DC Tango Festival

Date #2.
{May 2, 2009}
(image from visitdublin.com)

our reviews: 5 stars. AWESOME. Serving my mission in Argentina made me love the people, but I never really got to see their culture the way normal tourists would experience it on a trip there. Not that a tango show in DC is the full version of an Argentine cultural experience, but I feel like it was definitely a taste of things I had missed. There were performers dancing in front of a complete Pan-American orchestra, and it rocked. When I saw the orchestra as we were getting into our seats I was totally bummed, because I had not expected a boring symphony concert. But I quickly learned that a South American orchestra is NOT like a North American one. Picture street music in Europe, complete with an accordian, an amazing solo violinist, and incredible solo pianist, combined with some sweet latin folklore and 2 fabulous renowned tango vocalists, and then you might have the idea. The conductor, violinist, pianist, and most of the orchestra were from Argentina, and knowing the conditions for many people there, I couldn't imagine how proud their families must have been of them that night, when they played for a packed crowd in the capital of the United States, where they got so many standing ovations they ran out of music and had to replay a piece from earlier that night.

I fell in love with Argentina all over, and when we found out that the cute little old woman just 3 rows in front of us clapping enthusiastically and shouting "Bravo! Bravo!" was the conductor's mother visiting from Argentina that night, it was the icing on the cake. What a beautiful culture, what amazing talent, and que lastima that I waited so long to experience this part of it for myself (since Tango shows weren't allowed on the mission, clearly). Jon and I loved it, took no photos, and just lived in the moment of soaking in another nation's talents.