The 400 Club
JOURNAL OF SALON TANGO IN LONDON ISSUE 8 - Por Las Damas Del Tango
SUMMER 2011
Ayyyy Chicas! Some years ago, the400club, had the pleasure of working with an intelligent, strong, ‘partnered’ fellow professional recently arrived in the UK from the beaches of San Paulo, Brazil (via a few years sojourn in Madrid). After a short time acclimatising to the overcast, grey London skies, our friend appeared to have overcome the miasma of technical language and local cultural barriers that all professions seem to present. We were taken aback therefore, when one lunchtime she enquired “…Just what is it with English guys? Are they all gay? I put so much effort into looking good each day and not one comment in the street… no compliments… nothing! Guys here don’t even look you in the eye!”. A little stunned, the400club stammered, in a
Hugh Grant, floppy haired, ineffectual, kind of way, something about it being different here etc. etc. and stashed the experience away in the part of the brain labeled ‘anecdotes about foreigners with strange opinions’. We were more than doubly shocked, therefore, when just the other a week a ‘naturalised’ Latin friend (who has been here some twenty years) came out with the same question – almost exactly word for word. This time, intense, almost vitriolic debate broke out amongst what was a very culturally mixed group, packed tightly into a small ‘super mini’ on the way home from a milonga. The group split fifty fifty, with the ‘Northern European’ women feeling that street comments, compliments etc. were entirely unacceptable; and an alliance of ‘Latin and Afro English’ women feeling
that the ‘piropo’ was an important, beautiful (maybe even essential) part of the relationship between men and women… The400club, being the only male present, kept quiet and listened. Having listened, and not wishing to either antagonise ‘European women’ or disappoint ‘Latin ladies’, we suspect (again in a rather Hugh Grant, wishy-washy kind of way) that with the ‘piropo’, context and content are everything. The typical, wolf whistle, ‘phwoar!’ or straight forward obscene comment shouted by scaffolders sheltering from the London rain is just not the same as the delicately crafted, expertly whispered “stroke of verbal lightning” from the shade of a street cafe (the piropo is supposed to be
‘rapier like’ when delivered correctly – witty, suggestive, but not necessarily lewd). Our advice to the English male is that the piropo, is an art to be practiced - before being put into practice (or suffer the consequences!). And that whilst some Latin men may feel it is their ‘duty’ to offer a compliment, Latin women must not mistake English male ‘deference’ for ‘indifference’. Sometimes, in the battle of the sexes (let alone, cultures), discretion, is the better part of valour. And on this basis, we welcome all, to the400club issue 8 - our ladies special, an appreciation of some of the women of Tango...
Lo Que Nunca Te Diran (“‘What They Never Tell You”’) The mysterious life of Ada Falcón began before she was born. Aida Elsa Ada Falcone was born to Cornelia Boesia in August 1905 in downtown Buenos Aires. Ada said in an interview later in her life, “I never knew my padre, I am the daughter of Miguel Nazar Anchorena. He fell in love with my mother ..... she was already pregnant when he left for France, because he was very ill. He died of cancer. All I know about him is what my mother told me” [Clarin.com 05.01.2002].
The Life and Times of Ada Falcón (1905 – 2002) by TinaDiva
By 1942 Ada Falcón’s appearances become infrequent. She had contractual obligations to fulfill and continued to record and appeared on radio shows. Her appearance changed, no longer the glamorous ensembles with jewels and furs, instead dresses in dark colours, she covers her hair. It is said that she was more often in church, entering on her knees, praying to the Virgin and talking to the saints, rather than attending the radio stations and studios.
Ada was the youngest of three sisters, Adhelma (born 1903) and Amanda had a different father. Adhelma had a notable career performing on stage and, was noted for her ‘Neopolitan’ style of singing and worked extensively on Radio. Amanda, the lesser known of the trio, seems to have also been a singer. They were all good looking women and Ada stood out particularly with her green eyes. From the black and white photographs that exist it is often difficult to tell them apart, but Ada surpassed them in fame and fortune. The mother, a devout Catholic and very protective, kept the girls close to her, she managed their talents and put them to work in vaudeville initially, then progressing to radio and film. Success came early to Ada she became well known after making her singing debut at the age of five at the Society of St Vincent de Paul. Ada was thereafter known as ‘La Joyita Argentina’ (‘The Little Argentinian Gem’). By thirteen she had appeared in her first film “El Festin de los Caranchos” (“The Feast of Owls”, a silent film of 1918). Ada was well on her way to becoming a household name and exhibiting the makings of a diva, before she reached her twenties. She was keen to sing – her mezzo soprano voice was unusual for the time, and it made an impression on all who heard her. She sang the songs as if each and every one of them was personal to her. In 1925 she was engaged by Osvaldo Fresedo (1897-1984) to sing with his orchestra and record for Victor Records. Interestingly, although she must have performed in public in her acting days, Ada was not comfortable singing to a live audience; it is not known whether she ever did. Whether it was a form of stage fright or an affectation which turned into an ‘affliction’, we shall never know. She only sang whilst recording in the company of the orchestra. By early 1929 she was working with the Odeon label, with pianist Enrique Delfino (18951967) and guitarist Manuel Parada, recording fourteen songs with them. Her career as a singer of Tango had begun. Ada’s popularity grew with every release and through her connection with Radio El Mundo. Her every move was noted, she dressed elegantly, resplendent in furs and fabulous jewels, she drove expensive cars and enjoyed a ‘film star’ lifestyle. High society welcomed her and there she met, Carlos Washington Lencinas (1888-1929), a forty year old politician. They were greatly attracted to one another, and fell in love. Lencinas’ political ambitions had fallen foul of the President and the Senate and in November 1929, Ada travelled with him to Mendoza to rally support for his admittance The400club asked Asta Morozovine, dancer, teacher and one time DJ, about her early experiences playing tunes for tango aficionados in London...
to the Senate. He appeared on the balcony ready to address the crowd when he was shot by an unknown assailant. Lencinas’ murder remains unsolved; although many years later it is agreed there is credible evidence to suggest a political assassination. Where was Ada at the time of the killing? We do not know, however it is likely she witnessed it. Devastated she writes ‘Sueno con el’ in remembrance. Her first love is gone! In July of 1929 Ada had met Francisco Canaro (1888-1964) and recorded “La Morocha” with his orchestra. At this time one could say that Ada Falcon was by far the more famous ‘radio star’ of the two, but 1929 was a big year for Canaro. He had started recording with Radio Cultura, and then came to star on stations such as Stentor, Splendid, Argentina, Belgrano and El Mundo. Canaro’s orchestra was being heard far and wide and Ada Falcon was singing along with it! It is said that they were recording up to fifteen songs a month. It was not long before their story of lust, love, betrayal, and hate began to weave its web around them and those close to them. They had an on-off affair for many years, no surprise there! Canaro was well known as a womaniser, Ada Falcón the feted, beautiful diva, with the green eyes, irresistible! Also their work could not have allowed them much time apart, even if they wanted to lead separate lives. Ada Falcon had many admirers, amongst them, Enrique Discepolo and Carlos Gardel. Gardel apparently would arrive early at the recording studios to listen to her sing. The story goes that it was Carlos Gardel who coined the phrase that is now a famous song title “Yo no si que man hecho tus ojos” . At a party he took her for a walk along the waterfront away from the others and Ada quotes, he said “Piba, beautiful chica ... teach me to sing, I do not know what your eyes have done to me” – she adds “I made sure that the most powerful men in Argentina were in love with me”. The quote “Yo no si que man hecho
tus ojos” is usually attributed to Canaro, but versions differ, it seems to depend on who you favour, Canaro or Gardel? There was apparently considerable rivalry between the two of them for Ada’s affections. However, the words were put to music by Canaro and became his only waltz. The collaboration between Ada and Canaro endured until 1938. We will never really know what happened between them personally, but the relationship came to an abrupt end rather publicly. Ada was sitting on Canaro’s knee during a rehearsal interval when Canaro’s wife “La Francesa” appeared, drew a gun out of her handbag, and threatened Ada. Ada ran out! Her association ended with the conductor and orchestra a few days later, whether she ever saw Canaro again no one is saying! Both women must have been crazy with jealousy of one another. Canaro promising Ada marriage for years, and then declining to take it further, when he is told by his lawyer he will have to give half of his wealth to his wife if he divorces her. The wife, ever watchful of this beautiful young woman with her husband, apparently following them vandalising Ada’s cars, to be told that it did not matter as he (Canaro) would buy her another! Also we do not know when, or how, Ada discovered that Canaro had two daughters with another mistress (Irma Gay). Or whether she knew he had an affair with her sister Adhelma, who often used the same recording studio. All the while, people in the know kept a ‘conspiracy of silence’. After the debacle with Canaro, Ada Falcón began a close friendship with José Mojica (1896-1974). He was a Mexican opera singer who had become a film star, and was famous for his part in ‘Melodias de Americas’. It is not entirely sure the exact basis of their relationship, but they had common interests, they were both famous, shared religious beliefs and were devoted to their mothers. When Mojica’s mother died he gave up everything
‘Playing For Enjoyment…’ Asta Morozovine
As a tango dancer I became fascinated with the music and looked for channels where I might gain more experience in choosing and playing it. I was lucky in finding an opportunity with Octavian who opened a new tango club at the Bar Andulucia off Tottenham Court Road in 2005 - and he invited me to choose and manage the music for the Club. It was a young crowd who liked the new alternative tango music that was coming through, this was a good learning curve as it was a challenge to get a good mix between the traditional and electronic tangos. One of the first things I came to realize very quickly was the huge variety of instrumental and vocal music through the decades of Tango. I discovered the range of music I loved to listen to was not always suitable for dancing. What I thought would be great to dance to, did not always work for the dancers on the floor. So I had to be more objective in my choices, and not allow it to be too personal. Secondly, I had to find out, and understand, the tradition of grouping the music into tandas with cortinas, which is very different from dj’ing in other dancing clubs. I have also learnt a great deal from watching the dancers and their response to the music. It is impossible to cater to everyone’s taste, but it is a great feeling when you see the response
and became a monk. As Mojica and Ada were intimates, it is likely this may have influenced her own dramatic choice to finally give up her career, renounce her worldly goods and lead a life dedicated to God.
There are rumours, many rumours, about Canaro and her odd behaviour. However magazines and broadcasts of the time make no mention of a relationship break-up, they just note when she is appearing, what she is wearing, and will she turn up? Ada refuses to sing if public are present at the studio, insists the orchestra is hidden behind a curtain, she wants to sing alone. Eventually records only in the smallest studio. Her last ‘appearance’ is on Radio Argentina, not long after she disappears! Ada gives up the house, she gives her possessions away and travels with her mother to Cordoba where it is said she became a tertiary nun in a convent. The truth it turns out is that Ada Falcón had already converted several years previously to the Franciscan Order, prior to leaving Buenos Aires. She and her mother move to Salsipeudes (translated means ‘Get out if you can’!). They live in a house on the edge of the town, they apparently owned others which were their only means of support. They spend their days in prayer. No-one visits. Ada’s only contact with her ‘other’ life is through letters, from whom, we do not know. The locals tell of a lady, in dark glasses, and hats and headscarves, who is eccentric and talks about her dedication to the Virgin and God, and her loathing for Canaro! Although she visits the town bars and converses with the locals, she will neither expose her hair or eyes to them or sit with them, she is a ‘nun’ in all but name. Ada Falcón died 4 January 2002 at The Sisters of San Camilo old people’s home in Cordoba. She is buried in Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires, in a mausoleum dedicated to famous artists. Ada Falcón finally returned to Buenos Aires. This is an incredible story and many people held a piece of the puzzle, but they refused to come together to make a whole. Through the conflicting flow of information, I have tried to write an accurate account, as best I can from what I have gathered in my search. That said Sergio Wolf sums it up very well in his documentary about Ada - we have “A universe of versions, a universe of possible fictions”. Tina would like to acknowledge the following resources used to prepare this article: TodoTango. com; Wikipedia; Clarin.com; Verytango.com; Wolf, Sergio “Yo no si que man hecho tus ojos” (Documentary) has a different feel and some are frequented by dancers who prefer the milonguero and salon style of dance, who enjoy the rhythmical old style tangos from the Golden Age. Whereas others want the more up beat and dramatic pieces often experienced and heard through stage tango performances. Some people do not like to dance to tango with lyrics. It is always fun to reflect some other music that inspires me through cortinas. I prefer to have a theme running through them, for example, tunes and songs related to Christmas, and some love ballads, for Valentines Day, Halloween is great to play with too! I really enjoy the reaction to the cortinas, it is good to find out was is working and what not, and usually I get complimentary feedback.
to your music, through their dancing, energy, vibes, and a full dance floor. You can also dictate the mood, using the waltz, tango, milonga, from soft flowing dynamics to fast and joyful. Improvisation, not only in the dance, but in the music is essential. There have been times when I have had to change a tanda on the spot, rather than use a prepared one, as the atmosphere or situation dictated this.
For this reason I always have extra music to back me up, which is used when I feel it is appropriate to change the dancing energy. When I first started at Bar Andulucia I played all kinds of variations, until I got to know the customers, then I began to refine my playlist, and as time went by it worked successfully and was appreciated. As tango is now interpreted in various ways, so the music reflects this too. Each tango club
I believe music is a very personal thing but it is wonderful to share, and one of the most important things to learn was to leave your personal preferences at home, and play for the enjoyment of the dancers. Learning tango is a journey and I am very grateful to the teachers and tango organizers who helped me learn all about tango - people for whom I feel great appreciation and admiration, people like Nikki (dancetango), Luis Rodriguez, Claire Loewe (tangosouthlondon) and last but not least, Amanda and Adrian Costa. Asta teaches and dances with Alberto Ortiz. You can find more information about their, always enjoyable, lessons, practica and monthly Tango Tea milonga at: http://tangodesalonuk.blogspot.com
THE 400 CLUB Issue 8 - Por Las Damas Del Tango
Summer 2011
Una Noche de Garufa
Annabel Kaye - The Hidden Women of Tango:
Lorna V
A night of non-tango partying haunted Lorna V, when she was injured and couldn’t dance tango... There’s nothing like an enforced break from tango to get it into perspective. In the months I waited for an operation (to reconstruct the key ligament to pivoting!) and then again for the slow recovery post operation, I had to get my tango fix from observing. I couldn’t help thinking back to a particular Wednesday night in central London where the crowd were lounging, and relaxing, drinking and dancing. There was a certain spontaneity like the young public school alpha-male of a lively international group inviting the group’s reluctant, shy 50something year-old to dance. He insisted. Eventually she accepted. As a techno-Latin beat came on, a 30 year-old Brazilian didn’t think twice about sharing the moment with a woman some 15 years older than him. This was a night billed as Death Disco at the Notting Hill Arts Club. The day after I went I discovered it had been featured in Glamour magazine and Vogue because Kate Moss was a regular, and Londonnet’s Club Guide described it as attracting ‘a loyal legion of fashionistas, hipsters, punk rock kids, artists, and hip-hop fans - as well as several people who are a mix of all of the above’. So why did this non-tango evening haunt me? Well there were no rows of lone, silent women with glazed expressions at Death Disco, and no men lurking in corners with dour faces. Women could engage with men without the fear of a female vulture disguised as a swan stealing the man, and men could work up to asking a woman to dance without some other guy snapping her up like a hungry crow. Let’s be honest, there’s plenty to moan about milongas: the venues, the music, the prices, the hierarchies, the cliques, the attitudes, the snobbiness, the unfriendliness. We’ve invested enough time and money in tango to have learnt a language fluently or completed an academic dissertation. We’ve lost a load of non-tango friends in this time, and gained some great tango ones. Walking away is tough. The problem is doing the tango walk can feel tougher. Some years ago I turned to an enigmatic woman for advice. My tango honeymoon period was over, and I wasn’t sure how to proceed. ‘Oh,’ she said dryly, without a hint of emotion. ‘If you want to improve you have to dance with the Argies, and if you want to dance with the Argies you have to field off their groupies.’ It all sounded so strategic and single minded, like the work world I was seeking refuge from. Not that there was any point in asking, but did attaining a certain dance level have anything to do with anything? ‘Professional or semi professional dancers of any background can
get through,’ Ms Enigma said matter of factly. ‘If you’re a dance junkie who’s clocked up other dances, that helps.’ (This was sounding like horse races, not a sophisticated dance born from loneliness and longing.) ‘You can’t be dancing with the hoi polloi,’ Ms Enigma continued pointedly. Oops. I thought we all mucked in and learnt together. ‘It’s about the right workshops. The right festivals. The right partners. The right private lessons.’ Right. She was on a roll. ‘You can find a bloke moving up the hierarchy, and move up with him. But you have to ward off the other women. Women have no morals,’ she sighed. ‘I should know.’ Ha ha. Only she wasn’t joking. She turned out to be as enigmatic as a Z list celebrity.
Maria Luisa Carnelli Many people come to tango music from falling in love with a feeling expressed through dance. I was no exception, and like so many anxious beginners focussed on delinquent feet and arms longing to be transported by the music. Drawn to the feeling and the music, it was a shock to discover a world that required ‘following’ from women. Unable to comply, yet unable to leave this circling, alien man’s world. Even the inscrutable lyrics in Spanish and Lunfardo yielded little comfort in exploration, exalting the bad boy, the faithless woman and the perfect mother. There seemed little room for intelligent women in a world of posturing peacock men.
us have gone on to write the lyrics to some of its most popular pieces.
Tango is the story of a people, of musicians, of composers and lyricists, of singers, dancers, orchestras, and an audience. It speaks of nostalgia, of longing, of love and loss. Yet the tango story evokes different emotions and understandings in different people. The clichés resonate and yet the story of tango, then and now, is punctuated and emphasised by the story and the lives of women. Not just as objects of desire, or mourning mothers, but as players and actors in their own right. Not the trolley dolly followers I initially imagined the tango would create, but influential, inspiring women with lives and desires of their own.
Moulin Rouge, Dos Lunares and Primer Agua.
She published her first book of poems in 1924 “Verses of Women” and another in 1926. Around that time, she wrote her first tango lyric but published it in the name of her son Mario Castro. That lyric was El Malevo (De Caro wrote the music). She also used the pseudonym Luis Mario. Three years later her tango lyric Linyera won the Max Gluckman tango contest. She went on to the write the lyrics for the hit tango Ser Va La Vida and Cuando Llora La Milonga. Gardel recorded her lyric for Pa’l bazaar. Other hits include:
There are no names in our tango world that mean anything to anyone outside tango, but we’ve got enough Wannabes to merit a reality TV show. Wannabe dancing with the Argies is fair enough. It’s an Argentinian dance. Worse than wannabes are the self appointed elite, the Wannabe Tango Somebodies who decide they are teachers, performers, DJs, promoters of teachers from Buenos Aires, tango holiday organisors, Milonga hosts. At the other extreme a club night run by people who have worked with major rock legends, is down to earth and egalitarian. At the New York helm of Death Disco is BP Fallon, over 60, and London’s Alan McGee heading towards 50. BP Fallon’s rock credentials include being the publicist for Led Zeppelin and Marc Bolan/TRex, and turning Bob Geldof into a star. Alan McGee is known as the father of Britpop, the man who signed up bands like Oasis and Primal Scream. I asked BP Fallon by email how a club night with big names galore can manage to be egalitarian, whilst other clubs can be alienating. “Uptight door policies and self-important people with clipboards and a radio thing stuck in their ear... such bollocks. Of course it’s perfect for people who are insecure - a tick by their name and they feel they now have the benediction of acceptance. And then there are VIP rooms and More-VIP-Than-Thou rooms. But if you don’t care about this elitist crap, it’s all so obviously shallow and silly. Like, Kate Moss can go and dance at Death Disco in London and she’s treated the same as everyone else and she has a ball. Same with Agyness Deyn, same with Joe and Mary Bloggs. As it should be...” The point of dancing tango has nothing to do with dancing in a club, and there has to be a reason that I’m not a regular clubber and never have been. But if there’s anything that can be learnt from a cult club night like Death Disco it’s that the tango environment should complement the ethos of the dance, and the music that moves the dance. Connection, not competition is as it should be.
Buenos Aires Sketchbook Dorrego, Poesia, Confiteria Ideal all copyright of Lucy Dixon 2011
Lucy Dixon
One of the great feminine joys of going to milonga is getting to know the wonderful women of tango – the teachers, performers, but also the ordinary women who inhabit the tango world. Tango has a heart as feminine and feisty as any place where women congregate and tango’s history includes some wonderful women who would be amazing member of any modern milonga. Amongst these tango sisters I would include Maria Luisa Carnelli. Born in La Plata in 1898 she was a middle class woman subject to all the restraints of a respectable upbringing of that time. Whilst other women may have lived within those restraints she made a life and career for herself that would be ambitious for any contemporary feminist. She learned Lunfardo from her brothers (who were obviously bad boys to have learned it in the first place!). Apparently she was ‘severely disciplined’ by her father for dancing tango. The story goes they used to play tango on the gramophone at home without the speaker trumpet so that their father could not hear it. Many of us have listened to banned music in secret but few of
Why she published her tango lyrics under a male pseudonym it not clear. There were a few other women tango lyricists working under their own names at the time. Perhaps her father’s ‘discipline’ had left it mark or perhaps her husband didn’t know she spoke Lunfardo. Yet, this woman was a trail blazer and achiever in her own right and her own name. She was an accomplished poet and writer; publishing eight books. She was a professional journalist and war correspondent reporting on the Spanish Civil war, even receiving an award for valour. She was a friend and contemporary of the famous war correspondent Martha Gelhorn. She was an active member of the Communist Party . This does not sound like a woman who is afraid to let the world know who she is or what she thinks. She felt that after the 1940s tango lost its ‘porteno soul’ and got too sophisticated. Perhaps her long and challenging life had left her feeling a little jaded, or perhaps she had a point. She died in a clinic in Belgrano in May 1987. I like to think of her sitting at milonga – a woman in her thirties – waiting to inspire the cabaceo. I imagine her not disclosing what she had written so that she could be another dancer simply judged on her merits as a dancer that night. Like so many women of tango, she was accomplished, intelligent and brave. She had the courage to follow her heart and her ability – which is what the art of following is all about. Thanks to Kate Allen and Thomas Keenes for suggesting the subject matter for this article.
Milongas Regulares... (a non-comprehensive list) Mon: Tue: Wed: Thu:
Fri: Sat:
Tango Bar at Chateau 6, SW6 Dance Tango at Vino Latinos, W1 Tango @ the Light, E1 Zero Hour at The Dome, N19 Abrazos at The Tommyfield, SE11 El Portenito at The Bedford, SW12 Milonga Bohemienne at The Old Cholmeley Boys Club, N16 Poema at Latvian House, W2 Milonga Sur at The Old Whitgiftians, South Croydon Negracha at The Wild Court, WC2 Carablanca at Conway Hall WC1 Midnight Milonga at The Tango Club, WC1 Corrientes Social Club at Haverstock School, NW1 (2 Sats a month) Dance Tango or El Once at The Crypt, EC1
And Finally... We would like to thank all those involved in the creation of this issue. The400club is an irregularly produced, amateur newsletter for the London Tango scene. We do not intend to cause offence to any parties and take no responsibility for the accuracy of information, views or otherwise expressed in this newsletter. The next issue will arrive when and if we have sufficient time and inclination to get round to doing one. If you would like to contribute an item please contact: Lucy Dixon is a singer and dancer living in Paris. You can find out more about her, and listen to her singing at http://www.myspace.com/thelucydixon
the400club@esharpstyle.co.uk
Sun:
Tango at the Light Temple, E2 TangoE14 at Saint John’s Community Centre, E14 Dance Tango at Pavadita, W6 Milonga Sur and Corrientes Social Club at The Royston Club SE20 Tangology @ Jewel, W1 La Mariposa a St John’s Hill, SW11 El Portenito at The Bedford, SW12 (every other week) Tea Dance at Aldenham War Memorial Hall WD258DY (2 Sundays a month) TangoSouthLondon at The Constitutional Club, SE22 (last Sunday of month)
Remember to always check times and dates with the organisers BEFORE you plan your trip.