Argentina Tango shows: Madame Tango, in Buenos Aires

The success of the tango show "Madame Tango" in Buenos Aires

"Falling in love is not something you can choose, whether it is with someone, or with your career...It just happens. I am very happy with what I do, and Tango has done me so good. It made me a better woman, a better professional, a better person".
This is how she defines what happened, when asked out of curios- ity how it was that a beautiful vedette chose to take up a career in tango. However, it seems to be that was not because of a decision she made. Her sculptural body might well continue to be dressed in feathers and glitter, as when she was on stage with Carmen Barbieri, or on TV screens. But tango is her life passion, and for these past nine months Andrea Ghidone (41) has been heading "Madame Tango" - now on at the Astral on Corrientes Ave. She is seconded by a great cast including singers Esteban Riera and Ivana Rossi, dancers Leandro Gómez, Noche Samanigo, Alejandro An- drián and Natalia Romano, and a quartet of musicians like Pablo Valle - piano and musical director -, Leonel Gasso - bandoneon - , Mayumi Urgino - violin -, and Facundo Benavidez - double

bass. All of them are excellent, quality performers, and it is Andrea herself who's written the script and is also the director. She dances and sings, and performs as host presenting the different scenes. The origins of tango, the birth of La Cumparsita, the role of women... there is an extensive musical repertoire that ranges from the classic to Piazzolla.
There is more: Andrea's got further goals in her Tango career, and over these next few months she is planning to open a House of Tango on Belgrano Avenue (at the former site of Complejo Tango): "We have been renovating the place and arranging the show these past seven months. It's still under construction, with a hotel on the top floor, and during our scheduled auditions we will choose the members of our cast. The place will be special, a space with different shows, the Hotel of Madame Tango among them!, says the singer-dancer-actress. In her spare time she sometimes likes to go to milongas like La Parrilla and La Viruta. The Uruguayan artist is excited about the success of "Madame Tango"

"Since our premiere last November at the Regina Theater, we've had more than 70 thousand spectators. We moved twice, to Lola Membrives and Broadway, and the show has been on here since August 18 last, on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 PM, quite early. I am so happy"

What has been your goal with Madame Tango show? One of these goals is to bring Tango closer to people, more specifically to young people. We did not want to set up a show at an international level, but something that would tell the story of women in Tango. I had presented to idea to a number of people in show business, but so many times they would not think it was a worth their while, and this became a challenge. I love it because I see it makes people happy, I see their face expressions and they show happiness, for we try not to make them feel melancholic.

Of all great artists, who are the Tango women you love best? Libertad Lamarque, I believe, as a woman beyond reproach because there was never anything promiscuous about her. I also like Tita (Merello) with her typical air of the arrabal, that way she had of challenging and making a point... and among dancers, well María Nieves, she deserves all our love and respect. I believe they were all visionary women who contributed so much and we owe them a lot for we are now working, thanks to them. I would like to do what they did: open new doors, create new formulations.

Isn't it sad to see young people relate to foreign music like rap, and disregard that music inspired on the very sidewalks in their city? Without a doubt, it should all start in the classroom, at school. We are not promoting what is genuinely ours. There are kids that know nothing about Piazzolla, while there's kids coming from abroad to live here just because they want to learn to tango!

Are there Tango lyrics you relate to in a particular way? There is a new tango by Jaime Ross. The title is "De la canilla" and I like it so much. I am one of those women who don't like to live on their own and today I relate to the lyrics of that tango. It talks about good love, and about couples.




argentina tango shows