Milonga - Tango in Belgium » Brussels

Photos: first Tangueria of 2012

Peter — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:44:57 +0000

My first Tangueria of the year: meeting a lot of friends, taking pictures of some of my favourite models, and some nice dancing to the music of DJ Stephan. Life is good.

Full album here: Tangueria

Last Bruxelles Aires @ Kafka of 2011!

Peter — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:43:52 +0000

Tonight at 21h: the last Bruxelles Aires Tango Orchestra concert of the year! In café Kafka, four musicians will bring you a mix of tango, theatre and a bit of opera. No one has ever asked you for a tip the way Lola can!
And while you’re at it, maybe give them some views / comments / favs on Flickr? Maybe they make it to the Most popular pics of 2011!

15 years of Marisa & Oliver

Peter — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:26:25 +0000

This weekend Marisa & Oliver celebrate their 15th anniversary of tango together. The Tangueria salon on Sunday welcomes lots of invited maestros and promises to be a party filled with nice demos and sweet memories!

Marisa and Oliver met in the tangoscene back in 1994, when tango was still kind of “underground” in Brussels. They started to work together and became a (tango) couple in 1996, teaching in the mythical “Rue de L’Argonne“, a tango place run by Vincent & Maryline. During 5 years they combined their tango work as teachers, performers and milonga organizers with a regular job at dance company Rosas (Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker). Then, in 2001, they became tango professionals. Another important milestone was the opening in 2006 of their own tango place and school, La Tangueria, which is renowned until today as one of the main milongas in Brussels.
At the 15 year anniversary, they have invited 2 couples who started their careers together with Marisa & Oliver and are still regarded as 2 of the most important tango couples in Belgium today: Sergio & Gisela + Maryline & Vincent. For 15 years these 3 couples have been working together and next to each other in the best understanding, and a solid friendship has grown. Two other couples who have been very important for Marisa & Oliver will also perform on 11th December: Andrès & Nathalie (co-organisers of the Brussels International Tango Festival, together with François Pettiaux), and Birkit & Muzaffer from Utrecht, who have been dancing together with Marisa & Oliver in 4 international tango shows.

Photos: El Pibe Sarandi in BRYC

Peter — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:43:05 +0000

Last weekend Brussels welcomed El Pibe Sarandi, a Buenos Aires maestro with more then 50 years of tango experience. Benedicte and Jens-Ingo invited him to the Brussels Royal Yacht Club. He gave a demo together with Benedicte of his smooth milonga style.

The BRYC is a beautiful place to dance; check out the collection of flags on the wall!

This is the BRYC album.

Announced: 2nd Tango Solidario Gala

Peter — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:06:49 +0000

Next week Sunday October 30, Nosotros organizes their second edition of the “Tango Solidario Gala”, a tango fundraiser, collecting money to buy instruments. Last year’s edition was a succes, allowing Nosotros to buy 17 instruments for the Orchestra School Ingeniero White. This year should be interesting too, with DJ Philippe and a demo by Andrea & Sebastian.
Sunday 30 Oct, Bouche à Oreille (Etterbeek), 17h – 22h!

Photos: Bruxelles Aires at Kafka café

Peter — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:00:56 +0000

After I had met them at Musicometro, I was curious to see the Bruxelles Aires Tango Orchestra at the Kafka café in Brussels. And indeed, the cosy setting adds to their cabaretesque performance.

Check out their next concerts:

More photos here: Bruxelles Aires album

Photos: La Tentation

Peter — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:17:40 +0000

Every now and then Dante & Monik organize a milonga with performances in La Tentation. This weekend it was the Enrique Nicolas Tango Quartet performing, as well as a demo of both Monik & Dante (tango) and Julio Garrido (zapateo).

The light was low and very red, therefore most pictures are black and white.

All pictures here: Milonga @ La tentation

Maryline & Vincent @ Garage 29

Peter — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:05:27 +0000

It’s always a pleasure to see Maryline & Vincent perform, and so I didn’t want to miss the demo they would give after their workshop at Garage29.

It was also the first time I went to this … garage, and I rather liked its character. The light was a bit difficult on the dancefloor, but thanks to the softboxes close to the bar I could actually take some nice portraits.

DJ Andres, aided by the cutest cortinas, kept spirits high and we danced until way after we were supposed to leave. The two cats that live there, allowed us to stay, although slightly reluctantly, as cats do.

Full album here: Garage 29 at Flickr

Looking for tango extras in “Mr. Morgan’s Last Love”

Peter — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:27:47 +0000

Pour le tournage du film “MISTER MORGAN’S LAST LOVE“, avec MICHAEL CAINE et CLÉMENCE POÉSY, nous recherchons des FIGURANTS-DANSEURS pour une ou plusieurs journées entre mi-novembre et décembre 2011 à Bruxelles.

Pour plusieurs séquences qui se déroulent dans une école de danse, nous recherchons :

Des danseurs de tous types et de tous niveaux (hommes et femmes, amateurs bienvenus…)

Des danseurs de Tango (en couples si possible)

Des danseurs séniors (à partir de 60 ans, hommes et femmes)

Des enfants danseurs (entre 10 et 14 ans, garçons et filles)

Si vous êtes intéressé(e)s par l’aventure, merci de nous faire parvenir quelques photos récentes, ainsi que votre âge, taille, expérience, numéro de contact, et disponibilité sur la période. Vous pouvez nous envoyer votre candidature par mail à : castingmmll@gmail.com

In English: there is a movie shoot for “MISTER MORGAN’S LAST LOVE” with Michael Caine and Clémence Poésy. This shoot will be in Brussels in Nov/Dec 2011.
They are looking for:

Dancers of all types and levels
Tango dancers (preferably in couple)
Senoir dancers (60+, men and women)
Teenage dancers (10-14y, girls and boys)

If you want to participate, send the following to castingmmll@gmail.com : some recent pictures, your age, height, experience, your availaibility in Nov-Dec and a contact telephone no.

Brussels Tango Marathon: the last days of summer

Peter — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 08:27:44 +0000

I don’t know how many candles they have burnt to accomplish it, but the organizers of the BTM, Elfje, Emilie, Laura and Oliver, got more summer in 3 days than we have gotten the three months before. With a lot of visitors from all over Europe, excellent food and fine DJs, this made it an exceptional event, and a comfortably warm ending of a less-than-warm summer.

Also check the full Brussels Tango Marathon 2011 album.

Photos: Bruxelles Aires in the metro

Peter — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:21:37 +0000

This weekend, in order to promote public transport, there were a number of concerts in metro stations all over Brussels: Musicometro. I had the pleasure to meet and accompany the Brussels tango quartet Bruxelles Aires, performing in Brussels Central.

An acoustic set in a big metro station is not an easy thing, but the four musicians did a great job in engaging the public and drawing quite a crowd. I certainly intend to go see them when they play in the Kafka cafe.

Photos: Final Milonga @ Kiosque of the season

Peter — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:49:22 +0000

Just when the logistics of organizing the Milonga @ Kiosque had become a routine, we were taught a lesson by the forces of Random Error and Elaborate Sabotaging. When we arrived, the gates were not open, so we had to carry everything by hand to the Kiosque, and when we had done that and tried to get the music going, we discovered that all options for electricity had been removed. So we had to scramble to find a battery and candles powered solution. This last edition can easily be called the most low-tech, tenebrious and romantic milonga of the summer.

DJ Mala and DJ Philippe, aided by a speaker with 4 AA batteries, made people dance to the light of a dozen candles big and small. Judging by the smiling faces, we didn’t do a bad job. But we might have some extra grey hairs since Saturday.

Photos: Milonga @ Kiosque #5

Peter — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:14:55 +0000

DJ Philippe did an interesting educational experiment last Kiosque: he had printed out all composers, orchestras and singers, and kept us informed during every tanda who was playing. It was a nice touch to a cosy milonga.

There was rain announced, but our own guardian milonguero from above kept it dry. We had cake and drinks and danced until the end!

Photos: El Flaco Dany in Brussels

Peter — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 10:00:17 +0000

The legendary Flaco Dany visited Brussels and we saw him at a very unique location: the Brussels Royal Yacht Club. It had been years since there was a milonga in this place.

Dany gave a demo of four milongas, and I don’t mean slow ones, in a row and, together with Lucia Mirzan, showed everyone how he earned his reputation.

And then there was lots of dancing next to the canal, with the excellent music of DJ Jens-Ingo.

“La Tubatango” in Patio de Tango

Peter — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:58:04 +0000

For those of you who like dancing to live bands, there is the concert of Tuba Tango this Thursday at the Patio de Tango. This is an rather unusual tango orchestra, with bandoneon, clarinet, guitar and, obviously, a tuba. They’ve existed, with changing musicians, since 1967. Catch them on their European tour!

La Tubatango’s objective is to relive the festive spirit of the tango from the 1900s; times when any celebration would have the citizens of Buenos Aires go out and walk down the streets following the bands, ‘fanfarrias’ and carnival groups.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI7J-JQew-A

Exceptional: El Flaco Dany workshops + milonga in BRYC

Peter — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:00:13 +0000

Legendary Argentine maestro Daniel Garcia, nicknamed El Flaco Dany, is coming to Belgium! Some call him the best milonga con traspie dancer in the world. In any case, he has been dancing for 50 years and is a famous teacher and performer. He will give workshops on Friday 26, Saturday 27 and Sunday 28, you can find the topics and hours on the Brussels agenda. There are still places, but better be quick!

But there’s not only the workshops. Organizers Benedicte and Jens-Ingo have also found a unique place for a tango salon on Friday: the Brussels Royal Yacht Club. Built in 1906, next to the Brussels Canal, this is a place with history and an amazing view, certainly at night. Your DJ is Jens-Ingo and of course there will be a demo of Flaco Dany and Lucia Mirzan. The milonga is on Friday night, 26 August, don’t miss it!

Photos: Milonga @ Kiosque #4

Peter — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 08:40:50 +0000

The fourth edition of the Kiosque milonga was a delight. Apart from some sporadic drizzle, it was a perfect outdoor dancing occasion. DJ Mala not only took care of beautiful music, she also made a delicious Баница for the dancers.

We saw some new faces, visitors from the Marathon del Chocolate, and others who just happened to pass by, and it was good to see
everyone having fun.

Photos: Milonga du soleil

Peter — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:17:30 +0000

The summer is an active tango time in Brussels, an example of that is the new milonga on Saturdays: Milonga du Soleil. Last week’s edition featured a demo from a couple teachers from Paris: Ariane and Ozgur. Ozgur has been coming to Brussels often, and never fails to look good on pictures, partly because he makes his partners smile. And some of the people watching too.

Milonga du Soleil is organized by pretty much the same people as the Marathon del Chocolate. Busy guys, Andrej and Sidar. The venue is in what seems to be a converted garage, and the floor and music leave nothing to be desired.

All pics in the album.
Al

Video: marathon del chocolate

Peter — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 09:31:59 +0000

Brussels will soon have its first Marathon del Chocolate and the organizers keep on finding original ways to let people know. Some weeks ago, Jasna & Virginie filmed some Brussels tangueros dancing in several places in Brussels, some of them less obvious and made this nice movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnR_cITgEGI

You might recognized: Monik & Dante, Elina, Pablo, Dounia, Adrien, Manneke Pis, yours truly, Fauve, the organizers Sidar & Andrej and many others.

Dance: Brussels Tango Dancers including expats.
Camera: Virginie
Edit by: Guillermo
Directed by: Jasna

Sponsors:
Bionade – http://www.bionade.com/
Cronos – http://www.cronos.be/

Kiosque #2: the photos

Peter — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 07:33:48 +0000

It was kind of an unusual Kiosque this Saturday. When we arrived to set up the milonga, there was a guy sleeping in the kiosque. As we started making a bit of noise, he got up, apologized and moved to a tent just outside the kiosque to resume his sleep. Because it started raining around 5pm, lots of non-tango people came to look for shelter under the kiosque roof and watched intrigued as the first tangueros arrived and started dancing.

We know the weather was sub-optimal, so we really appreciate everyone who came and shared the experience with us. It was a memorable evening, with DJ Mala under an umbrella, with home-made banitsa, the sound of the raindrops mixing with Lomuto, and Biagi inspiring people to keep warm by dancing.