FelipeH's Tango Story

Conversation of Miguel zotto & Carlos Gavito, see English translation in More...

Miguel Zotto: Carlos Eduardo Gavito…

Gavito: How’s it going?

Zotto: Gavito

G: yup

Zotto: I wanna ask you a few questions about your career, how did you seetango, you struggled, you traveled, you believed in something when no one elsebelieved in this. What is your feeling of tango?

G: Look there’s a message here for people who go out to tango. It’s notsomething that is all about one person, there are not “bosses” or “leaders”.It’s really about freedom. The freedom of the ordinary people, the freedom of our neighborhoods. This is not something they have in other countries. Manypeople, no just me, but many people believe the most beautiful thing you can do in tango is in the embrace. Many people have picked up on this in various lessons and schools. No no, this is something in each of us. It’s something that exists in each one of us. It’s the warmth. When you’re taking another person, ‘I’m protected’ ‘I’m not alone.’ That’s tango. It’s the passion. In the local neighbourhoods it’s on every corner. Some close friend is singing, another is playing music. We didn’t learn this in schools. It’s been around for a while in different forms. But in the 1920’s and 1930’s Many people say Gavito, you danced to Canaro. I don’t dance to Canaro because for me, it’s a tango I haven’t lived through. But I was around for Di Sarli and I know Juan Carlos Copes (milonguero). He represents a certain time for me.

Zotto: It was great last night watching (Dancer) Maria Nieves. Oh yeah. Butlet’s talk about you. When did you start traveling?

Gavito: For tango I left Argentina in 1968. I think it was April 1968. Iactually flew out on an air force plane to go to Columbia to the Medellin tangofestival. When we’re descending for the airport, I see these old ladies aroundthe airstrip, they were so tiny. (laughs). I’ll never forget it.

Zotto: How many countries did you visit?

Gavito: For work, 93 countries, constantly on the move passing through, comingand going. It was a constant struggle, and at that time, no one believed intango, no one. I was dancing on a cruise ship in the Caribbean and someAmerican guy says “What do you like to dance?” I was confused by the question.I said I danced tango. He says, what you do isn’t tango. Tango is where you puta rose in your mouth and dance around the room. I said, look that’s the danceof (Rudolf) Valentino and Valentino was Italian and he lived in Hollywood, notin Buenos Aires Argentina. That’s how people saw us. The whole projection ofour national culture expanded little by little. There was never a massive burstof it. Tango was never massive. Rumba, salsa were massive. It was alwayssomething elite and done in homes.

Zotto: Gavita, I’d like to ask what is the role or meaning of the woman in tango for you?

Gavito: Look, I’ll answer that in reverse. I have way of saying and thinking that’s emotional. I say that any man who dances tango and doesn’t look at thewoman as a queen, will never be a king. For me it’s all about respect for the woman. The woman needs to trust the one she’s dancing with. She needs to be able to trust in the embrace and trust in where she’s being lead.