirtation with ballet, but it leads to nothing. Ultimately, the ballet shoes are trampled upon – too sterile, too little sensuality, too little fire.
It's not difficult to understand how impoverished immigrants were entranced by these dances, consumed as they were by homesickness for their homeland they would never see again. We can't imagine a better apotheosis.
Tuesday, November 14 | Buenos Aires
Puerto Madero
Summer has arrived, there's no doubting that. Towering office buildings stand sharply outlined against a steel-blue sky. Jacaranda trees and African lilies proudly display their vibrant purple flowers. It's delightful to stroll along the waterfront of Puerto Madero. Porteños – as residents of Buenos Aires call themselves – take leisurely walks over the sunny Puente de la Mujer.
Puerto Madero |
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A taxi drops us at the Museo Nacional de las Bellas Artes. We are pleasantly surprised as we immerse ourselves in the works of the Escuela Flamenca, the Flemish school. The presence of enormous tapestries from Oudenaarde and Brussels – specimens measuring an impressive seven meters by five – brings a joyful smile to our faces. Imagining how these pieces travelled halfway around the world over a century ago is a challenge.
The largest works by the greatest artists will be sought in vain here. Nevertheless, there is a notable representation of smaller works by famous artists: Rubens, Van Dyck, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin, Degas, Goya, Modigliani, Kandinsky, Chagall, Rothko, Moore, Alechinsky, Pollock, ...
And that, in itself, is a formidable achievement. Argentina had a significant lag to catch up on. It had to wait until the golden years of the late 19th century when sufficient knowledge, ambition, and prosperity were present to buy and collect art. It was only around 1880 that the first private collections and art chambers were established.
It was only around 1880 that the first private collections and art chambers were established
Museo Nacional de las Bellas Artes |
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Ernesto dela Cárcova – Sin pan y sin trabajo (1894) |
Simultaneously, Argentine art developed its own identity, heavily focused on social themes during that same 19th century. Striking are the stark depictions of hunger and unemployment, with a critical undertone that is hard to ignore.
Taking a completely different direction is the painting La Vuelta del Malón, created by Angel de la Villa in 1892 on behalf of President Roca. Translated, it means The Return of the Raiders. It portrays indigenous people on horseback kidnapping a half-naked, white woman. This was a piece of propaganda intended to justify the infamous genocide of the indigenous people during the Conquista del Desierto.
This was a piece of propaganda intended to justify the infamous genocide of the indigenous people during the Conquista del Desierto
Angel Della Valle – La vuelta del malόn (1892)
A thematic exhibition is dedicated to the works of Joan Miró. Dozens of abstract paintings by him are on display. However, it is particularly his bronzes patinadas that captivate us.
We stroll through Plaza Intendente Torcuato de Alvear towards La Biela for an open-air lunch. The gigantic magnolia tree, over fifty meters high, alone spans the entire terrace.
Farmacia de la Estrella
A taxi takes us once again to the vicinity of Plaza de Mayo. We briefly step into Farmacia de la Estrella, a pharmacy from 1895 that has managed to preserve its historical character, largely thanks to its splendid wooden panelling and oval paintings with romantic themes adorning the ceiling.
Even older is the Librería de Ávila, Buenos Aires' oldest bookstore. Books have been sold here since 1785, and this tradition continues today. New and second-hand books are stacked from floor to ceiling. How they manage to keep track of their inventory amid this chaos remains a mystery.
Entering the Saint Ignatius Church, we find it rather modest. It is, after all, the oldest church in Buenos Aires. The Jesuits built a simple adobe church here in 1675.
They were clever enough to construct five underground tunnels
It's not just the church but the entire city block that exudes the atmosphere of the Jesuits. This was their mission at the time. They were clever enough to construct five underground tunnels, ensuring the ability to supply provisions in times of war and engage in some smuggling during times of peace. Later, during the War of Independence in 1811, the tunnels reportedly played a role. Today, this city block is known as the Complejo Histórico Cultural Manzana de las Luces.
Avenida del Libertador
Then we return to the hotel. It's time to bid farewell to Buenos Aires for good.
Jaak Palmans
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