Trio Garufa's CD Release Party

 

As you've probably noticed from this blog, I'm a big fan of Trio Garufa. So, here's a photo from their recent CD release party, which was held at Ashkenaz in Berkeley. Trio Garufa's newest CD is called "La Segunda Tradición" and they played some new tango songs from it, which were excellent. I'd definitely recommend buying a copy. This milonga was awesome and my friends & I were there tangoing until 3:30am...so much tango, such little time.

Awesome Tango Performances By Christy & Darren and Chelsea & Count At Pachamama

 

So, after Seth and Pablo played a few tangos Friday night at Pachamama's in San Francisco's North Beach district, Christy Cote & Darren Lees and Chelsea Eng & Count gave fantastic tango performances. I love this photo above of Christy and Darren--it really captures the passion of their dance performance and shows how much the crowd was riveted by them. You can also see how intimiate it is at Pachamama. I've never seen anyone perform tango in a smaller area (it was only about 10 feet x 10 feet), but they did it with ease. Pachamama's was packed & the applause & "Esso!"s were loud. What a wonderful evening of Argentine tango it had already been...and we were only half way through the night! After the show we raced over the Bay Bridge to Trio Garufa's CD release party--I'll blog on that as soon as I can.

Trio Garufa at the Metronome Fundraiser

So sorry I didn't post this at the time of their performance...so much tango, such little time. I'm referring to another great performance by Trio Garufa, this time at the Metronome fundraiser not too long ago. You can see in the photos above how packed it was--one shot is more literal, the other a little "Renoir-esque" (I wish I could say that was intentional, but I accidentally bumped my camera). Trio Garufa was in a particularly playful mood that night playing songs from Amelie & their signature tango, Hotel California. So often it seems orchestras are playing for tango dancers from a distance, but this night it felt like Trio Garufa was an intrinsic part of each tango. They played as if inviting us into a move and then we returned the favor. I'm not sure how they've developed this special talent (perhaps because they're excellent dancers, too?), but their songs feel incredibly organic and danceable. And to top it all off, Michelle & Murat were in town giving tango workshops & they gave an excellent performance. Their style is romantic to begin with, but it felt doubly so watching them because their love for each other is so obvious. At the end of their performance they endearingly deferred to one another as to who deserved the most credit for the loud applause from the adoring crowd. I'm not sure who appreciated whom the most this evening...was it the men and women thankful to each other for the tangos, was it the crowd so happy to get to see Michelle & Murat perform, or was it both so grateful to be able to dance to the terrific Trio Garufa late into the evening?

The Bocce Balls of Monte Cristo

If you know nothing else about the Monte Cristo, know this: they take their bocce ball seriously here. In this gentrifying barrio of Portrero rests the Monte Cristo--your neighborhood milonga. Celebrating their 100 year anniversary last year, the first thing you see when you enter this old school Italian social club is bocce ball postings on their left wall. After you climb the stairs there's an Italian style bar to the left, which has ten bocce ball trophies proudly displayed on top of it. And to the right is the dance room, which feels cozy like tango should. It was packed the night I was there, partly because the awesome Trio Garufa was playing. The first woman I danced with is a very nice doctor in town from Washington (you meet the most interesting people in tango!). Later I just watched in a daze as the couples flowed around the floor like a noiseless river. Noiseless, that is, upstairs. I went downstairs to check it out and was standing next to a bocce ball rack outside the kitchen hearing loud, creaking sounds from above--I thought the floor was going to come crashing down. I realized I was standing directly under the dance floor, but it sounded like bocce balls rolling above. Then I see an announcement for their upcoming stag dinners of saltimbocca, polenta & rabbit--you won't find any foo-foo Cal fusion cuisine here. And now I'm back upstairs watching a hundred tangueros float around again. Where did all that noise go? All I hear are the sweet notes of Trio Garufa as the murmering river flows as one.