Tango in times of crisis

It is now just a few weeks to the festival ! We have a lot of work handling all the subscriptions, but that's better than waiting for people to come. We are happy to know that despite the economical circumstances, our visitors appreciate the festival and choose to be there, on Doble Ocho. Because in these times, it's all a matter of choice. But see it from a different perspective ! When people wait to buy new cars, houses, fridges, LCD and plasma TV's, interior design stuff, new phones etc etc, there is more money left to either save or spent ! And some people will choose to keep on spending and investing in their social life !
In times of crisis, sociologists and economists have found out, that consumers tend to look more again to their social life ! We just had a decade or two of individualisation and self-enrichment, let's call it the bling bling era. Looking back at it, it does feel a bit empty, all these people chasing money and putting materialism as their main target. But let's say that real value lies in human interaction. What we learn from life and from eachother, through writing, art, music, dance...
We are moving slowly towards a new era of social entrepeneurship and management, sustainable growth ( not because it is trendy, but out of pure necessity), green innovations and the introduction of morality over individuality. The focus will also shift slowly on our social interactions and the sheer celebration of living on this great magical planet.
And at this moment, people start to invest on their social lifes more, and for most tango people the tangodance is their social life ! But also spending more time with family and friends, eating together, just talking together, and dancing together.
OK, this sound pretty optimistic ! some people would say, people like to go to festivals or concerts to forget their daily troubles !, and.. what if you just lost your job ? Well, my answer would be, a crisis is allways a start of transformation, and transformation is essential for growth and a fundamental part of our human excistence.

Lucien Lecarme
Doble Ocho festival Director

New Festival paper published !

The new 2009 edition Doble Ocho festival paper is published and distributed through the international tango community. When you would like to receive this paper, please mail the organisation (tango(add)dds.nl).

Read Visions of tango by karin Venverloo and Isolde kanikani, a column by Aisling, Leo Vervelde's view on tangomusic and the globalisation, the history of recorded and recording tangomusic by Arnoud the Graaff, facebook,tango & Photography by Lucien lecarme, photo's by Alexander Zabara from Moskow, tango& food, an Interview with Lizelot de Stigter and lot's more....

NEW

This year the full programme including the locations and workshops is part of the festivalpaper too !

GET IT IN YOUR NEAREST TANGOSCHOOL !!

NEWS !!  VALE TANGO TOUR CANCELLED

Hello
I'm Andres Linetzky, pianist and director of Vale Tango
I am writing you to transmit our sadness for the tour that we planned and will not be able to made concrete in 
April, 2009 for Europe. The crisis that affects so much Europe as Argentina did that the numbers that we handled for this tour could not cover the expenses that implies do a trip of these characteristics . So much I as the whole group apologize for the disadvantages that this can have generated you and hope that you could understand the situation. Otherwise I am sure that in the future we will meet with you and be able to share our music with you.
 
Best regards

ANDRES LINETZKY

The Orquestra Vale tango will be replaced by ASTILLERO TANGO from Buenos Aires. The Doble Ocho concert will be their first in Europe

about Astillero tango

The sound of Astillero is forceful, vertiginous, breathtaking, raw yet sophisticated: a rollercoaster ride of 
throbbing accents modulating into earth-shattering pianissimos and beyond. Yet this wild sound is entirely hand-made, free of any gimmicks, 100% acoustic: the sound of just wood and strings, brought to searing life by an acute sense for translating the experience of 21st century urban life into new music, built on a solid traditional foundation of Buenos Aires' tango.

The orchestra, though featuring the typical instruments of a classic tango ensemble (two bandoneons, violin, piano, cello, double bass, and a singer) is a tango formation that has nothing to do with the 'tango' of our 
collective conciousness. Astillero proposes a completely new vision of tango, incisive and intense, rough and 
violent. The sounds of this group are the sounds of Buenos Aires today - the way they play their music reflects 
the incongruities and madness of this urban jungle; it kicks, breaks, hurts, jumps. Just as the world we live in.
From their all-original compositions, some instrumental, some with lyrics, emerges a tango that is stripped down yet rich and original. The fresh lyrics add to the rawness - a rough but tender voice, that cares and tears at the same time. The concept goes even beyond music, developed further by video images, both poetic and political,projected live to complement the deluge of sound. The group's young members have been steeped in traditional tango from early on. At the forefront of the recent  'Maquina Tanguera' movement of contemporary tango in Buenos Aires, they have worked with a number of important groups from the scene before forming Astillero in 2005. Years of study and research have also led them to become themselves teachers to the younger generation, through their work with a number of independent organisations and social projects.

With two European tours in recent years, and a much-talked-about showcase at WOMEX 08 in Sevilla, Astillero are now fast building an international following. The secret is out, and the word is spreading! 

Website Astillero Tango
Astillero on Myspace
Astillero on Womex
Astillero on Youtube