Latest News and Anouncements
February 12, 2010: Valentine's Milonga in Worcester, MA
We're heading back East for a Valentine's Day Milonga in Worcester, MA, about an hour from Boston. 
In the past, this event has brought over 200 dancers from all over the region and has a reputation of a great mix of music and lots of fun! It's on Friday, February 12. there's a beginner lesson with Jackie Ling Wong from 8-9 and a dance from 9-1.
Alden Hall (100 Institute Road) on the campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute
General Admission: $20
Students: $10
WPI students: *Free*
All proceeds fm the Dance go to ABBY's HOUSE http://www.abbyshouse.org/ A non-profit house for homeless women in the Worcester region. You may write a tax deductible check payable to "Greater Worcester Community Foundation" (for Abby's House impoverment fund) For tkts email: Hossein Hakim or purchase at the door: hakim@ece.wpi.edu c: 508.954.3233
January 18, 2010: East Coast Mini-Tour
Mandrágora will be making a quick 5-day East Coast tour January 18-25. We will be playing in Princeton, Washington, Allentown, Philadelphia, Raleigh/Durham and possibly a quick stop in Chicago. We’ll post more details here as things fall into place.
January 16, 2010: Tango Concert, Milonga and Lecture at the Saint Paul Jewish Community Center
On January 16th, we will be performing a concert, milonga and lecture at the Saint Paul JCC. At 8 PM, we will play a short concert with live dance of Tango with a special emphasis on some of its Jewish origins. After the concert, Lois Donnay will teach an "introduction to tango" lesson for all those who might be inspired to learn to dance. We will follow the lesson with a Milonga (a tango simcha, or dance party) until late in the evening.
Argentine Tango has a rich and fascinating history stretching back over 100 years. Argentina in 1900, much like the United States, was a cultural melting pot of many European immigrants. Today Argentina has the 6th largest Jewish population in the world. Tango, much like Jazz, had influences from many cultures. Just as early Jazz had many Jewish songwriters and musicians (George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Benny Goodman, etc…), Tango had many Jews involved from the start (Luis Rubistein, Ismael Spitalnik, Julio Korn, etc…) By the 1910s, tango was popular all over the world, and was even written in Yiddish. At 7PM, Bob will give a lecture on a few points where Tango, Klezmer and Yiddish intersect.
For more information, see the Saint Paul JCC Website
October 9, 2009: Chicago CD Release Party at ATI,
We'll be at the American Tango Institute in Chicago on Friday, October 9th to celebrate the release of our new CD. If you're in the windy city, we hope you can join us!
October 4, 2009: Gracias a la vida, Mercedes Sosa, 1935-2009
Last night, Mercedes Sosa, one of our favorite singers, passed away at the age of 74. She was born in San Miguel de Tucuman in 1935 as was known as "La Voz de America Latina" (the voice of Latin America) for her powerful songs about the plight of the poor. She was not primarily known as a Tango singer, but she has recorded some amazing tango songs. Her version of Los Mareados with Roberto Goyeneche is personal favorite of mine. Here are a few my favorite recordings of her.
One of her most famous songs was "Gracias a la vida" or "Thank you to life". I chokes me up whenever I hear it. Gracias a Mercedes Sosa
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