The Argentine Tango seems to be a phenomenon that has swept the UK over the past ten years. Nearly every large town and city has a Tango club allowing members to take classes or attend a Milonga (an event where the Tango can be danced). In particular, there are now a whole variety of places for beginners to experience Tango classes in London.

So what is Tango and why is it so popular? The Argentine Tango originated from Buenos Aires in the 1890s, taking its influence from African rhythms and European music. It was in the densely populated, working class areas of the city that the dance thrived amongst the mainly Spanish and Italian immigrants. The bars and drinking houses of Buenos Aires would fill with mostly male immigrants, outnumbering the women fifty to one and thus making it extremely difficult for these men to meet a potential partner.

Of course, given such a huge disparity in numbers, many men remained lonely tangueros – and this sense of hopeless desire, of urgent longing, has remained within the spirit of the dance. It is this passion, energy and emotion that attract people to learn Tango; the intense feeling of being close to a partner to enjoy the small steps and rhythmic footwork that fuses two movements into one. Other men decided to learn the female aspect of the dance, which allowed them to become a more rounded dancer as they progressed to the male role. The learning of the female role by men is still practised in some of Argentine Tango’s leading dance schools.

Tango Shows in Buenos Aires

The resurgence of Tango’s popularity from Buenos Aires to London was largely due to the end of the military dictatorship in Argentina, which had banned the dance. The country adopted the Tango as a form of national identity, which also helped reduce its perception by the wealthy classes as being a lower class pastime. Since then, Tango clubs and classes have sprung up all over the world and breathtaking scenes within Hollywood movies such as ‘Take the Lead’ (Antonio Banderas) have taken the passion to the masses.

In London, Banderas wannabes have many ways to learn how to dance Tango; group classes are popular and add to the fun and sociable nature of the dance, whilst there is also an upward trend in busy London folk enrolling in private lessons to get to their first Milonga more quickly. In fact, the British reserved culture means that many of us are too self- conscious to attend a class without at least knowing the basic steps first. Motivations for taking up Tango can vary; from gaining inspiration from increasingly common dance-based TV shows and Hollywood movies, to engaged couples secretly learning their sultry moves to release during their wedding dance. Whatever the reason and however the method of learning, Tango is sweeping the nation and here to stay.

Bruges, Belgium

It’s the type of thing you’d expect to see in Buenos Aires, or even Seville, but not in Belgium. And definitely not in a fish market in Belgium.

Yet as we were walking along the canal in Bruges last night, we were drawn to the Vismarkt by the twinkling music of the tango. When we got there, we found the cobbles had been covered over with board, and ladies and gents were getting all dressed up, heels and flowers in their hair and everything, and dancing.

Turns out it’s the idea of a tango school owner. During the year, Pasos de Brujas holds lessons in the classroom, but every Sunday in July and August, they spill out into the Vismarkt, and anyone—whether or not you’re a pupil at the school—can join in.

We first went by about 6pm, when things were pretty quiet. Later that night, we went back for dinner by the Vismarkt, and the place was packed. When we left at 9, it was still going strong with about 30 couples on the dancefloor.

According to the website, the Milonga del Pescador Sunday tango starts at 5pm and goes until 10.

Chicago, USA

“Maria de Buenos Aires”: Thrill to the seductive sound of the Argentine tango when the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, in partnership with the city’s Office of Tourism and Culture, presents the tango operita by Astor Piazzolla and Horacio Ferrer. Soprano Catalina Cuervo, above, stars as Maria, and Elbio Barilari narrates the fully staged production, to be conducted by Gerardo Moreira, with guest dancer Victoria Vargas and dancers of Tango 21. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday at Preston Bradley Hall, Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.; free, tickets must be obtained in advance (sold out, waiting list only); 312-742-8497
____________________________________
SOURCES:

“The Argentine Tango: From Buenos Aires to London via Hollywood”
23rd August 2011
http://www.easier.com
http://www.easier.com/93998-the-argentine-tango-buenos-aires-london-hollywood.html

“Summer in Bruges Means Free Tango in the Fish Market”
August 22, 2011
http://www.jaunted.com
http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/8/22/5043/94088/travel/Summer+in+Bruges+Means+Free+Tango+in+the+Fish+Market

“‘Maria de Buenos Aires,’ a summer tango”
August 12, 2011
http://www.chicagotribune.com
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/events/ct-ott-0812-classical-pick-maria-buen20110812,0,2313035.story

“We found an impressive new generation of filmmakers in Buenos Aires and a thriving film culture,” said Cameron Bailey. “We can’t wait to present these films to the world’s film critics and distributors, and especially to our audience.”

“Argentine film has been inspiring international audiences since the late 1990s, but with this programme, we wanted to consider to what extent this success is an urban phenomenon rather than simply a question of national cinema,” added Kate Lawrie Van de Ven, City to City Programmer. “The array of perspectives we’ve seen while programming this series speaks strongly of the diverse influences this community of filmmakers is bringing to the screen. There’s a dynamic film scene in the city, and many of the new directors are working in contrasting dialogue with the styles established in the 2000s by leading Argentine directors like Lucrecia Martel, Lisandro Alonso and Pablo Trapero. There’s a rich array of cinematic styles emerging across Buenos Aires, from more experimental narratives to sly genre reworks, and we’re excited to bring a sampling of that diversity to TIFF.”

Additionally, TIFF is pleased to present the return of the City to City symposium, a thought-provoking dialogue between the visiting city’s filmmakers and experts on urban culture. This year’s panel, “Buenos Aires – A Conversation,” will take place on Tuesday, September 13 at TIFF Bell Lightbox, and will be open to the public. Admission is free. Further details on featured panellists and invited guests will follow.

Caprichosos de San Telmo

Alison Murray, Argentina/Canada World Premiere A portrait of the working-class musicians and dancers of Buenos Aires’s San Telmo neighbourhood, who have channeled the city’s many cultural influences into the street performance called Murga.

The Cat Vanishes

Carlos Sorin, Argentina International Premiere When Beatriz picks up her husband Luis from the sanatorium, she is not quite sure if she should believe his psychiatrist’s pronouncement that he is fully cured. Her usually churlish, academic husband is suddenly friendly and cooperative, even willing to take a trip to Brazil’s beaches. When their cat Donatello disappears, Beatriz’ suspicions lead her to question her own sanity. The tension is on high throughout in Carlos Sorin’s latest feature, The Cat Vanishes.

Crane World

Pablo Trapero, Argentina Pablo Trapero’s reputation-making feature debut was a seminal work in the Argentine New Wave of the 2000s. An unadorned look at the life of a man trying to make a living as a crane operator in Buenos Aires, Crane World introduced a new talent and a new realist aesthetic to the city’s cinema.

Fatherland

Nicola?s Prividera, Argentina World Premiere This rigorously structured and visually engrossing essay film explores Argentina’s fractious modern history through the words of writers – both founding fathers and oppositional voices – who lay buried in Buenos Aires’s famed Recoleta Cemetery.

Invasion

Hugo Santiago, Argentina Canadian Premiere Invasion is the legend of a city, imaginary or real, besieged by powerful enemies and defended by a handful of men who may not be heroes. In this rare inclusion of a retrospective title, Santiago’s protagonists will fight to the end without suspecting that their battle is endless.

A Mysterious World

Rodrigo Moreno, Argentina/Germany North American Premiere After his girlfriend suddenly breaks up with him, a young man’s life transforms into an erratic urban journey inexplicably connected to his temperamental communist-era car. The latest film from Rodrigo Moreno (El Custodio) is an affectionate, singular portrait of one guileless protagonist’s quixotic journey through a period of uncertainty.

Pompeya

Tamae Garateguy, Argentina North American Premiere A junior screenwriter is hired by an established film director to write his new film: a gangster movie set in Buenos Aires. In each meeting, the filmmakers create a story that takes place in an imaginary Pompeya neighbourhood, plagued by secrets, political disputes and crime. When pure fiction and reality are completely corrupted, the unexpected happens. In her first solo feature, Tamae Garateguy simultaneously lambasts the Buenos Aires filmmaking scene and the gangster film, ingeniously stirring up a volatile alchemy of genres.

The Stones

Roma?n Ca?rdenas, Argentina International Premiere In a quiet interrupted only by the noise of boats, a couple lives without crossing each other’s paths. He is a writer waiting for the words; she is an alienated employee of a fumigation company. The Stones explores the increasing space between two people at the same time as it maps the short distance between urban Buenos Aires and its rustic flip-side in the neighbouring Parana? Delta. Roma?n Ca?rdenas pairs a spellbinding visual acuity with thrilling eruptions of comedy in this feature debut.

The Student Santiago Mitre, Argentina North American Premiere The graffitied halls, run-down classrooms and surrounding streets of the University of Buenos Aires provide the ideal location for Santiago Mitre’s briskly paced debut, The Student. Mitre brilliantly exposes the backroom dealings and negotiations in the murky world of student politics, a microcosm for the world at large, in this fictional account of a young man’s discovery of his talent for politicking through his seduction of an assistant professor and activist.

Vaquero

Juan Minuji?n, Argentina International Premiere Julian Lamar, a 33-year-old actor working on the fringes of the Buenos Aires film scene, wants to give his career a boost by landing a role in a Western a Hollywood director is going to shoot in Argentina. Vaquero, the debut feature by Argentine actor, Juan Minuji?n, gives an insider’s perspective of Argentina’s film community in this hilariously dark comedy.
______________________________
SOURCE:
“TIFF ’11: City-To-City, Buenos Aires Titles”
By mcneditor
Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

http://moviecitynews.com

http://moviecitynews.com/2011/08/tiff-11-city-to-city-buenas-aires/

Colombian serial entrepreneur Andres Barreto discussed his success, dropping out of college to co-found music streaming service Grooveshark, and his current position as COO of OnSwipe, a tablet publishing platform. Barreto said it is not always easy for entrepreneurs from other countries to get a visa to join a U.S. startup community, but that many are hoping a “startup visa” will soon be introduced.

At the event, many Latin American entrepreneurs said they chose to base their companies in NY because of its geography – it makes travel easier between Latin America and Europe. Also, it is in close proximity to the base of the advertising and publishing industries. Being in the U.S. made it easier for them to get both funding and early adopters because many U.S. venture capitalists remain weary of investing in non-American companies, which tend to have a more local, rather than global, focus.

Why New York?

Why do some Latin American entrepreneurs choose to base their companies in New York? It partly has to do with geography: all panelists agreed that it was more convenient for Latin Americans to fly to New York than to Silicon Valley. Flying from NYC to Europe is easier too, pointed the Spanish CEO of Pixable, Inaki Berenguer. Being based in New York is also highly relevant to connect with the advertising and publishing industries. Beyond that, it’s a matter of choice: when you start a company, it means you might live for ten years in that place. To make such a long-term commitment, you have to take your own preferences into account. New York is faster paced, ‘open 24/7? and Alex Torrenegra feels much more at home there. A Colombian serial entrepreneur behind sites such as Localo.com and LetMeGo.com, he moved to the city in 2000 and among other things, he enjoys the fact that it has a large Latin American community.

Compared to their home countries, New York also has interesting advantages for Latin American entrepreneurs. For example, Alex was able to find developers more quickly than in Bogota. More importantly, being based in the US makes it much easier to raise capital. According to Pedro Torres Picón from VC fund Quotidian Ventures, most VCs are still afraid to invest in non-American companies. However, it doesn’t mean that all Latin Americans need to move to the US to succeed and attract US investors. Patricio Jutard‘s company Three Melons is the proof of it: the online game studio’s team was based in Argentina when Playdom acquired it. However, it’s worth noting that his co-founder attended many events in the US, where he made interesting contacts. This is the key according to Inaki: fly to the US frequently to get to know potential investors and partners personally.

__________________________________
SOURCES:

“Buenos Aires Startup Network Hosts Latin American Entrepreneurs, Investors in NY”
July 13, 2011
http://nyconvergence.com
http://nyconvergence.com/2011/07/buenos-aires-startup-network-hosts-latin-american-entrepreneurs-investors-in-ny.html

“Latin America Meets New York to talk Startups”
http://thenextweb.com/
http://thenextweb.com/la/2011/07/09/when-latin-america-meets-new-york-to-talk-startups/

The Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites at 4550 S. Palo Verde Road provides the venue for the festival with a special room rate offered to participants when they use a special code when registering.

The festival offers workshops, presentations, seminars, live music, a tango jam and more. Private tango and music lessons will be available along with 10 Milongas (social dances) and a Guerilla Milonga. This breaks down to more than 48 hours of dancing, 12 instructors, 8 DJs, and 27 classes.

Not included in the festival, but a don’t you dare miss event, will be held on Thursday, March 3 at the Berger Performing Center on west Speedway. That night, a Tango Allure Concert and Show will be presented from 7-9 p.m. Featuring QTango with performances by festival instructors and Arizona professionals, the show will be one of the highlights of the festival. Tickets for the show may be purchased separately from the festival cost at the Tango Allure website.

On Saturday night QTango also performs from 9-11 p.m. at an all-night Milonga. For the hale and hearty tango dancers, the Guerilla Milonga on Sunday offers a unique way to celebrate the art form. At 4 p.m., a commercial bus will pick up approximately 40 tango dancers and take them to Tucson hot spots for “hit and run” Milonga.

The last event of the festival is a traveling music jam with Homer Ladas where people can gather together to play instruments or listen to musicians interpret the music. The event is free and all are invited to attend.

For information on classes, instructors and prices, see the Tucson Tango Festival website here.

Schedule 2011 PROGRAM

The following schedule is subject to change at organizers discretion. All the events (unless otherwise noted) will take place at the Holiday Inn & Suites.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Friday, March 4, 2011

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Monday, March 7, 2011

_____________________________________
SOURCES:

“Tucson Tango Festival brings the allure of Buenos Aires to town”
Feb 28, 2011
Martha Van Winkle
http://www.examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/places-faces-in-tucson/tucson-tango-festival-brings-the-allure-of-buenos-aires-to-town

“Schedule of Events Tucson Tango Festival March 2-7, 2011 | TucsonTangoFestival.com”
http://tucsontangofestival.com
http://tucsontangofestival.com/schedule/schedule/

Tickets ($19-$45) may be purchased at the Box Office at Theater Square, online at www.pgharts.org, or by calling (412) 456-6666. First Commonwealth is the proud season sponsor of Pittsburgh Dance Council, and WDUQ 90.5 FM is the media sponsor.

About Tango Fire

Under the choreographic and artistic direction of Yanina Fajar, Tango Fire a company of exceptional singers, dancers and musicians has been performing together as a dance troupe since 2005. This combination of hot talent collaborates to bring the passion and sensuality of tango to a sizzling stage performance. “A sizzling, sensual taste of the real thing…sexual electricity crackling at the arch of an eyebrow, exploding at the twitch of a hip” (The Evening Standard, London). The company’s first world-wide tour titled Tango Fire was met with phenomenal success. Audiences and critics have universally agreed that Tango Fire is the hottest, most irresistible tango company performing in the world today.

Artistic director, choreographer, and dancer Yanina Fajar was born in Pergamino, Buenos Aires and began dancing at the age of six. Yanina studied dance at Fracasi Conservatoire of Dance obtaining a degree in Arabian Bellydance, Spanish Folklore dance and Argentine Folklore dance. She has studied with the best tango dancers in Argentina including Sandra Butz and Gabriel Ortega, Silvio Lavia, Nito and Elva García, and Pepito Avellaneda.

About Tango Inferno, newest choreography byTango Fire

Tango Inferno, created by director Yanina Fajar and assistant choreographer and dancer German Cornejo, is the newest and most passionate tango show from the repertoire of Tango Fire. It sets the stage ablaze with ten brilliant dancers, supported by the critically acclaimed quartet of musicians known as Quatrotango. Tango Inferno entices and enthralls its audience with the delights of tango, a most alluring and intoxicating form of dance. Tango has always evoked sensuality, intrigue, lust and provocation. In the new show Tango Inferno, Tango Fire traces the dance from its origins in the red light district of Buenos Aires to the popular public dances of today known throughout Argentina as the Milonga, and through its more recent evolution into the world of contemporary ballroom.

German Cornejo, assistant choreographer of the show Tango Inferno and dancer for the company, was born in Zárate, Buenos Aires Province. At the age of 10, German started studying tango and by age15, he obtained a degree from Gatell Conservatory of Dance with the honorable title of Master of Tango. In addition to performing, German is also regarded as one of the best teachers of Show Tango in Buenos Aires with many of his students reaching top positions over the past four years in the finals in the Tango World Cup.

Each year, the Pittsburgh Dance Council, a division of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, showcases a world-class season of dance. As the largest presenter of international performances in the city, the Dance Council continues to help make our Cultural District one of the country’s leading arts and entertainment centers.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit organization whose mission is the cultural and economic development of Pittsburgh’s 14-block Cultural District through public and private support. The Trust presents and encourages diverse performing and visual arts programs within the District, and is an impetus for additional development in downtown Pittsburgh. In addition to the Pittsburgh Dance Council, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series, Trust Presents, Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater and Children’s Festival, CD Live, JazzLive, First Night Pittsburgh, Gallery Crawl, and Three Rivers Arts Festival, among other Cultural District and arts events. The Trust owns Theater Square and the Cabaret at Theater Square; James E. Rohr Building & Arts Education Center; the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts; Byham, O’Reilly, and Harris Theaters; visual arts galleries: Wood Street Galleries, at 601 Wood Street; SPACE, at 812 Liberty Avenue and 937 Liberty: a multipurpose performance and exhibit space, among other downtown arts facilities. www.pgharts.org
_____________________________________
SOURCE:
“Pittsburgh Dance Council Presents Tango Fire, Opens 2/12″
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
http://pittsburgh.broadwayworld.com
http://pittsburgh.broadwayworld.com/article/Pittsburgh_Dance_Council_Presents_Tango_Fire_Opens_212_20110112

A dance with origins on the estuary separating Argentina and Uruguay makes its way to El Paso on Sunday. The dance is tango, of course, and “Tango Buenos Aires,” a show that’s 10 Argentinean dancers strong, comes courtesy Juanita Vasquez of El Paso’s Lola Productions.

“Tango is a union, a constant embrace,” says Rosario Bauza, artistic director of the show, when asked what separates it from other types of dance.

But where did Tango come from? There must be more to it than Gomez and Morticia Addams locked in passionate embrace.

The dance has its roots in Spanish and African cultures, and grew up in the working class districts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, both cities on opposite sides of the Rio de la Plata.

The dance reflects the region’s colorful history, a funnel-shaped indentation on the South American coast between the Argentina and Uruguay formed by the confluence of the Parana and Uruguay Rivers.

The shores of the Rio de la Plata, the most densely populated areas of both countries, compose a cultural breeding ground brimming with history.

The area has been a hot bed of music, traditional and classical guitar in particular. Legendary Spanish guitarist Andres Segovia felt so much at home that he chose to settle in Buenos Aires for part of his life.

Astor Piazolla, revered composer and bandoneon (an Argentinean-Paraguayan concertina popular in Tango) player, was born there in 1921 and moved away when the heat from dictatorships got to be too much, but would return when things cooled down.

And tango was born there, the term first used in the late 1800s.

Tango has at times straddled the line between art and politics, an oil-and-water pairing, or worse, a potentially volatile mixture. The Great Depression, along with restrictions imposed by yet another oppressive Argentinean regime drove the dance underground, only to be promoted as a source of national pride once Juan Perón, along with his immensely popular second wife Eva, came to power.

Another depression in the 1950s hit South America hard, particularly Argentina. Then something even worse reared its ugly head: rock and roll. Successive military dictatorships, spooked by the behavior of audiences grooving to loud electric guitars and drums, banned public gatherings. Forget encouraging the economy, let’s declare war on Leo Fender! Tango went underground yet again, but has lately enjoyed a revival, being declared part of the world’s “intangible cultural heritage” by UNESCO in 2009.

Rosario Bauza has been with “Tango Buenos Aires” since its inception in 1987. She underlines the importance of the Rio de la Plata region when asked about the development of tango, but doesn’t stop there.

“El Rio de La Plata would be the most approximate answer, but there is not one right place of origination for tango,” she says. “It is a way that developed over a progression of time, with influences from all over the world,” she says.

The troupe gets around. El Paso is catching “Tango Buenos Aires” near the beginning of a three-month U.S. and Canada tour. After 23 years, where’s the one country where they haven’t yet performed, but Bauza would like to visit?

“United Arab Emirates,” she says.

Tango Buenos Aires
UTEP’s Magoffin Auditorium
Sunday, Jan. 9 – 7:30 p.m.
$47-$55 plus fees
Tickets available at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com
or call 1-800-745-3000.

Victoria, BC

Friday, Jan 7: Argentine Tango Lessons at Café Casablanca, 2524 Bridge St. Beginners lesson 8 p.m. followed by Tango Pacifico milonga at 9 p.m. Cost: $8/$10. Tel. 250-389-0222. tangopacifico.com.

Victoria Ballroom Dance Society Practice. VBDS hosts open dance practice; singles and couples welcome, Les Passmore Centre, 286 Hampton Rd., 7-9:30 p.m. Tel. 250-721-5483 or vbds.org

Join Saanich International Folkdancers to learn dances from around the world. No partner needed, wear soft-soled shoes Cost: $5. Tel. 250-595-7661. Tonight drop-in at Fairfield United Church, 1303 Fairfield Rd., 7:30 p.m.

Mountain View, California

Help raise funds for an innovative free program – “The Dance Club Mountain View” – designed to bring the joy of dance to teenagers in Mountain View school districts. Developed by the non-profit Mountain View Police Activities League, the Cheryl Burke Dance Mountain View studio staff and the hip hop Soul Con Dance Company, this program will roll out into district schools on January 13.

Cheryl teaches a free Salsa class for teens starting at 6:45 – 7:15 p.m. Teens who sign up in advance for Cheryl’s Salsa class get in free! Meet city officials and civic leaders on hand to celebrate the studio expansion – and the expansion of community involvement, a cornerstone of the Cheryl Burke Dance Mission.

Wine provided courtesy of The Cantankerous Fish. Sangria provided, courtesy of Artisan Wine Depot. Appetizers and soda also available.

For a very low admission fee of $29, people will be able to help support Teens in Mt View while having a fun evening of world class performances, dancing and refreshments. Call the studio for more information: 650.864.9150

January 10, 2011 @ 7PM
Cheryl Burke Dance Studio
1400 N Shoreline Blvd,
Mountain View, California
Tickets at $29

_________________________________
SOURCES:

“Tango, a dance with history, heads to Magoffin Auditorium”
By Dan Lambert
05-JAN-2010
http://www.whatsuppub.com
http://www.whatsuppub.com/showArticle.asp?articleId=10204

“Calendar (Part 1)”
January 6, 2011
http://www.timescolonist.com
http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Calendar+Part/4067905/story.html

“An evening with Forever Tango stars and Cheryl Burke”
01/05/2011
http://globalnation.inquirer.net
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/announcements/announcements/view/20110105-312700/An-evening-with-Forever-Tango-stars-and-Cheryl-Burke

Players had become assets to be sold off to repay club debts, one agent said, while the growing exodus of Argentina’s best young players is leaving a void in the local game.

“The reality today is that a player is a major asset, bringing in more revenue than television, ticket sales, merchandising, licensing,” Gerardo Molina, an agent for Euroamericas Sports Marketing, said.

“In other words, they are the main source of revenue for clubs in Argentina and Brazil. That explains the haste with which they look at which players they can sell at the end of the season to find a way to somehow pay the debts that most Argentine clubs have.”

Argentina, which has produced some of the world’s top players including Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez, sold close to 1,800 players between 2009 and 2010 compared to Brazil’s 1,440, according to figure’s compiled by Molina’s company.

It has overtaken Brazil, the highest exporter of the last decade, and now supplies Europe with an ever-increasing number of players.

Molina said Argentina’s figures had rocketed because it had a dual system under which clubs and private academies were sending young players abroad, while in other countries only clubs handled the sales.

“The combination — the fusion of the first division run by the Argentine Football Association combined with private schools exporting players directly, without going through an agent — is what has made the numbers take off exponentially compared to Brazil, which continues to work with an academy level that isn’t as big as Argentina’s,” he said.

“And (Brazil) continues to give priority to the players that come out of their clubs and the agents who sell players who are products of the clubs, essentially from the first division.”

BACKWARD STEP

The competing systems and the easing of European club restrictions on foreign players have led to a nearly 800 percent increase in the export of Argentine players in five years.

Players are being sold to European and other leagues around the world at increasingly younger ages.

Many are sold by the time they are 15 or 16, when they are still in youth divisions and often before they have made a first-division debut in their home country.

Few, if any, of the 1,800 will go on to become the next Messi, considered by many to be the world’s top active player.

Former player Adrian Domenech, who is in charge of the youth scheme at first division club Argentinos Juniors, said playing in second-tier European leagues instead of the top flight in Argentina was a backward step for many players.

“To go and play in markets that in terms of football aren’t professionally beneficial is a step back in a player’s career because they are soccer markets of lesser merit,” said Domenech, who played for the Argentinos Juniors team that won the South American Libertadores Cup in 1985.

“(In) Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, a bunch of teams have taken players because they have economic power, Greece too, and the players have gone for a lot of money, knowing that in terms of soccer it isn’t maybe the best thing for their career.”

FINANCIAL BENEFITS

Soccer in Argentina is the sport of the poor and the financial benefits are enticing to many young players and their families, who see a contract in Europe as a way to escape poverty.

According to Domenech, most of these players who leave at what he says is too young an age return by the time they are 18 or 19.

This hurts not only the players but also the teams that paid for them in the hope of finding a young, successful newcomer.

For Domenech, it is obvious that only a few youngsters from each age group he coaches will make it to the best leagues or be able to represent their country in the top international tournaments.

Ramon Maddoni, head coach of Boca Juniors’ junior teams, has discovered many players who have had long, lucrative and successful careers at the highest level.

Maddoni, discovered and nurtured players such as Tevez, Juan Pablo Sorin, who was captain of Argentina’s 2006 World Cup side, Newcastle United defender Fabricio Coloccini and Esteban Cambiasso, a key midfielder in Inter Milan’s Champions League win last May.

He agrees that players are being sold too early, robbing them of their chance to excel at home and opening up a talent void for local clubs.

“(Boca) sold a lot of very young kids, like (Espanyol defender Juan) Forlin, (Palermo’s Ezequiel) Munoz, (Galatasaray’s former Liverpool left back) Emiliano Insua, a bunch of kids that today would be 23 or 24 and would be playing in the first division. Replacing them is a slow, gradual process,” he said.
______________________________________
SOURCE:
“Argentina becomes biggest exporter of players”
REUTERS, Dec 15, 2010
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/Argentina-becomes-biggest-exporter-of-players/articleshow/7102911.cms

But ask “La Rubia del Norte’’ — the Blonde from the North — to name her favorite tango venues and her answer might be surprising.

“I love coming to Boston,’’ said Marder, who lives, DJs, and tangos in Woodstock, N.Y. “There are good venues. There are good organizers. There’s a high caliber of teachers. There are good dancers. They are serious about the dance. They are serious about the culture.’’

You didn’t know Boston had a tango culture? Had you consulted the calendar of the Tango Society of Boston, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “the support and growth of the Argentine Tango’’ — an improvisational, sensual ballroom dance — you’d have discovered how vibrant it was, and that just about every day of the week there’s an opportunity to learn tango, practice tango, dance tango, even do “TangoFlow’’ workouts.

Had you eavesdropped on a Friday night “Milonga Nueva’’ social event at New England Tango Academy in Cambridge, you’d have gotten a taste of this intensely expressed and self-contained world. In an incongruous location across from the landmark “Live Poultry Fresh Killed’’ sign on Cambridge Street, and up a narrow flight of stairs, the dancers flock by the dozen on milonga nights, but not before 10 p.m. — and that’s considered early.

“This is not so bad. In Argentina they start dancing at 2 [a.m.],’’ said Fernanda Cajide, the academy’s artistic director.

It’s a scene unlike like any other. About a year ago, this former martial arts studio became loudly Latin with bright orange walls, bold yellow curtains trimmed with velvet, and chandeliers. Men and women, who may or may not have arrived together, are locked in steamy embraces, legs hooked around legs, foreheads nuzzling cheeks, toes being used like pencils to trace squiggles on the floor, a man’s foot gently scooping and lifting his partner’s foot. Some of the men have gray hair. Some of the women sport tattoos.

And their shoes! Sequins and straps and stilettos, some of them limited editions and procured (a dancer discloses) from a little-known shop in Buenos Aires. They’re called the Manolo Blahniks of tango footwear.

Men (many in black) and women (with plunging necklines) cross the floor wordlessly and somehow, silently, end up in each other’s arms. How did they do that? It’s called “cabaceo,’’ Marder explained. It’s a subtle movement, an eyebrow, a meeting of the eyes. An invitation to dance by exchanging glances. It’s one of the “codes’’ of Argentinian tango.

How many in Boston know these codes?

A lot, as it turns out. The Tango Society of Boston started out small 13 years ago, but now there are 5,000 people on the mailing list, according to its president, Vicky Magaletta, who grew up in Buenos Aires where the Sunday morning family ritual was to listen to tango music, and where tango was part of school gym class. The society sponsors many tango activities including milongas, workshops led by international tango masters, festivals, and events such as the Tango by Moonlight on the Weeks pedestrian bridge in Cambridge. Another important venue is Brookline’s Blue Tango, led by Hsueh-tze Lee, who hosts and DJs Blue Milonga, a popular Saturday milonga in Boston.

The tango community here has been further invigorated by the elegant Cajide. She and a business partner opened the Academy on Cambridge Street about a year ago; it offers lessons, workshops, milongas as well as practicas where dancers can practice by themselves or with a partner, dashing in for an hour as one woman did recently — still in her hospital scrubs. There are also milonga nueva nights which draw a younger crowd attracted to a tango form with a more contemporary beat and more open embrace.

Tango first took off in the United States in the1980s when the production “Tango Argentino’’ came to Broadway. But teachers and dancers say that it’s become energized in the past five years or so, and Boston has a growing reputation as a center for it.

“I think it has to do with the sense of human touch and people wanting to make connections in a world where they’re increasingly isolated,’’ Marder theorizes. “I see people looking for friendship and for a way to express themselves. And of course, they’re dancing to some of the most beautiful music in the world. People call it the ‘tango zone.’ It’s a very positive thing for you, physically and mentally.’’

It’s clearly not for everyone, especially not the dancer who wants to memorize moves. “Tango is different from any other ballroom dance,’’ Marder said. “It’s an improvised dance. The leader does not know what he’s going to do in his next step. You really are not learning steps. It’s more like learning a language. The teachers can give you words and phrases and sentences but you have to put it together and communicate it to your partner. And you’re not just dancing with your partner. You’re dancing with everyone on the dance floor. There are very strong codes to keep people from crashing into each other.’’

Who are these dancers? An unscientific study at the Tango Academy detected some trends. There are a lot of Russians. “I’ve met more Borises and Tanyas and Olgas here than I ever have in my life,’’ said Bernie Toale, the former Boston gallery owner who started taking lessons two years ago with his partner, Joe Zina.

“I wanted to learn something completely new and . . . at my age, to take on something mildly physical seemed like the sensible thing to do,’’ said Toale, who is 63. Now he and Zina are tango addicts, taking classes an average of five nights a week in Boston and even more when they go to Buenos Aires, where they now go for three months every winter. Even so, he notes wryly, “We’re still in Fernanda’s advanced beginner’s class. She won’t let us out.’’

There are also a lot of engineers and college professors including Joanna Nizynska, an associate professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Harvard; her regular dance partner is Cecil Adderley, who chairs the Music Education Department at Berklee College of Music.

“Tango is very good for someone who is neurotic and for whom satisfaction doesn’t come easily. Therefore it has a lot of academics,’’ said Nizynska. “We thrive on unfulfillment.’’
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SOURCE:
“Embracing tango”
For information about tango activities in Boston, go to bostontango.org or newenglandtangoacademy.com. Linda Matchan can be reached at l_matchan@globe.com
By Linda Matchan
Globe Staff / November 16, 2010
http://www.boston.com
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2010/11/16/embracing_the_tango/

At a partnership lunch between The Argentina Tourist Board (INPROTUR) and the QCCI, Mr Meyer, accompanied by Mr Ruben Caro, Ambassador of Argentina to the State of Qatar (non-resident), discussed increasing ties between Qatar and Argentina. The lunch was attended by several high-profile figures from Qatar’s investment and tourism industries including Mr Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways.

Mr Meyer launched an international tourism investment campaign for Argentina in London a month ago and emphasized the importance of Qatar and the Middle East in promoting investment in the Argentine tourism industry.

Speaking at the lunch, Mr Meyer said, “Qatar Airways has established Doha as an international hub of global importance and the direct route to Buenos Aires has greatly facilitated travel to Latin America for people not just in the Middle East but Asia and beyond. As Minster of Tourism I have witnessed the increase in visitors to Argentina and the event today allows us to build on these early foundations and provide travel agencies and investors with a deeper understanding of the opportunities that my country affords.”

In June this year, Qatar Airways began flights from Doha, providing access to Argentina for visitors from Qatar and the Middle East. Mr Al Baker confirmed at the lunch that Qatar Airways are now evaluating direct flights to Beunos Ares that will not stop at Brazil.

Following Qatar, INPROTUR’s investment campaign will continue on to China and the US.

More About Qatar

Qatar, also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qa?ar, is an Arab country, known officially as an emirate, in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south; otherwise, the Persian Gulf surrounds the state. A strait of the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island nation of Bahrain. Qatar is an oil- and gas-rich nation, with the third largest gas reserves, and the first or second highest GDP per capita in the world. An absolute monarchy, Qatar has been ruled by the al-Thani family since the mid-19th century and has since transformed itself from a British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the Emir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, overthrew him in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Next January, Qatar will host the 2011 AFC Asian Cup (Asian Football Confederation) with the final fixture being held at Khalifa International Stadium.

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SOURCES:

“Minister of Tourism of Argentina in Qatar to promote investment and tourism opportunities”
Sunday, October 24
http://www.ameinfo.com
http://www.ameinfo.com/246337.html

“Qatar”
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar

Located at Phoenix Tower in Minet El Hosn, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Gaucho Beirut is only a few minutes from the city’s business and banking district, a short walk from the ever lively “Down Town” with its designer shops and within close proximity to the city’s most popular night clubs; a convenient location for client lunches, relaxing shopping breaks and chic nights out.

Gaucho will bring its distinctive menu to Beirut’s 120-seat restaurant, featuring the award-winning Argentine Ceviches – ‘the new sushi’, traditional Empanadas and renowned steak cuts from the finest free-range Argentine Aberdeen Angus Beef.

“We source all our meat and many of our ingredients from Argentina, because we don’t compromise on authenticity,” says Executive Chef, Fernando Trocca.

Considered the best beef in the world, the Argentine steak cuts are cooked in the traditional Argentine way. They are cut to order, flash-grilled and turned only once to seal the juices and enhance the flavor, providing greater caramelization. To add to its exquisite food offering.

It’s a restaurant concept that will be doing lunch, afternoon, pre-dinner drinks, dinner and events; a concept that is quite unique to Beirut and further enriches its culinary offerings,” says Ryan Hattingh, Gaucho’s International Operations Director.

“At Gaucho, we are committed to offering our guests a varied choice of the finest quality dining options along with impeccable service, an ideal combination that distinguishes us from any other dining hub, while bringing in an added dimension to dining in Beirut,” he adds. To ensure Gaucho Beirut is run at full speed right from the start, a team of Gaucho’s top personas from London were brought in to launch the Beirut operation.

Commenting on Gaucho’s unique design features, Ryan says, “Beirut’s menu and restaurant follow Gaucho’s trademark style with design by ‘Conceptualise’ a London based design team headed by Patsy Godik and Grant White.”

In the restaurant, a mix of cowhide leather, mirror panels and statement sparkling chandeliers combine to make an impressive dining space matched with a sophisticated ambience. For a more intimate affair, the glamorous Private Dining Room, which seats 12 diners, creates an exclusive private party setting.

Through meticulous design and direction, the Gaucho brand has evolved into an award winning restaurant group. Gaucho Beirut, the first international Gaucho restaurant, will be adding its own Middle Eastern touch to the group, serving the locals and tourists of this bustling city the finest of Argentine cuisine.
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SOURCE:
“London’s Gaucho restaurant opens in Beirut”
Nov 1, 2010
http://www.ameinfo.com
http://www.ameinfo.com/247493.html