Saturday 1 August 2009

Video update - Fred and Caty Romero

I've just found this - it's Caty and Fred Romero's performance at the Festivalito de los Angeles that I went to a couple of weeks ago. This is the 'modern' piece that I mentioned. Thanks to milongaorillera for posting.



I had a poor view from where I was sitting but I was rather moved by this performance. Anyway, I think it's a beautiful close-embrace inward-looking social-style tango with a lot of feeling, to a piece of music quite different from anything else played during the weekend.

Watching it a few times, I notice the tiny slow step at 00:15, which is an example of what they taught in the "harmony and slow movements" class. Finding out how to lead and follow that is one of those deceptively small things that can suddenly give people a lot of new possibilities.

12 comments:

Tangocommuter said...

Thanks for that: a lovely slow tango, beautifully danced. It shows how much life there can be in the old dance. In 'steps' there's nothing at all new, but the quality of the dancing makes it fresh and emotionally powerful. The move at 00.15 looks like the traditional 'salida milonguero', perhaps nothing new, but '...it's not what you do, it's the way that you do it...'

msHedgehog said...

Yes. What I mean specifically is the way her left foot comes down at 00:15-00:17. It's that 'weight change a toe at a time' thing, only it's a very small and precise and slow back step, not a simple weight change.

Anonymous said...

fantastic - so profound. I wish leaders here would slow down and stop "racing"

and beautiful music - what is it?

Anonymous said...

This is very lovely.
I like how even though it is slow, he is still moving and not having her weight too long on one leg as some men do when dancing slowly. There needs to be a fine balance in taking one's time and yet moving at a reasonable pace so that it isn't uncomfortable for the follower.

msHedgehog said...

@Anon - I don't know, I'll try and find out.

maya said...

Thanks for posting this.Great dancing, full of feeling and lyricism. I like it more than Sebastian and Mariana's version,a tad too busy in my opinion, http://lacuerda.net/video.php?rc=pazn025&id=PVxhoZkaMTA

The theme is "Lo hermoso que fue" by Pedro Aznar, such simple, beautiful music and lyrics. I am very partial to guitar music.


Esta canción mía Te la quiero dedicar
Esta canción mía Te la escribo en aquel bar
Esta canción mía (Cambio rápido) Tan sólo me sirve a resucitar
Lo hermoso que fue, lo hermoso que fue...
Cuando empieza el día Me tengo que levantar
Cuando empieza el día No sé qué desayunar
Cuando empieza el día (Cambio rápido) Hasta el barrendero puede contar
Lo hermoso que fue, lo hermoso que fue...
Mi cama está fría No la puedo calentar
Mi cama está fría Y quién te va a reemplazar
Mi cama está...

msHedgehog said...

@Maya Oooo!!! Brilliant!
Clickable version of Maya's link.

At 33pp today they produced suprise live music, a guitarist from BsAs who played and sang, a vals, a milonga, and a tango, and then I think a second milonga - we danced around him - no amp - it was absolutely beautiful.

OwenMc said...

Darn - sounds like a perfect wee addition to the evening; wish I hadn't turned down the option earlier in the day :-(

But, to diverge even more - where'd the jacuzzi fit in? :-D

msHedgehog said...

@Anon, Maya: Fred responded to my message today and confirmed that' it's Pedro Aznar and Lo Hermoso que fue.

Thanks for the words - excellent!

@Owen: It makes the atmosphere a little steamy.

Tangocommuter said...

I couldn't resist a bit of digging. Lo Hermosa Que Fue is from the album A Roar of Southern Clouds by Pedro Aznar, who is an Argentine singer/songwriter/musician/poet. The album can be heard online at LastFM, and on Spotify. Very imaginative, varied music.

Caty and Fred Romero have a website at http://www.lamilonguita.net. They seem to be French/France-based. There's a selection of videos from their lessons on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/tamilongui

& why can't we see them in London?

Andreas said...

Something about Fred and Caty: they are salón dancers, not performers, and thus their dancing in the milonga is several magnitudes better than any of their performances (and this is as it should be). So if you haven't seen them dance socially, you haven't really seen them dance. Plus they are really lovely people.
@commuter: A problem with them coming to London might be their non-existent English. Maybe that'll change, or people might be ok with a translator. But it would certainly be good for the London scene.

msHedgehog said...

@Andreas: well, I'm blowed if I can see what's wrong with this. But (for those who haven't seen it) the one of them dancing socially is here.

I feel a bit bad about videoing people dancing socially too much, however; it's quite difficult to see much unless the subject is intentionally cooperating, and on the whole I'd rather leave people in peace. So I probably won't do many of those.

@TC, yes, they'd need looking after, they don't really speak any English at all.