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Teaching Tango in Africa

March 27, 2016

A few years ago I received an email from Camille Cusumano requesting support for her “Go Fund Me” campaign to teach tango in Africa. Camille is someone I’ve known for several years now, first as the author of Tango: An Argentine Love Story and then in person as a Bay Area dancer and teacher. Her teaching partner in this endeavor was Mungai Waweru a young Kenyan-American who was quickly becoming an accomplished tango dancer here in the Bay Area. Inspired and intrigued by this request and their mission, I was also very curious to learn of how it would transpire. Would it work? Would young Africans even want to learn Tango? Recently I had the opportunity to read Camille’s story of the experience. It was far more intriguing and inspiring than I imagined. Camille has graciously shared an excerpt from her recently published book Tango Fantasia. 

TangoGoesToAfricaTango Goes to Africa (Excerpted from Tango Fantasia)

By Camille Cusumano

In late February, 2014, Mungai Waweru and I flew to Nairobi Kenya to teach slum-dwelling youth Argentine tango. I had been invited by a Christian church group two years before and finally got the time and finances to be able to jumpstart this project. The goal was to get the kids, ranging in age from about 17 to 29, skilled enough to eventually teach tango and earn some income.

Mungai and I taught about fifty youth at two different venues, both church halls. The main one was St. Peter Claver in the grungiest part of Nairobi. (Peter Claver was a Spanish Renaissance man, who became the patron saint of slaves.) We taught there Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The floor was large enough but decomposing stone and unmaintained. We had to sweep up the decay and debris constantly. When it rained, the water poured in through holes. The afternoon wind carried the street stench. We got used to it only after four weeks.

The youth were instantly delightful to work with. Present, engaged, eager to learn, accepting of critiques, willing to practice, passionate about the dance, so affectionate and open toward Mungai and me. The teaching was a joy. They were shy at first but then began to show their many talents. At the end of the long exhausting day, they’d perform a skit for each other. One time, Koresha, Jack, and Alex shouting vehemently in Swahili, were channeling their powerlessness, it seemed, into a satirical skit about a slumlord taunting tenants. Jack was on all fours pretending to be a table. It was in Swahili. Mungai and I only laughed because of the infectious nature of laughter. There were several accomplished salsa dancers. I put on my favorite salsa tune, Lobo Domesticado, and they gave us a riveting display of that spicy Latin dance. Amazing that the healing power of art is still untapped.

Camille_Tango_Africa2

Having been a student and/or teacher of tango going on twelve years now, I can assert one thing with great certitude—that no two people teach tango the same way. It is exactly like the elephant that the three blind men keep trying to describe to each other. One starts at the trunk, one at the tusk, another at its tail. So after one or two days of teaching our classes of about fifty kids all told, Mungai and I disagreed on one method he used to teach the youth how to shift weight. I thought it was a mechanical gimmick that confused them. But Mungai, who adored Gabriel Misse, the Argentine teacher who used this mechanism, was adamant that it was useful.

After one heated debate, I conceded to his preference. After all, he was closer in age to the youth and resembled them more than I, had a good strong voice for teaching, had an organized idea of the sequence of teaching, and he would be with the students longer—I’d leave in April, he in July [Note: Mungai ended up staying a full year].

I don’t think I’m exaggerating to call Mungai a prodigy when it comes to tango. After a mere two years, he’s smoother, more polished, musical, and sensitive to the intricacies of the dance than many longtime tangueros. I think he has an innate ability to feel the dance internally. His honed skills in hiphop and as a flight instructor for indoor skydiving no doubt help him be such a top-notch leader. I speak from a place of having danced with hundreds, if not thousands, of leaders through my years of living in Buenos Aires and dancing in major cities from San Francisco to New York, Denver to New Orleans, Baltimore to Philadelphia, and Paris to Prague. Oh, let’s not forget Nairobi. It takes a lifetime-and-a-half to learn tango, the Argentines say. But Mungai is the exception who proves the rule.

The first day of teaching at St. Peter’s, I told Mungai, “Indulge me, even if you think it’s corny.” First, I reminded the class that the night before, their compatriot, Lupita Nyong’o, had won the Oscar for best-supporting actress and had given a stirring acceptance speech. Then I put on Peace Train by the O’Jays and had us all hold hands in a big circle of friendship, and march around to the music. I can still see the obliging youth now, a kaleidoscope of colorful and funky clothing and the shoes—the green high tops, beaded sandals, purple plastic loafers—as we snaked into one tight group hug bouncing together to the music. The ritual set the tone and if there was any ice, it was broken and melted. The number of hugs we all shared in a day far exceeded the minimal daily requirement set by the experts.

Teaching Tango—in Africa? “As soon as one starts digging into the origins of the tango, its black creole roots emerge,” writes Robert Farris Thompson in his book, Tango, an Art History of Love. Tango? In Africa? How many times was I asked that question. The fact is, that tango traces a direct genealogy to Africa. Yale professor Thompson, with significant research, makes that convincing and cogent argument in his book.

Thompson writes, “Tango culture and tango humanism are Buenos Aires phenomena. They emerged from the encounter of dance concepts from Kongo with the city’s cultural and social situation, involving African-born blacks, blacks born in Argentina, European migrants from Spain and Italy come to . . . seek . . . fortune . . . also of Andalusian influenced gauchos who brought stamping patterns . . . the habanera arrived with black Cuban sailors, . . . . Elements came together in late-19thcentury Buenos Aires. But the strongest root is pure Afro-Argentine, a development of Kongo-style dancing, as elaborated in black dancing groups called candombes . . .” Of course, even our Kenyan students didn’t know this history.

Kenya-Tango-Students

We started with teaching the kids to walk—how to step across body in a straight line, with good posture, landing on the balls of the feet. We broke down the mechanics. We showed them how to shift weight, the proper way to execute an extension and how to transfer weight. We taught them rock steps, check steps, and pivots, and how to perform contra-body movement or spirals. We showed them the unique and dynamic embrace of tango that is ever shifting, never fixed (as in ballroom or American tango). We slowly introduced them to the basic steps of tango— walking in cross and normal systems, front and back ochos, molinetes (or giros), the cruzada or cross. Mungai was fond of explaining what I call the “taxonomy of tango”— the four ways the body can move: front cross, back cross, open step, pivot.

I don’t think the students always understood the words, but they watched intently and showed they understood the body moves. I liked Mungai’s passion for the dance and the gentle way he led—most beginners overdo it at first—and that he was an equally good follower. It is no surprise that by the time I left Mungai to teach alone—on April 3—our kids were dancing to tango, vals, and milonga music. And a good crop of them were the crème de la crème, picking up such advanced moves as leg wraps, enganches, lapices, and boleos. The teaching was rigorous as well as rewarding. It was unlike what I’ve experienced with any other population (adults and seniors) I’ve taught.

Intrigued?

Watch Youtube video of scenes from the Nairobi Tango Classes.

Interested in reading more?  You can purchase books via Amazon via the links below:

“Tango Fantasia – Three Tango Books, A Tango-Lover’s Collection” and “Tango Goes to Africa”:

   

See the results for yourself:  Students Newton & Evelyne dance to Cafe Dominguez, by D’agostino.

Filed Under: Guest Post, Learning Tango, Musings Tagged With: Camille Cusumano, SF Tango, Tango Fantasia, Tango Goes to Africa

Tango scenes in SF

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

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✨ Vecher Tango at the Russian Center had another ✨ Vecher Tango at the Russian Center had another star-struck night!✨

@ariadnayfernando returned to San Francisco after their last visit in 2016 for @noras_tango_week.

On top of teaching all afternoon and performing four songs of their choice, they surprised us with an improvised encore to live music by Seth Asarnow (@sethasarnow on piano) and Adrian Jost (@fueyequerido on bandoneón), a first-time collaboration for the four artists altogether!! 👏👏♥️♥️🙌🙌 ¡Qué celebración del Tango!

Thank you Julia Schiptsova @juliasch999 and Davood Yazdani for bringing @ariadnanaveira and @fernet_sanz back to SF! We look forward to welcoming them back later this year in Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for details.

Check out our stories for video snippets from the amazing evening!
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino  #tangoperformance #bailar #bailemos #bailando #tangoshow #tangoevent #tangoperformance #tangodancer #tangocouple #specialevent #onenightonly #tangophoto #sanfrancisco #tangoislife #sflovestango #livemusic #duo #bandoneon #piano #improvisation
That Saturday night ❤️‍🔥 when Duo Villarr That Saturday night ❤️‍🔥 when Duo Villarreal Crom, @juanvillarreal_13 and @patriciocrom joined forces with Orquesta Típico Domo at @thetangodome !🎶🎻🎸🎹🎤
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Part 3️⃣ of Duo @juanvillarreal_13 & @patricio Part 3️⃣ of Duo @juanvillarreal_13 & @patriciocrom Crom at @thetangodome … a Chacarera! When the musicians extended an invitation to the audience to join them on stage, a few dancers spontaneously jumped at the chance! 👏👏👏👏
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #livemusic #argentinefolklore #contemporarytango  #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
REPOSTING… because how could one resist missing REPOSTING… because how could one resist missing the standing ovation *and* an encore because earlier post got cut off due to unknown glitch🙈… Second half of part 1️⃣ the highlights from an amazing night at @thetangodome with Duo 🎸🎸 @juanvillarreal_13 and @patriciocrom ! And our very own @scottodaymusic made it a guitar trio for the encore! 
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #livemusic #argentinefolklore #contemporarytango  #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
❤️‍🔥DJ @lebendiguna DROPS THE NEEDLE with ❤️‍🔥DJ @lebendiguna DROPS THE NEEDLE with the world’s fastest learning curve!❤️‍🔥

When Una’s laptop unexpectedly failed to connect to @thetangodome sound system, Daniel Peter’s vinyl collection and on-the-spot knowledge transfer to the rescue!! 😮🔥🧯❤️ After watching Dan just a few times dropping the needle between tracks, Una hit the track her FIRST TIME trying‼️✌️

🎥 @thetangodome 
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #milonga #tangodj #tangomusic #vinylrecords #newskillunlocked #tangoislife #oldtechisgoodtech #bayareatango #oakland
Part 2️⃣ from a fun Saturday night at @thetang Part 2️⃣ from a fun Saturday night at @thetangodome with Duo Villarreal Crom, featuring Tango Guitarists @juanvillarreal_13 and… Señor D'ARIENZO?! 👀🤨 Can you guess what was happening here? 😆😉
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #puppet #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
Part 1️⃣ of the highlights from an amazing nig Part 1️⃣ of the highlights from an amazing night at @thetangodome with Duo Villarreal Crom, featuring Tango Guitarists @juanvillarreal_13 and @patriciocrom ! 💎 watch till the end to see SF’s very own guitarist @scottodaymusic joined them for an encore!

🎸ABOUT THE ARTISTS🎸
Juan Villarreal and Patricio Crom began working together in 2010 playing tangos in milongas and clubs in the city of Buenos Aires. From the beginning, the Duo Villarreal-Crom, tried to find a particular aesthetic and a unique style that they have refined with the passing of the years.

Today they are one of the most renowned duos on the tango scene in Buenos Aires and the world, having made countless tours in Latin America, Europe and the United States.

They have released 4 albums: "De corte romántico (2012)", "Cinco tonos (2015)", "En la luna de Valencia (2017)" and "D'Arienzo en guitarras (2022)". In May 2023 they will present their new album consisting entirely of original works.  In 2022, they were on the cover of the renowned German magazine "Tangodanza", the world's largest tango magazine.
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #livemusic #argentinefolklore #contemporarytango  #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
♥️ 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 ♥️ (link in bio🔗)

Did you know that the very first post on SF Loves Tango was published by @maikalanidesigns on 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟮? And April 21, 2019, is when the brains and hands behind SF Loves Tango changed to us, @jxtango ? We would like to celebrate these anniversaries by recapping what we’ve accomplished post-COVID and start looking ahead!
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#bayareatango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tango #tangocommunity #sanfrancisco #sflovestango #dancingislife #tangostories #beyondthedance
👋 Many of you know @aviksbasu and Mitra Martin 👋 Many of you know @aviksbasu and Mitra Martin as accomplished tango dancers and teachers. But did you know they are also professional researchers with curiosity and interest to understand tango better?

Check out this cool new research project they are working on: the 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆! (link in bio 🔗)

⏳ It takes about 20-30 minutes to answer some intriguing (anonymous) questions about what you experience as you dance - mental talk, images, sensations, etc.

🎯 Fill it out today and help them reach their goal of 1000 participants by April 30th! They’ll gather neat data to create more empathy and understanding and help the community grow.
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #community #tangocommunity #project #research #qualitativeresearch #communitybuilding #sflovestango
Abrazo, the queer milonga, happens every 3rd Satur Abrazo, the queer milonga, happens every 3rd Saturday of the month, and today, April 15, @abrazoqueertango welcomed @inesmuzzopappa for the first time and the pre-milonga class was sold out!
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#tango #argentinetangoclasses #tangoworkshop #tangoargentino #queertango #tangoevent #bayareatango #berkeley #bailemostango #milonga #learningisfun #dancingislife
✨SATURDAY NIGHT TANGO ✨ Che! Milonga is a con ✨SATURDAY NIGHT TANGO ✨

Che! Milonga is a conventional 4.5-hour long milonga with a cozy and casual vibe that happens on 1st and 2nd Saturday of the month at La Pista Tango Studio. 

Tucked away among storage and industrial spaces for local businesses, La Pista is a dedicated tango studio frequently used for classes and workshops. With lighting, seating, wall projection, and table decoration arrangements, our beloved hosts, Ramada and @tanguera_e , put thoughtful touches that give the space a nightclub ambiance.

Check out our February story drop featuring @che_tango_sf (sflovestango.com/che-tango-sf/) and tomorrow, Saturday, April 8, is your chance to dance at their Che Milonga with DJ @kostas_aretos ! 

📸 from Che Milonga on Saturday, April 1st with DJ @ayano.yoneda.tango 
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #tangodancers #tangolovers #dancecouple #socialdancing #tangoevent #milonganight #embrace #bailar #bailemos #dance #partnerdance #improvisation #dancingislife #sflovestango
❤️ 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 ❤️
Women's History Month is almost over, but celebrating the impact of women is today and every day! 

Remember the Women's Gathering hosted by @ayano.yoneda.tango in the beginning of this year? Are you curious about the 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 and 𝙬𝙝𝙮 behind these events? 
"𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 – 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳-𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 – 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴, 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳." – Ayano Yoneda

More in our latest story drop (🔗 link in bio)!
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