Pete And Dud Talk Tango
28th May 2009
Act One
Pete: You know what Dud?
Dud: Yes Pete;
Pete: I was sitting in Negrachas the other night, just sipping my pint -
Dud: As one does.
Pete: - Yes Dud as you say; as one does. Anyway I was sitting there sipping my pint at Negracha's -
Dud: Was that Urban or traditional Pete?
Pete: - Well you know me Pete, I would be down with the the urbans, but its me knees.
Dud: Your knees?
Pete: Yes Dud I've got these knees.
Dud: Have you had them looked at?
Pete: Indeed i have, indeed I have. In fact several Harley Street specialists have looked at my knees.
Dud: And what did they say?
Pete: Well in no uncertain terms - I mean that's what you pay a Harley Street specialist for; isn't it? You dont expect uncertainty; if you heard uncertain terms you might begin to think that he wasnt as good as he made himself out to be -
Dud: So what did he say?
Pete: Well in terms of Absolute Unconditional Certainty he said that on no account should I attempt dance Nuevo.
Dud: He didn't! ( shocked)
Pete: He did, Dud he did.
Silence for a few moments, both sip at their beer...
Pete: Didn't like all that nuevo music anyway. Its a bit frivolous.
Dud: Me neither; far too frivolous.
Act Two
Pete: Well Dud; as a musician, which of the tango orchestras gains your favour.
Dud: For me, the arrangements of Tanturi coupled with the velvety voice of Enrique Campos are the epitome of good dance music. No other singer can convey emotion coupled with a sonorous rendition. Foe me he is the Bing Crosby of the tango world; not just beautiful to the ear but like drinking a really good cup of Espresso. The music has been steamed out under high temperature and the result is rich tasting and dark and smooth. What about you Pete?
Pete: Give me Pugliese every time. He is the Jimi Hendrix of the Bandoneon. He makes the instrument sound like the human voice. a human voice with passion and drama; His rendition of La Yumba captures every other tango song ever played with a bandoneon.
Dud: he was a pianist Pete.
Pete: that makes his genius even more extraordinary. Only someone with such vision could make an instrument he wasnt playing sound so evocative. When I hear Galla Ciego or Negracha I am aroused to a state of passion that is rarely experienced outside cloistered religious institutions.
If Tanturi and Campos are the best coffee of tango, then Pugliese is the Mescaline of tango. When I hear his music it transports to an altered state where I lose myself. I am no longer conscious of there being a me and a partner or that I am in a room full of people; there is only music and movement. I am no longer responsible for my actions when Pugliese is played.
Dud: Is that why you bump into so many people then?
Pete: quite possibly, Dud, quite possibly.
- BorderTangoMan, 28th May 2009