La Paz Does Tango

This past Friday evening I had the wonderful (and kind of crazy) opportunity to play live tango music for the La Paz Tango Club. I’ve rehearsed a few times with a pianist that I met at the one and only Milonga (tango dance) that I went to during my first month here. Tango is very different from classical music, obviously, so although I had the music, it was quite different to have to “interpret” the music. We went down to Café Berlin in the Zona Sur – by 8:30pm the café had filled with 50 or so people, smoking and drinking, sitting around a nice wooden dance floor. We played two sets of 4 songs each for a surprised and very happy crowd of dancers (I think it has been a while since they had live music), including one improvisational “techno tango” song.

I’m so used to having easy access to group violining, like chamber music and orchestras in the United States, so it was so nice to be able to practice with another human being instead of locking myself in my living room and staring at music. We had only practiced 3 or so times, but after a 2 hour dress rehearsal in the cafe the music was so effortless and fulfilling. The actual playing went by very smoothly (yes, the music was a bit easy), and as I walked off of the dance floor I got a few very big applauses. We played an incredible song written by Astor Piazzola, as a memory for his dead grandfather, called “Adios Nonino” that apparently moved a few of the audience members to tears.

I suppose the highlight of the evening, and perhaps the scariest moment for me as well, was when the crowd asked for an encore – Stefan (the pianist) and I had briefly rehearsed the Czardas by Monti, which I haven’t touched for about 6 years. It’s not a very difficult piece…after you practice it for a while…but it has a series of very, very fast runs. The crowd was cheering and smiling, so I looked at Stefan, shrugged my shoulders, and began to play the music. At the beginning of the most memorable part, the whole place started clapping and stomping. My mind and fingers were basically on autopilot. I heard myself playing in to the microphone, thinking to myself “Wow, this is fast. Wow, this actually sounds pretty good.”

I still don’t have much of an idea how I managed to play the piece without practicing – I credit the success to adrenaline and relaxation. Usually when I play in front of crowds I get incredibly nervous and start shaking, but this time, because the focus of the evening was dancing, I didn’t really feel agitated or worried. I just let myself be.

Tonight is actually my last night here. I spent the day running around and doing errands, visiting the doctors at the hospital and buying a few last minute gifts (including coca tea, but don’t tell the US Government or I might get in trouble.) I have a bunch of pictures to post of Tihuanacu and Lake Titicaca, which will be coming en seguida, but I think now I am going to sit back and let the night flow…and reflect later.