Ketvitasis BALTIJOS TANGO FESTIVALIS 2009

Šokio ir muzikos šventė

Eduardo Gimenez

(Uruguay, Lithuania)

The tango explosion in Lithuania is paradoxically very “sui generis”. Anyone who was born and lived all his life between Argentinian and Uruguayan slums (where tango has still remained authentic) is used to see "men quartet”, or men tango orchestra, as well as any other forms of men’s tango performance, where the woman’s role is to impress the audience with her unexpected appearance as a leitmotif in the dance or in some parody. This leitmotif is the most expected part of the show, and the reason for all the failures in the "machos compadritos" lives. However, tango has always been a men’s thing, a hard pain in courage when fighting for the honor of one's lady and for oneself. In music and lyrics we can see the same fingers using a jackknife and a "bandoneon", wasted hands of working class playing guitar and producing masterpieces of music learnt by heart. Whatever role one plays in one’s life, this is the essence, the same passion, the same daily street history.

I wonder what the real Argentinian "Tangueros" would say about 3 girls playing tango in a typical tango quartet, and constituting the majority in number and in emotions. This was exactly the reason why I was so touched and inspired. Regardless of this, I often forget that I am playing with women. This must be due to the role's and value's shifting because of the Soviet society heritage.

Argentinian tango came to Lithuania in April 1999 when Eduardo Gimenez brought a lot of things pertaining to tango from Uruguay and Argentina. These were the music records, books, dance, songs, as well as philosophy, the love for tango and its lyrics, and the hope for its evolution in the future.

Eduardo started teaching at the gallery “Desine – Kaire” in Vilnius together with an Argentinian-Lithuanian artist Elvyra Katarina Kriauciunaite. Afterwards, he made tango popular not just in Lithuania but also in other Baltic countries.

He says that the key to success is the infinite love for life and for love itself, love for courage and respect, the passion to unite these virtues in oneself, even if for a single moment in one’s life.

www.tangogimenez.lt

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