Music
Press
SALSA presents Latin Dance and Martial Arts show
Mar 18, 2005 2:47 pm | by Catherine Scudera
The first annual Latin Dance and Martial Arts Show, sponsored by SALSA, took place in Rangos on Feb 23. As TSB senior Benjamin Koellman, SALSA's general manager, said in his introductions, the late afternoon performance was an "exciting mix of Latin dance and martial arts," showing "the highest level of skill, grace, and beauty."
The show began with the musical stylings of Tangueros de Ley, a local Pittsburgh tango band. As with all of the groups to follow, Tangueros de Ley began by explaining the heritage of their music. The tango originated in South America, but only after it had traveled in its early forms from Africa to Cuba to Spain. When the first tangos were written and danced to in the 1880s, they were typically very upbeat, but later more melancholy tunes were added to the tango repertoire.
Consisting of a clarinetist, double bassist, and an accordion player, Tangueros de Ley's individual member's sounds came together beautifully. After beginning their first piece "La Cumparsita" with a steady accordion rhythm, the bassist and clarinetist joined in with an unmistakably tango beat. One particularly recognizable piece that they played was "Por Una Cabeza," which was featured in the movie Scent of a Woman.
For many of the nine selections Tangueros de Ley played, two dancers came onstage to perform with [the band]. It is obvious why it "takes two to tango:" both dancers were extremely skilled and moved fluidly together. - Carnegie Mellon University
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Specializing in recreating the dance environment of Buenos Aires, Tangueros De Ley has revived Pittsburgh with live tango music. As the city's only tango band, this unique ensemble enriches the cultural environment with the flavor of tango. While remaining rooted in traditional tango, Tangueros de Ley brings fresh new life to the art form.
Tangueros de Ley's repertoire consists of the most loved tangos, milongas and valses.
They are also well versed in the classical tango repertoire such as the great works of Astor Piazzolla.
Bringing live tango music and dance to this city is a passion of the band's, and the musicians specialize in the fusion of the two.
The ensemble's dedication to cultural education has inspired them to prepare a history of the tango workshop and performance for schools and universities.
Links
