Today's Music: AMIGOS QUE YO QUIERO - Friends who I love (1956)

It took me awhile to figure out just the right music for today. I had wanted to find some sad tango to reflect the bad night I had last night. Good music for feeling sorry for myself. But while I was sorting through the dozens of fantastic songs on todotango.com and planet-tango.com I came across one that expressed something I liked much more.

Music and lyrics by Hector Gutierrez
Friends who I Love

In our life there are a thousand things
that they're great, they're sublime and beautiful,
things that brighten and cheer our soul
encouraging our heart.
But there is something subtle and supreme
that it reaches us with serenity and calm
it is manliness and loyalty,
it's feelings and kindness,
it is sublime... it's called friendship.

Friends who I love
listen to this tango,
that has between its notes
a hearty handshake.
It was written from the soul
thinking about friendship
I sing it with tears
for those who no longer are here.
Let us raise our glasses
here in the old bar
that while there are friends
I have the desire to sing.

The existence that is a dark sentence
among friends it seems like a fair.
Without friends, it's not worth the trouble
this life with so much pain .
Friends just like poets
have deep secret tendernesses,
let's get closer to the noble friendship
that fills us with faith and kindness.

Friends who I love
listen to this tango,
that has between its notes
a hearty handshake.
It was written from the soul
thinking about friendship
I sing it with tears
for those who no longer are here.
Let us raise our glasses
here in the old bar
that while friends exist
I have the desire to sing.

Comments

Ganchos . . . again . . .

(Image courtesy of Emilie Boudet: http://www.emilieboudet.com) From the Facebook comments on my "Expressing the music or dancing for tables" post: "But adornments can become problematic when they interfere with something I'm trying to do. (I have enough trouble as it is). Some of these are basically harmless and don't really bother me that much. Like some ladies insist on doing a gancho whenever I lead them to step over my leg. I'm mostly amused by this. Some girls just like their ganchos and will seize any opportunity to do one." Predictably, I have several problems with the above behavior. First of all, they aren't "their ganchos" ! The gancho for the follower is led. It is my (nearly fanatical) opinion that it should never be an adornment or something the follower just decides to do on her own . As someone who is now attempting to learn to lead, the last thing I want to see, or heaven forbid feel, is a stiletto heel near my crotch ....

"Proper" Tango Shoes

Periodically someone, usually a man, will be bring up the topic of "proper tango shoes." If he's referring to the problem (and dangers) of trying to dance in flip-flops, or mules, or platform shoes etc., those are definitely valid, and very helpful points to be made. The likelihood of damaging your feet is very high without the proper support of high quality shoes. My problem comes with the idea that the *only* proper tango shoes have 4" stiletto heels on them and fetish-worthy embellishments. (Okay, I'm pretty keen on the embellishments myself.) "goofy ballroomy shoes are a turnoff... get rid of them..." - Alex Tango Fuego (granted this is from 2007), http://alextangofuego.blogspot.com/2007/10/to-dance-or-not-to-dancebrutally.html And, in the comments on a blog post, Anonymous said... " This is a controversial one. If a follower isn't wearing tango shoes then it's usually a good sign she's not particularly good." From Ms. Hedgeh...

Expressing music or dancing for tables?

Too much of a good thing? As sort of a follow-up to my thoughts on technique, I've run into a little snag I'd like some feedback. When I get compliments about my embrace, I'm absolutely elated. When someone compliments the way my walk feels, I feel accomplished. Compliments about my musicality - ditto. When I start getting lots of compliments about my foot work, however - I get worried. I shouldn't right? A compliment is a compliment, and should be taken graciously. It's certainly meant as a positive thing. It's a good thing if a dancer's feet are pretty - why else would everyone wear those silly, yet gorgeous, shoes? But like Richard Dreyfuss staring down his plate of mash potatoes in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, I can't help thinking it means something. Something not good. I don't mean like a backhanded compliment - but more like a fear that my priorities have unintentionally shifted. Maybe it's a community thing. Online I very often r...

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