Boxing Day in Los Cardones, Pena Folclorica, Buenos Aires

 

Los Cardones, tu Rincon Salteno en Buenos Aires. A small corner of the Province of Salta here in Buenos Aires - just half a block away from my domicile.

 

Taking a break from tango I chose this convenient and pleasant alternative to spend Boxing Day evening. Of course la 'pena' only opens around 10:30 p.m. - perfect timing for a dinner of 'berengenas rellenas con guarnicon' - stuffed eggplant and mashed potatoes. That is my preferred menu item in this place since years - it always tastes the same (riquissimo) the only thing that has changed is the price, which has doubled since I placed my first order a few years hence.

 

The main attraction in La Pena is being able to listen to live music. The performances change constantly, with folkloric artists hailing from all Argentinian provinces appearing on stage. Many are of national renown, and attracting thousands of fans when performing large venues or popular and well visited Festivals, such as the one in Cosquin (Cordoba)

 

Los Cardones was packed again by about 11:00 p.m. when 'the action' starts.

 

 

Los Herederos were the main event...their rousing chacareras and melancholic zambas inspired the appreciative audience.

Bands are often a family affair. Brother and sister make up the featured artists, with another singer (Luciano Winton), percussion, guitar and base supporting them. The singers are the parents of the budding percussionists playing the typical bombo.


Next on the Program....Cuervo (Raven) Cajon with his band - the percussionista is his daughter...

Packed House in Los Cardones
The audience is definitely different from the tango crowd. Casual, enthusiastic, clapping, eating and drinking, and keeping active kids under control and nursing babies among the noise and chaos. I wonder how many of these little ones will have unimpaired hearing when they grow up....as the decibels are not exactly beneficial for ears of any age.

Guitarist of Cuervo's band

Cuervo....and his bandoneon

Cuervo's daughter playing the bombo

Duct tape....or something similar ...essential equipment to attach microphones to instruments...

Most bandoneon players cushion their knees, but Cuervo defies convention....not sure wether the bandoneon wore through his jeans, or weather it's just another cool fashion statement. His playing was rousing and passionate...
 

 

Christmas Eve 2015 Buenos Aires

Plaza de Mayo almost empty, except for the ever present doves.....

Plaza Italia, near my apartment in Palermo, glittering under a hot Christmas Sun

I was searching for a 'pleasant and serene place to walk' - but all parks and gardens are closed for Christmas and New Year.

Finding a resto-bar open at Christmas Eve involves a bit of hiking....this initially appeared the only opportunity to enjoy a refreshing drink....but even this guy was 'behind bars' as well, he offered his wares from the inside of a park.

Ah, at Plaza Serrano (sereno?) in Palermo Viejo I found the last open Resto Bar offering a bit of liquid 'Peace and Dove' .

Christmas, a time to spend quality time with your family, intimate friends and lovers - like this couple, obviously totally absorbed maybe not with each other, but at least with their 'texted Christmas Greetings'...Christmas Warmth transmitted to your fingertips....

For the procrastinators....Antonito is still open, offering fruit and 'pollos de campo' to prepare a quick Christmas Dinner...

But 'El Pinguino de Palermo' the restaurant at my corner has shut down for the night - everyone is off celebrating with their families and friends.

Hey, Merry Christmas to myself....flowers, warm sunshine on the balcony, non fattening Christmas Dinner and a small bottle of Champagne, talking with friends via SKYPE....Life is Good.
Feliz Navidad!

The Mindful Season....

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year....

Mercedes Sosa, Argentine Singer, expresses it very well

"Everything Changes"

 

 

But - let us all give thanks for what Life has given us......

A Few Days in December in Buenos Aires....2015

December in Buenos Aires started with the Gran Milonga Nacional, an annual event that takes over Avenida de Mayo for several blocks and turns the avenue into a series of stages and open air dancing spaces. The forecast for the 12 December was for heavy rain, which would have put a damper on this event, but warm temperatures and cloudless skies prevailed.

Live tango music entertained the crowd and people danced on the sticky pavement of the avenue until two in the morning. All cafes (except the iconic Café Tortino) had cleared their tables and chairs from the interior and set up 'camp' in the street.
I had an 'invitation' to the 'dancers' enclosure at the base of the main stage, where some of the best beloved tango orchestras (and traditional taped tango) accompanied the dancers on the stage. Many familiar faces from the regular 'milongas' in the city were present, and I danced the night away without breaking my ankles (or heels) on the plywood dance stage....

Open Air Milonga

Sunday CLub Gricel and Sueno Porteno celebrated the 91st birthday of La Reina de la Milonga Sueno Porteno, the great and ever young Blanquita. She has been dancing since she was eleven years old, and eighty years later she still delivers a tango - or even a fast milonga - with impressive panache. Always elegant, always radiant, groomed impeccably, she attracts the best dancers, who lead her through a tanda with gentleness and care.

Blanquita dancing tango on her 91st birthday

From the tips of her coiffure to the elegant high heels of her tango shoes - always a lady.

Julia and Blanquita at her birthday

And for the Record....Blanquita and some of her friends...

And - regular life goes on as usual - in Buenos Aires. It's hot and humid, and one still stumbles occasionally into ever present pot holes and cracks in the sidewalks, one avoids stepping into doggy poop, one deals with frequent power outages. The Internet cuts out regularly, Subways don't work because of  strikes for any imaginable reason, airports are closed because of demonstrations, streets are closed for the same reasons, traffic is atrocious....one shrugs it off and has a siesta....

Tango greats, in their late nineties, are singing at milongas to enthusiastic and adoring dancers.

El Nuevo Chique attracts 'the regulars' on Tuesdays and Thursdays...

Filete is declared Patrimonio de Humanidad by UNESCO

..and San Telmo still bakes in the heat.

Parroquia San Pedro Gonzales Telmo....just beside an old prison (the even older Jesuit Monastery, which served as homeless shelter, hospital and social support for abandoned women way back when). Ironically the same Jesuits, who lived and worked here, were incarcerated in their very own monastery when their order was declared illegal and Jesuits were extradicted from the country.

Graffiti - or wall art - in SanTelmo

Historic building - awaiting its 'renaissance'

On 17. December 2015 - another historic moment in Argentina! After four years of CEPO (trade restrictions) on the US Dollar. the new government has lifted the Cepo within a week of assuming power. As of today, there will be instead of a dozen exchange rates (only one of them 'official) for dolar ahorro, dolar turistico, dolar tarjeta, dolar blu, dolar arbolitos,dolar bolsa and who knows how many other versions of the same thing, only ONE rate driven by the open market.

Nine minutes to go for the CEPO to become history, the count down on television stations has started. Nine minutes before drop dead time, the question remains: where will the new exchange rate settle...

one second to go until THE ANSWER is available....

...the markets are opening, the exchange houses are holding their breath, the arbolitos (illegal street exchange people waving bank notes like tree leafs hence 'little trees') holding everything else (will they still have their cambio, cambio, cambio jobs in Calle Florida?) and life goes on.

It's official....

The first 'pantalla' (advertising screen) of a Calle Florida Exchange house flashes the first post-CEPO rate

 

And the rest of Buenos Aires - situation normal - Subway stopped since five hours, to protest the lay off of 26 employees.

 

History in the Making in Argentina - 10 December 2015

A historic event for Argentina, 10th December 2015. An era has ended and a new one has begun. Mauricio Macri has been inaugurated as President of Argentina, and the country will be governed by him and his cabinet.

I joined the multitudes in El Centro of Buenos Aires to celebrate the transition and watch the parade from El Congreso to Casa Rosada, along the iconic Avenida de Mayo.

Of course, getting there was half the fun. Most of the centre of the city had been closed to traffic, which meant hiking for quite a number of blocks along streets and avenues normally plugged with traffic and unusually quiet today. The walk took just enough time to get me to Avenida de Mayo to find a great seat, (strong enough to stand on)  in a street side café on the shady side (the other side would be like an oven) of Avenida de Mayo.

To celebrate, and cool down from the 32 degree heat, I ordered a beer and await 'THE EVENT'. Avenida de Mayo, free of  traffic, was filled with thousands of pedestrians restricted to the sidewalks by almost as may thousands of police, gendarmerie, plain clothes security and retaining fences. Cameras and TV crews every where....a sea of sky blue and white all over: balloons, flags of all sizes, t-shirts, head gear...you name it. Overall an atmosphere of a Gran Fiesta.

Conversation with my table mates flowed freely...everyone seemed to have let their guard down and express their (mostly negative) feelings and thoughts for the previous government.

The past president had decided to flee the scene and attend neither any transition ceremonies, nor allow her party member to attend them either. I had the impression that gave quite a number of people felt a sense of relief about her absence. Many , seemed not to be too impressed by her  somewhat bizarre behavior concerning the whole transition process.

When I congratulated one woman to the obviously desired change, she burst into tears. A Federal Police lady, whom I embraced and wished her luck, let a sunny smile break through her steely expression. People appeared to connect with each other through a common happiness about the change. Spontaneous conversations burst forth at every occasion. Obviously not everyone is 'happy' - however, the Portenos appeared delirious.

Shortly after mid day the 'desfile' started and to the growing excitement of the crowd, the mounted Gendarmerie led the procession of the official Presidential Cars. Macri and his absolutely georgeous wife waved and greeted the enthusiastically shouting multitudes.

Hundreds of horses, mounted by uniformed gendarmerie, followed his car to close the procession. After that - free for all - people just poured into the Avenue to follow towards Plaza de Mayo in front of Casa Rosada, the traditional spot where IMPORTANT EVENTS happen. Yours truly followed.

The ceremony of passing on the symbols of office, which took place inside the Casa Rosada, was transmitted to Plaza de Mayo on gigantic TV screens, followed by earsplitting shouts of 'Al Balcon'....which means, come to the balcony, the famous balcony of the Casa Rosada, where the leaders are 'embraced' by their adoring people.

Although there were thousand of people, there was no sense of danger, unwonted disturbances - but a sense of happiness filled the Plaza.

All the hullaballoo over, I retreated back to Avenida de Mayo, where cleaning crews were already removing the detritus of the festivities of the day, another refreshment, a few more discussions 'with the locals' at my table, and back home. Not a day for dancing, but a day to pay respect to a country that has embarked on a new, and - as many expect it to be - a better path into the future.

And the buses worked again as well....the trek home was a little quicker.

Argentina Dances....Tango at its very best....

On the 28th September, I joined the line up for tickets (gratis) in front of the new Cultural Centre of Buenos Aires (which is the OLD Correo Postal, Post Office) for the 'Federal Selection of Tango' of Argentina. A fortunate choice, as the best of the best, from all the provinces of Argentina, got together, and gave a one off rousing performance: musicians from all points of Argentina made up the orchestra, the most talented Argentinian tango singers joined in, and many of the best dancers of the Tango passion in Argentina performed tango, valse and milonga choreographed by well known artists of the genre....enjoy....I certainly did! The milonga (last dance in the video) brought the house down!

The Old Post Office, converted to a venue for concerts, theatre performances, an exhibitions...the blue whale tail refers to a concert hall called "Ballena Azul" (the Blue Whale) which has been constructed inside the atrium of the old post office.

The Interior of the 'Blue Whale"

The Exterior of the 'Blue Whale' inside the atrium of the Post Office

1920 Architecture at its best....even the 'escritorios', intricately carved wooden writing desks, have been left in place to maintain the ambiance of an old post office...

The Old Post Office....

 

And the Winner is......

 

Federal Elections in Argentina

After an initial vote in October 2015, two candidates were left to face the 'balotage', the run off vote, and election of 22 November 2015: Scioli, adhering to the ideas of Peron, and Macri, promoting change.

 

 

Scioli and Macri, Presidential Candidates

 

 

And the winner, beating Scioli by about 3% of the popular vote, translating into about 4,000,000 votes, has been declared at around 10:00 pm at the end of the voting day:
Mauricio Macri
(51.40% for Macri, 48.60% for Scioli)
 

A few moments after being declared 'President Elect' Mauricio Macri and his family and team celebrate their victory

El Obelisco was the scene of all-out celebrations as only Argentinians can celebrate...

 

May Argentina look forward to Peace, Happiness, Security and Well Being for All its Citizens...

(Photos published by local Argentinian media)

Tango Orchestra Ledesma at El Planetario de Palermo

Why not listen to great tango music, at an unusual venue, The Planetarium of Buenos Aires in Palermo, reclining in a nearly horizontal position in a comfortable upholstered seat, watching an illusion of sky, moon and the universe pulsating to the music in the ample dome of the Planetarium?? Ergo - I go! As and additional benefit, the performance is gratis - albeit I made a two hour 'paseo' there and back earlier in the afternoon, to pick up a free ticket at the 'boleteria' of the planetarium

The Planetarium, it is located within a series of parks, which include the famous RoseGarden of Palermo. A wonderful Friday afternoon for a 'paseo', not too hot under a brilliantly clear azure sky....

The nearest Intersection, guarded by yet another Argentinian Hero...

 

 

The 'estrellas' (stars) may be illusory, however, one may imagine oneself travelling through space soaring on a satellite....

 

 

The Program of the day:

Viernes 20 de noviembre: Orquesta de Nicolás Ledesma
Nicolás Ledesma comenzó su actividad musical de muy joven, siempre dentro del género ciudadano. Estudió con maestros como Horacio Salgán, Manolo Juárez, Guillermo Iscla y Juan Carlos Cirigliano, Participó en infinidad de grabaciones, entre ellas: la "Gran Orquesta Tango Vía Buenos Aires", el "Café de los Maestros" y "Libertango”. El integrante de la "Selección Nacional de Tango , la Orquesta de Leopoldo Federico, el Trío de Julio Pane y el quinteto de Fernando Suárez Paz, se presentará junto con su orquesta en la Sala de Espectáculos del Planetario el viernes 20 de noviembre a las 20.30. ¡Un show imperdible!

One walks past the Zoo. Inside the fence, a paper sign on a lemon tree asking 'not to pick the lemons, as they are part of my'salary'...

The zoo flamingos (real ones, not theplastic version) don't care..

....neither do the local carriage horses, awaiting their turn to clip clop around the streets of the parks

..a bored and sleepy miniature pony awaits younger zoo visitors...

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May the Show begin.....
Being a planetarium the idea is to keep everything pretty well in the dark, to enable the audience to better appreciate the show projected on the dome. The musicians had tiny lamps attached to their music stands, barely enough light to figure out what they were playing. To makes sure they all looked at the same piece of music, they called out the title to each other before striking off.

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Unfortunately the opportunities to capture band or background on camera were scarce, mainly due to the fact that ambient light was even more scarce. The spectacular display of moving images of space, projected to the beat and according to the 'emotional content' of the piece, could not be eternalized in photos. Apart from treating us to fantastic journeys through the universe, images of tango dancers, scenes of Buenos Aires, abstract designs, mandalas...all pulsated with almost vertiginous movements above one's head. It was difficult to maintain focus: are we observing sound accompanied by images, or images accompanies by sound?

For one and a half hour the great orchestra kept the audience enthralled. With the next to last piece it brought the audience to tears (as much as one could detect in the dark) with a version of Adios Nonino full of emotion and sadness.
How else could a performance closely connected to the music of Piazolla end, but with a rousing rendition of Libertango....before we all filed out into the pleasantly warm nigh of Buenos Aires.

 

Out into the night, heading towards the nearest stop of a 'collectivo' (public bus)

that takes me back to Plaza Italia and a short walk home.