neo tango ..  
is this  
really  
TANGO ?  

The traditional Argentine Tango has no drums or percussion at all^*.  It are precisely those instruments however that make "the beat" and that form the core of most of our music today.

Our contemporary ears are used to “follow that beat” rather then “listen to the music lines” and precisely those last ones are - for the untrained ear - sometimes rather difficult to follow in certain classical argentine tango songs.

For the beginning “tanguero” and "tanguera” that still have  to concentrate on how to hold / follow the partner, style / posture and at the same time try to master the steps, this can be a tricky and challenging task.

(In their classes, for example, a lot of teachers therefore mostly choose tango songs with very easy traceable and straightforward rhythm).

The Neo Tango on the contrary has BEAT inside.  The mind can relax and concentrate on the “more important tasks” at hand.  One could argue this is an argument in favor of the neo tango as means to make the dance easier accessible and therefore more popular.

But there again we touch the core of the discussion.  Neo Tango differs from traditional tango music where it is more “beat” music and allows more contemporary dance rhythms.  It is indeed music on which you can DANCE in general.  To my feeling it varies from "fusion tango" to CLUBBING MUSIC.  The fact that the beat and sound specter chosen (use of Bandoneon …),  suits very well both beginners and experienced Tango dancers and their steps, does not make it "plain" tango however.    Sometimes it evolves completely out of the beaten tracks.  It is Tango, but then taken one step further.

It has to be said that some performers stay "closer" to the Tango sound and rhythm and produce more "tango danceable" songs, whilst other drift astray and deliver CD that hardly contain dance music for the adventurous tangueros/as.

Neo Tango could be popular in the non-traditional Argentine tango midst and the Nuevo Tango Scene, but  probably as a divertissement or show element.  And certainly also in the progressive Tango and clubbing world that adores some “style” but further remains open to “free expression”.  It can allow a mix of dancing styles and steps.

Since it opens up ways for introducing Tango music to a broader public that normally would have no direct access to or interest in the argentine Tango music, and since it really invites people to DANCE, I personally would encourage the development.  

I assume however that the regular tanguero and tanguera will keep dancing on the traditional mixture of refined music scores and lived emotion.

Time will tell.

Paul WOUTERS
Webmaster
www.istanbultango.com
September 26th, 2006