Modern Tango World N° 4 (Bucharest, Romania) | Page 15
At first, tango dancers were reluctant to dance.
They regarded him as a good guitar player, but it
too difficult to dance to, almost impossible. Tudor
used to play a European tango with a Spanish influence. But because he was always in search of new
things, he picked up new songs and adapted his way
of playing.
The pleasure of playing for someone yo be able to
dance is quite a feat for a musician. Because of his
innovative guitar playing method, he quickly gained
the trust of dancers and he began to play extensively
for tango schools. He remembers the first milonga in
Bucharest where he played live tango music. It was a
happy and fun event, with people who were always
touching the floor while stepping and thus producing
Tudor received several original Argentine tango that unique sound which at first seemed quite odd.
songs and their scores, from the tango school. This
permitted him to take a fascinating musical trip from In time and a lot of patience and some explanations
the Spanish influenced European tangos to the from the dance teachers. they got into his music. AforiginalcArgentine tango music. His adaptation of ter the first milonga, came the second, and the third,
Malena dates from these first encounters with the and then his name got in the hearts of every Argendance world. Since then, all of the tango songs that tine tango dancer in Bucharest. And so it happened
he plays are adaptations from the original music.
that other musicians become interested in Argentine tango music. He joined with double bass player
The manner in which kr adapts the original tango Ciprian Parghel and his late mother, Anca Parghel,
music to play it on a single guitar is quite unique. a fascinating singer. After a few concerts with them,
Not all the songs can be adapted in this way. It de- he co-founded the first tango orchestra in Romapends on the range of the melody, the tempo, the nia with Constantin Stanciu, Mihai Melinescu and
general feeling of the music. When he has listened Ciprian Parghel in 2004.
to the song long enough to learn it by heart, he is
able to hum it from beginning to end. After deter- Between 2009 and 2010 he was based in Strasbourg
mining the key in which to play, the fun begins, pre- where his wife is pursuing a PhD. He came in conserving rhythm and melody so that people are able tact some of the tango schools there, and proposed
to recognize the song, and also comfortably dance. thay he play in their milongas. One of the teachers
invited him for an audition. She was very impressed
The original form and structure of the song is clear- by the special manner in which Tudor was playing.
ly helps people to predict the outcome of the song, He later played with success at the local milongas.
and dance on the musical phrases, using elements For this first milonga, he needed to add some new
such as doble tiempo, sincopa, corte, etc. This pro- songs to his repertoire, in order to be able to play
cess may be quite laborious, but the result is amaz- for a three to four hours milonga. He played a variing. An illusion is created that there is more than ety other types of music, like Latin American music,
one person playing a perfect tango — a song for jazz standards, etc..All were highly appreciated by
listening, dancing and improvisation.
the Tango Nuevo enthusiasts.
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