February 17th, 2009 in Tango In Miami, Tango Places | 72 Comments »
Miami in recent years has seen a significant increase in the Argentinian population and with it a great surge in the tango scene. There is a milonga to go to every night of the week, most nights with two or three to choose from, if you are willing to drive as few miles. For tourists, who will probably end up in the Miami Beach area, the most convenient location is the Monday night milonga in Tapas y Tintos.
This little restaurant at the intersection of Española way and Drexel avenue serves excellent calamari and has a good sellection of spanish wines, apart from being a platform for all sorts of latin music and dance: Tango on Mondays, Salsa on Tuesdays, Flamenco on Wednesdays Saturdays and Sundays (highly recommended).
The space is small, so the dance floor can get crowded, but the DJ Lorena plays good classical tango music and the ambiance is genial. The milonga starts at 10 PM and is free but there is also a lesson available from 8:30 which costs $10.
For more information contact:
Tapas y Tintos
448 Española way
Miami Beach FL-33139
Ph: 305-538-8272.
http://www.tapasytintos.com
viva la milonga!
December 19th, 2008 in Tango Places | 79 Comments »
If you are an avid fan of Argentine tango, you will understand the urge to try and find a milonga to go to in every city you visit. I have thought many times that tango would be one of the two things I will miss if I moved back to India (The other would be good wine).
It seems India is waking up to this wonderful dance form and Tim Collins and Malou Meyenhofer are quick to recognize and fill this gap in supply and demand. As we speak, they are already running classes of argentine tango in Zenzi Bar, Bandra, Mumbai and a milonga every Monday night. And this is not some wishy-washy cheeseball tango that’s prevalent in Hollywood (and apparently Bollywood too, if you stretch your imagination). This the authentic Porteño tango, as it is danced in the streets of Buenos Aires (or “De la boca” as they would say it in Spanish), although Tim is from Seattle and Malou is Swiss.
The exact location of this milonga is:
Zenzi Bar
183, waterfield road (a.k.a. RK Patkar Marg),
Bandra (west),
mumbai 400 050.
+22-56 430 670.
And it runs every Monday from 10 PM to 1 AM although it’s always a good idea to call before going.
The easiest way to get there is to take any train on Western line to Bandra station and then walk or take an auto rikshaw (it’s just 1 km/0.6 miles from the bandra local train station). For more information, go here.
Desfrutate y baila mucho!
November 2nd, 2008 in Tango In Miami, Tango Places | 158 Comments »
For those of you living in the western parts of Miami, Florida International University offers an excellent option for tango lessons: The graham center in the Florida International University hosts tango classes Four Days a Week, two hours each day!
The tango instructors Angel and Maria are extremely friendly and helpful and will make you feel comfortable and a part of the group right away. Angel was born and brought up in Argentina and has been dancing tango since the age of seven and although his porteño accent has diminished a bit, his boleos and ganchos are as sharp as ever. Maria was born in Cuba but moved to Miami as a kid and grew up here. She was a karate fanatic before she turned to tango after an injury. During the day, she is a highschool teacher. There is no fixed syllabus and everyone starts at their own level and learn at their own pace. The group of people who dance there are also a very amiable lot and everyone dances with everyone else, beginners and advanced students alike.
Although the official timing of classes is from 7 PM to 9 PM, they usually go on till 10 PM at least, and sometimes even longer, especially on Fridays.
Usually the whole class goes out to eat at one of the Colombian Hot Dog places after the Friday class. If you are considering joining tango because you are new to the town and are feeling a bit lonely and in need of new friends this would be the best place to start.
Here is the exact location and times:
The Graham Center
Florida International University South Campus
SW 107 Av and SW 16 st,
Miami 33125.
Ph: (305) 632-2567.
Monday, Tuesday and Friday: 7 PM to 9 PM.
Wednesday: 9 PM to 10 PM.
For more information and other classes taught by Angel and Maria go to epocatango.com.
July 19th, 2008 in Tango Places | No Comments »
Although very few people would associate Colombia with anything else but salsa, it happens to be a very eclectic country as far as dancing and music is concerned. Of course, salsa plays a central role in the dancing and music scene of colombia but there are pockets of the country in which other types of music is also popular and flourishing.
the best place to go Tangoing in Colombia is the beautiful city of Medellin. The great Carlos Gardel died in this tango capital of Colombia. I unfortunately did not get a chance to visit this city during this visit, as I was essentially stuck in Bogota.
One might think that Bogota is devoid of tango being on of the Salsa capitals of the world. But even here there are a bunch of choices as far as tango is concerned. My favorite is the little known “El viejo Almacen del tango” which does not have that much web presence, but is a quaint little place in the heart of bogota, in the old colonial Candelaria. The place is guarded by wooden doors and unless you are looking for it, you are unlikely to come across it. But there is no cover charge (unlike salsa places in Bogota) once you enter, you will see a wall full of old records and a little bar with cheap beer. People mostly come in couples and are mostly regulars.
Here is the exact address:
El Viejo Almacen del Tango.
Calle 15 No 4-18C
Candelaria, Bogota.
Tele: +57-1-284-2364.
It’s just off avenida Jimenez (Ac 13), approximately behind the Crepes place.
Definitely check it out if you are in that part of Bogota, after having a nice creme bruelee or a tart at the french bakery nearby.
