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Second
time in Buenos Aires
Milongas
We
went to lots of milongas; all got quite
crowded but have a great atmosphere -
smoke included, although many have
reasonable good air conditioning now - as
everyone has a table, even if it is small
and cramped, and almost all have a
waitress drinks and snack service. It's
best to arrive about 30 minutes after the
nominal opening time and, if you reserve
a table, do get there within an hour or
so of the start or it will go.
Some
we visited:
La Ideal (several
days, each with a different organiser) -
upstairs over Confiteria Ideal at 384
Suipacha in San Nicolas - is worth
visiting just for the "Tango Lesson"
set; it is jaded and faded and the floor
is hard and damaged in places but it has
to be done.
Parakultural
at Salon Canning (especially Monday) at
1331 Scalabrini Ortiz in Palermo Soho is
probably best for "quality"
tango and the floor is wooden.
Nuevo
Salon La Argentina (several days, one
organiser El Arranque is not to be
confused with the tango band of the same
name who happended to perform live there
one day when we were there) at 1759
Bartoleme Mitre in Balvanera has a live
band once a month; it has lots of space
and is very popular despite its hard
floor.
Dandi
(Wednesday - Shusheta) at Piedras 936 in
San Telmo has the best floor and is very
friendly; it is small and gets very
crowded due to its popularity.
Club
Gricel at 1780 La Rioja in San Cristobal
is good too;
Nino
Bien at 1462 Humberto Primo in
Constitucion is good for spotting famous
tangueros (Osvalso Zotto, Lorena
Ermocida, Tete, Victor etc were there
when we went) and it has a great
atmosphere inside even if outside appears
a little threatening.
El
Beso at Riobamaba 416 in Balvanera is
another popular place that draws "name"milongueros
like Tete.
I
heard that Club Sunderland and Sin Rumbo
in Villa Urquiza are very good although
they are a long way form the city centre;
Club Espanol in San Telmo is also
recommended but we did not have enough
time to get there ! I also visited
Torquato Tasso, La Viruta and La
Trastienda a couple of years ago and they
are still around as are many others, not
all are listed in BA Tango or the Tango
Map. We found one by just following the
music coming from a Hall.
Once
you go to one or two milongas, you'll
find a copy of the Tango Map and / or BA
Tango that will give you the (many
options) for each day/night.
You'll
read elsewhere how the guys get to do the
asking - well a nod and / or wink would
be a closer description - and never ask a
lady sitting with her man. The portenas
get around this by separating from time
to time - the porteno retreats to a table
near the back wall and the portena
signals her "freedom" by moving
to one alongside the floor. That's
probably why the man should never take
the all the way back to her seat - unless
invited, of course!
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