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Spotlight on Tango Con*Fusión

March 1, 2018

Support the women of Tango Con*Fusíon on their first European Tour!

They need to raise $3000 per dancer to make this tour a reality for the members of Tango Con*Fusion. Each of the 8 dancers is working individually to raise $1000 and the company hopes to raise an additional $8000 through donations to make this happen by July 2018.

Sponsor your favorite dancer or donate to the general fund to help send them all!

www.tangoconfusion.com/giving/

In support of Tango Con*Fusion, here is a re-share of an interview from 2016 with Tango Con*Fusion co-Directors and main choreographers, Debbie Goodwin and Christy Cote.


Posted: Dec 9, 2016 @ 09:17

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be brave.

People who follow their passion are brave, as it takes bravery to leave your comfort zone. Bravery is persevering even through set backs and challenges and in some cases, out right aggression. The Water Guardians of Standing Rock were incredibly brave. I believe that through these big displays of courage, each of us can be inspired to be brave in our own way. For me, I felt brave to begin this website, not knowing how it would be perceived in the Tango community.

In Tango, bravery can be attending your first class, going to your first milonga or even inviting someone new to dance. No matter what act of bravery you accomplish, you will be changed from the experience, most often for the better. It takes courage to act from the heart, to do something you are passionate about, and to persevere even though you do not know the outcome.

Here in San Francisco, it’s the women of Tango Con*Fusión that I consider brave. By taking a chance on an all-women’s tango company, almost unheard of at the time, they have gone against traditional thinking about what is Argentine Tango and how it is meant to be danced. It should be clarified that these women are not trying to dance as men, but merely as women who lead. In their words: “As women trained and versed in traditional Argentine Tango, they deeply respect traditional tango, cherish the experience of dancing with men, and love to lead. ”

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Who is Tango Con*Fusión?

Tango Con*Fusión (TCF) is a group of  eight women exploring the idiom of Argentine Tango beyond its traditional boundaries. As professional performers and teachers of Argentine Tango, with varied backgrounds in contemporary and classical dance, they create a fusion of genres within their choreography.

For this story I spoke with co-Directors and main choreographers, Debbie Goodwin and Christy Cote.  Each have devoted themselves to growing the tango and dance community in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond for over 20 years.

The artists of Tango Con*Fusión include Carolina Rozensztroch, Pier Voulkos, Debbie Goodwin, Christy Coté, Rose Vierling, Mira Barakat, Mila Salazar and Jasmine Worrell.

Past group members who have helped to make TCF what it is today include Mariana Ancarola, Chelsea Eng, Michelle Gorre, Charity Lebron and Erin Malley

The story of Tango Con*Fusión begins in 2004, after they had taken a private workshop with famed German dancer/instructor Brigitta Winkler. Brigitta is a Tango legend, famous for being among the first to integrate training of body awareness and body work in her teaching.

As told in The Queer Tango Book:
“On what would become a life-changing afternoon, Debbie, Christy, Pier, Michelle and I joined Brigitta for three hours of divine play and nuts-and-bolts practicality. She got us moving in lead-follow games as pairs and as a pack, traversing a small studio in an amorphous blob of ochos and amagues. Then she mentored us on how to start a dance company. ” – Excerpt From: The Queer Tango Project. “The Queer Tango Book – Ideas, Images and Inspiration in the 21st Century.” ( A wonderful book you can download for free.)

Their first performance as a dance company was for the ODC Theater production, “24 Views: A Snapshot of Bay Area Dance.”  ODC was requesting two-minute pieces from San Francisco choreographers. “Two minutes,” they collectively thought. “We should be able to do that!”  And they did!  Since then they have not looked back. Over the past 12 years they have accumulated an incredible repertory of performances, as can be seen on their website: www.tangoconfusion.com/repertory/.

A small sampling of some of their highlights/milestones include:

December 2006: Leading Ladies of Tango at the Herbst Theater/ SAN FRANCISCO – As part of an international cast of 22 female tango artists (dancers, musicians and singer Silvana Deluigi) they shared the stage with Tango Mujer in this groundbreaking show celebrating women in tango.

December 2008: International Queer Tango Festival/ BUENOS AIRES –
In 2007 and 2008 Mariana Docampo, Augusto Balizano and Roxana Gargano, the directors of the International Queer Tango Festival of Buenos Aires, specifically invited Tango Con*Fusión to serve as role models to aspiring female leaders in Argentina. Mariana Docampo explained that the event had two sides. On the one hand, it addressed tango within the LGBT community; on the other, it addressed the still controversial idea of women partnering women in tango. Virtually non-existent in the mainstream tango scene in Buenos Aires, such partnering was, to a palpable degree, even taboo in the eyes of many gay porteños!

Summer 2009, 2010, 2011: International Queer Tango Festivals/ SAN FRANCISCO –  Drawing together tangueros from Argentina, Europe and the US, Debbie directed a sold-out show for IQTF/SF at San Francisco’s counterculture hot spot, Cellspace.

March 2010: Congreso Internacional De Tango Argentino (CITA)/ BUENOS AIRES.  Tango Con*Fusión was the first all-female tango company to perform at CITA.

“March 2011: TANGHETTO/ Sala Zitarrosa MONTEVIDEO & Salón Canning BUENOS AIRES. Invited to choreograph three songs from their CD Más allá del sur and join them in performance on their tour to Montevideo and at the iconic Buenos Aires milonga Salón Canning.

Let’s commence with the interview:

SF Loves Tango: I am very impressed with all that the company has done over the years. What is on the horizon for Tango Con*Fusión?

Debbie: We are really excited about adding new dancers and energy to our company. We now have a group of dancers who are excited to become more active in our local SF tango scene as well as the larger community of the US and abroad. We range from ages 30-64. The group is enjoying a nice chemistry together and good working relationship.

tangoconfusion5

What we need now is to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse — but never have as much time and money to do so. The problem is most of us earn our living teaching dance so any time we take away from our work for rehearsals, each of us gives up income. My dream would be to have a fully funded company that would enable us to train, rehearse and perform. We will be taking baby steps to get there.

Currently we need an additional $7500 to give us the rest of the money needed to take our company to Buenos Aires where we have been invited to teach and perform at Johana Copes Lady’s Tango Festival March 4-11, 2017. We will also be performing at Canning, La Marshall as well as other Milongas. We have raised $8000 ourselves through our festival, performances, teaching and our tango boutique. While we are in Buenos Aires we will also be getting additional training by studying at CITA which we are very excited about as improvisational lead and follow is the backbone of our work.

One thing I am very excited about is delving deeper in our choreographic work to explore women’s issues. After the holidays we will be turning our focus to working on our evening length show “Tango Ladies” (tongue and cheek working title). It will be performed at the SF International Arts Festival at Fort Mason in the Southside Theater for three nights.

Here is the working description for “Tango Ladies”: When someone mentions Argentine Tango, immediately it conjures up the pervasive iconic image of the macho-male and hyper-feminine woman of Argentine Tango. Yet many feminists dance Tango socially and professionally. How can this be reconciled? Tango Ladies challenges this outdated image. This production explores gender issues such as body image, street harassment, same-sex couples and social and economic equality. Contrasting with yesterdays imagery, Tango Ladies conjures up today’s deep and broad expression of gender roles in Argentine Tango.

Want to support Tango Con*Fusión ? Here are the many ways: www.tangoconfusion.com/giving/

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SF Loves Tango:  Did you think you were brave to start all women Argentine Tango performance company?

Debbie: When we first started Tango Con*Fusión I didn’t feel I was being brave — I was just super excited to begin and dance and create. I didn’t start feeling the need to be brave until we started seeing people’s adverse reactions (mainly in Buenos Aires: Ex 1) in 2008. At a performance at Confeteria Ideal a group of Milongueros made rude comments and walked out on our performance as they didn’t want women dancing with women. EX 2) In 2010 Fabian Salas invited us to perform on stage at the CITA theater show then had to uninvited us once we arrived when two of the top Argentine men in the show refused to perform if we also performed.

Now however with our new focus delving deeper into women’s issues for our choreography for our May show, not just dancing tango as women, but trying to say something more – YES! I feel a need to be brave. I am definitely stepping out of my comfort zone but after our country just elected Donald Trump with his patronizing and objectifying attitude toward women, I feel it is a way to make our voices heard, to create something in the art where we can bring these issues up. Especially using tango as a backbone as tango and the woman’s role is often misunderstood by the uninitiated.

For example the seemingly harmless “piropo” or cat call…..this is street harassment that can make women feel unsafe and can lead to even more serious issues — it is not ok. This is only one of the issues we will be taking on. I’m excited but also nervous and I feel the need to be brave!”

Thank you Debbie and the fabulous ladies of Tango Con*Fusión for inspiring me and many others.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Learning Tango, Musings, Special Events Tagged With: Alma del Tango, Christy Cote, Debbie Goodwin, Tango Con*Fusion

Comments

  1. Lanny Udell says

    December 31, 2016 at 5:08 pm

    I’ve seen many performances by Tango Con*Fusion and taken classes with several of the dancers. They are always dazzling to watch! Their creativity and inventive choreography is unique. I love the concept of exploring women’s issues through tango, and so glad they are focusing on performing and teaching more in the Bay Area.

Tango scenes in SF

sflovestango

Celebrate #bayareatango community, support everyone involved & share ♥️ of #tango with San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

sflovestango
As the year-end approaches, many SF local tango ev As the year-end approaches, many SF local tango events have had or will have their last event of 2022 to wrap things up. This year's last Milonga Rubia al Sur happened this past Sunday, Dec 18 with DJ @ayano.yoneda.tango and special performance with visiting artist, @martinalmironartist, and milonga host, Lisette @passion4tango. 

With the holidays coming up and Argentina winning the world cup, dancing tango all night long around Lisette's very own flower arrangements was just the appropriate celebration people needed.

Hosted by Lisette Perelle, Milonga Rubia is held every 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month, with current location at Just Dance Ballroom (2500 Embarcadero) in Oakland and a different DJ for each event.

✨ Fun fact - how Milonga Rubia got its name... ✨

Lisette's Argentine friends have always been calling her 'Rubia' because of her blonde hair. One day about 6 years ago, when she was discussing naming this new milonga with @julian_tangosf, he said, “Why not just call it Milonga Rubia?" That's how Milonga Rubia got its name! The event once was in a venue in Emeryville/Richmond. Once Lisette changed venues to a more southern location (Just Dance Ballroom in Oakland), the event's name was changed to 'Milonga Rubia al Sur' accordingly.
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevent #sundayfunday #milonga #milonganight #socialdancing #bailemos #embrace #tangodancers #bayareatango #oakland #keepdancing #dancingislife #weekendrecap
Last Saturday, Saturday Dec 17, @abrazoqueertango Last Saturday, Saturday Dec 17, @abrazoqueertango hosted their Holiday Bash with performances by @mirabtango and Miranda at @tangodome, a cool art gallery and dance space at 951 62nd St in Oakland.

🏳️‍🌈 Abrazo Queer Tangois a volunteer-run organization, and after expenses, all funds are used to pay for their events and offer discounts to students and folks short on cash. To help the org break even in 2022 and fund its 2023 programs, last Saturday's event was positioned as a fundraiser with a sliding scale $20-$40 for folks to choose how they'd like to show their support, offering a sweet night of performance, community and great music in a magical location. 

Missed the event yet still would like to support Queer Tango? Donations always totally work! Please write *donation* in the comment via your favorite method:
Venmo ➡️ abrazo-tango (Karen Curtis)
Paypal ➡️ abrazoqueertango@gmail.com
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevent #specialevents #milonga #saturdayvibe #socialdancing #bailemos #embrace #tangodancers #bayareatango #queertango #oakland #keepdancing #dancingislife #weekendrecap
💫 #motivationmonday is not over yet so here is 💫 #motivationmonday is not over yet so here is a quick recap of the International Day of Tango at @greatnorthernsf last night! 💫 Milonga hosted by @julian_tangosf with DJ @loco_chung. 
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#diadeltango #tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevent #specialevents #milonga #sundayfunday #socialdancing #bailemos #embrace #tangodancers #bayareatango #sanfrancisco #keepdancing #dancingislife #weekendrecap
This Friday night in the heart of San Francisco, t This Friday night in the heart of San Francisco, tango dancers and the public who are curious art lovers had a unique experience with live music performed by local tango musicians and the strategic mix of TANGO • VALS • MILONGA • ALTERNATIVE music by DJ @jonas.aqui of @jxtango at @drawingroomsf_annex, an art • gallery • studio in the Mission district – a free event by the collaboration of @chetangosf, @drawingroomsf and @artistmigration. 

Artists featured:
Sumi Lee (piano) @sfsumi
J Ramada (bass)
Basma Edrees (violin) @basmaedreesviolin
Verónica Freidkes (vocal) @veroverofreidkes

Check out our stories and story highlights for snippets of the performances and tango dancing around art pieces!
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❣️ about Che! Tango SF❣️

All events created by Ramada Salieri and Elaine Chiu are dedicated to providing an inclusive and friendly dancing and learning environment in San Francisco and the Bay Area regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or any other characteristic or trait.

ONGOING EVENTS
Che! Milonga: Every 1st and 2nd Saturday of the month 
Che! Música + Milonga: Once every quarter on a 2nd Saturday
Milonga Uno: 3rd Saturday of every other month
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❣️ about The Drawing Room SF ❣️

MISSION
The Drawing Room connects community through art to help improve the overall human condition by making art accessible and part of the daily fabric of our lives. 
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❣️about Artist Migration❣️

ANTI CAPITALIST ART
Artist-led curatorial project providing performance and exhibition opportunities to international artists.
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #concert #milonga #specialevent #onenightonly #livemusic #fridaynights #art #tangomusic #contemporarymusic #contemporarytango #womenintango #womeninmusic #artislife  #tangomusicians #musiciansofinstagram #sanfrancisco #california #bayareatango #sflovestango #jxtango
Those who came out to @tangolabruja last night had Those who came out to @tangolabruja last night had an epic evening of dancing and live music with three highly skillful tango musicians’ improvised music – Trio Tangazo, a dynamite tango trio made up of Sascha Jacobsen (bass), Seth Asarnow (piano), and Adrian Jost (bandoneon). 

~~Fun fact~~
Sascha, Seth and Adrian all performed at La Bruja previously - either with other tango ensembles or in duo - but it was the first time all three of them taking the stage together!

📍 @berkeleycityclub 
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#tango #concert #milonga #milonganight #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusic #improvisation #travelingmusician #musiciansofinstagram #california #berkeley #bayareatango #tangomusicians #tangodancers #socialdance #dancingislife #sflovestango
🥧 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so @milongamalevaje 🥧 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so @milongamalevaje is closed for that matter, but here is something different & fun from last Thursday 😉 with DJ @jonas.aqui, courtesy of hosts @tanguera_e, Ramada Salieri and Adolfo Caszarry.

Have a wonderful holiday everyone!
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #milonga #milonganight #tangoevent #tangoalternativo #alternativetango #tangonuevo #embrace #bailar #bailemos #socialdance #partnerdance #tangodancers #dancingislife #bayareatango #sanfrancisco #sflovestango
✨ FRIDAY NIGHT TANGO ✨ It’s been awhile sin ✨ FRIDAY NIGHT TANGO ✨

It’s been awhile since Milonga La Genesis (hosted by @julian_tangosf) has live tango music. Last night LEO TANGASSO QUARTET was in the house, featuring @leogassomusic from Montevideo, Uruguay on bandoneon,  @smurfetteshum on piano, Stella Bonilla on violin,  @digsmahler on double bass.

(🎥 @tangonnection, edited by @sflovestango)
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #specialevent #bayareatango #tangomusic #livemusic #tangomusicians #bandoneon #piano #doublebass #violin #quartet #onenightonly #milonganight #sanfrancisco #sflovestango
👏 The all-female tango ensemble, 𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨, wrapped up their 2022 concert tour at @alameda_elks1015, playing for a full house of guests at the @housetango Community Milonga.

𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨 is a collaboration between powerhouse female tango musicians @sfsumi (piano), @heynisolera (bandoneon), and @teagbby (violin). Their concert on Sunday featured guest bassist @fabricanfabricant and vocalist @teresatam.sing.

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The mission of 𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨 is to present contemporary Argentine tango through virtuosic artistic performance and educational events.  Sumi, Heyni, and Teagan originally bonded in Buenos Aires, drawn by a mutual love of tango music, as well as by a realization of the inequality of professional opportunity for women in the tango genre. They studied under the same maestros and performed with prestigious tango orchestras in Buenos Aires.  They now frequently perform around the world, including in their respective adopted cities of San Francisco (Sumi), Washington, DC (Heyni), and NYC (Teagan). All of the musicians also produce their own music. 
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#tango #concert #milonga #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusic #contemporarymusic #contemporarytango #womenintango #womeninmusic #travelingmusician #heynibando #tour #beautifulwomen #musiciansofinstagram #sanfrancisco #california #berkeley #oakland #bayareatango #tangomusicians
🎉 Saturday, October 22 marked the grand re-open 🎉 Saturday, October 22 marked the grand re-opening of Vecher Tango at the Russian Center of SF!

After a long pause of two and a half year, the magnificent grand ballroom was filled with tango energy again. What made the occasion extra special was the incredible performances by another visiting master couple @javierchikk & @moiracastellano. To top it off, @virginiaychristian "Los Totis" joined Javier & Moira on the floor for a mixed maestros dance!

Shout-out to our dearest friend Davood Yazdani, Julia Schiptsova of Tango Element, and all the local organizers for making this weekend feel like a mini tango festival in San Francisco!
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#tango #argentinetango #argentinetango♥️ #tangoargentino #milonganight #tangoperformance #bailar #bailemos #bailando #tangoshow #tangoevent #tangodancer #tangocouple #specialevent #onenightonly #tangophoto
✨It's a star-struck tango week in SF!!✨ @vir ✨It's a star-struck tango week in SF!!✨ 

@virginiaychristian "Los Totis" have been teaching in San Francisco (brought to you by our very own Davood Yazdani who's in collaboration with Julia Schiptsova of Tango Element!) And we were mesmerized by their fantastic performances last night at the special edition of @milongamalevaje at @verdiclubsf ! 🤩👏
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#tango #argentinetango #argentinetango♥️ #tangoargentino  #tangoperformance #bailar 
#bailemos #bailando #tangoshow  #tangoevent #tangoperformance #tangodancer #tangocouple #specialevent #onenightonly #tangophoto
💫 Exactly a year later, 𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨, an all-female tango musician collaboration, has returned to the SF Bay Area!! 

Last night they took the audience on a magical journey to Buenos Aires with a concert-milonga at @tangolabruja in Berkeley. Check out our stories to see more snippets of their performance!

𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨 is a collaboration between powerhouse female tango musicians @sfsumi (piano), @heynisolera (bandoneon), and @teagbby (violin). The concert last night featured guest singer @veroverofreidkes.

The mission of 𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨 is to present contemporary Argentine tango through virtuosic artistic performance and educational events. Sumi Lee, Heyni Solera, and Teagan Faran originally bonded in Buenos Aires, drawn by a mutual love of tango music, as well as by a realization of the inequality of professional opportunity for women in the tango genre. They studied under the same maestros and performed with prestigious tango orchestras in Buenos Aires.  They now frequently perform around the world, including in their respective adopted cities of San Francisco (Sumi), Washington, DC (Heyni), and NYC (Teagan). All of the musicians also produce their own music. 

Catch them for the rest of their tour!
🔸10/20 (Thur) 10pm, World Folk Jam concert w/ ten other world music groups, Oakland
🔸10/21 (Fri) 7pm, Sebastopol Center for the Arts
🔸10/22 (Sat) 7:30pm, Sunset Music and Arts, San Francisco
🔸10/23 (Sun) 3:30pm, houseTango Community Milonga @ Alameda Elks Lodge, Alameda
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#tango #concert #milonga #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusic #contemporarymusic #contemporarytango #womenintango #womeninmusic #travelingmusician #heynibando #tour #beautifulwomen #musiciansofinstagram #sanfrancisco #california #berkeley #oakland #bayareatango
🤩 𝓜𝓲𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓪 𝓕𝓲𝓪𝓽 🤩 𝓜𝓲𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓪 𝓕𝓲𝓪𝓽 𝓛𝓾𝔁 by the @berkeleytangoclub (ATCB) returned to the #ucberkeley campus earlier today, with DJ Prashant! 🎶

The ATCB is a Registered Student Organization of the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC), comprised of University of California Berkeley students, staff, alumni, and members of the local community who love tango. Their mission is to develop a student tango community at UC Berkeley fit to carry the flag of this generation and the generations to come.

They currently hold classes and práctica every Sunday and a milonga (Milonga Fiat Lux!) about once a month. Whether you are just beginning tango, or have been dancing for some time, you are welcome to join. They aim to hold high-quality events to prepare students to become active members of the Bay Area tango community, and to provide a safe and welcoming social dancing environment.

📌 Mark your calendar for the next Milonga Fiat Lux, a winter edition🎄
𝟮–𝟱𝗽𝗺 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟰
See you in 𝟮𝟰𝟬 𝗘𝘀𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹 of UC Berkeley!
https://m.facebook.com/events/1713049302422431

For more updates:
Email: ucbtango@gmail.com
Facebook: @ArgentineTangoClubBerkeley
Instagram: @berkeleytangoclub 
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #tangoargentino♥️ #tangoevent #milonga #socialdance #partnerdance #bailemos #bailar #bailando #dancing #tangodancers #berkeleytangoclub #bayareatango #sflovestango
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