Another kind of tango..

I did grow up with tango, the Finnish one. I remember we were talking about tango but now afterwards I can hardly understand when I did hear it. There was radio but as child I did not have control over the buttons and the family was not interested in dance music. My uncles did build instruments and had a village orchestra but I can not remember any tangos -The Hungarian dance nr 5 of Brahms was my favorite. But still I have the feeling of being surrounded by tango all my life and I know all the old singers, composers to be known.

My tango life was activated first when I at age of 17 started to attend the Saturday dance nights. Then I could hear four or six tango songs per night - the rest of evening we had other kind of music. This is a rule even for the Finnish Tango festival - Tangomarkkinat - orchestra plays songs in sets of two; two waltz, jive, chachacha, samba, foxtrot, tango, polka, humppa, and so on ...... and then once again! During a dance evening the tango is just one sort of dance among 12-14 other ones!

I have collected some aspects of Finnish tango to an exhibition on my YouTube site. The feature video is a modern tango and the couple is dancing as it is appreciated nowadays.

One of the playlist is about Darya och Månskensorkester (Darya and Moonlight orchestra). It is a retro group using cloths from 50’s and singing the music from same period. The interesting thing is that this is taking place in Stockholm Sweden (not in Finland) and people queue up to get in to their club evening! Background images are from a club evening last spring. Many of the members in orchestra has partly Finnish background so they can sing the songs in right language!

You will find the old singers in the other playlist and the last song on that list is la Cumparsita. There you get the finnish flavour strong and clear!  Here you  one more - In the clip text you get a translation and some information in English. In comments people appreciate the pictures giving the right feeling.   (If you can not stand the music turn it off and look the pictures!)

Sometimes I am really longing for dancing these old tango songs but the idea of ladies leading in tango is not so popular. Other danses are quite ok for ladies to lead!