Kesher Talk

Jews in odd places: Argentina: Can you dance the tango? It is a requirement in Argentina, so no wonder that Jews there have a "romance with the dance."

From playing guitar, piano and accordion to writing music, singing and dancing, Jews have had a close tie to the tango music that was then emerging in the Buenos Aires area. For many, tango simply provided the possibility of work.

The Jewish contribution to tango’s development was so rich that tango researchers wrote a book entitled, “Tango, a History with Jews.”

Now, nine Argentine Jews have formed a new tango group to honor these roots. The group, Inspiracion, the first Argentine Jewish tango orchestra, made their debut at an April 30 concert in Buenos Aires sponsored by B’nai B’rith and the Holocaust Foundation.

However, not everyone appreciated the idea. One Jewish grandmother of 63 — who preferred not to publish her name — said she saw nothing inherently Jewish about the group, except for one instrumental song called “Zeide.” “This is purely commercial and discriminatory,” she said. “They perform tango; the show has nothing related to Judaism. It’s like creating a group of Jewish dentists."

posted by William @ 7/22/2003 08:40:48 AM