‘Past is a wound in my heart.’ from the lyrics of an old Turkish tango song by Necdet Rüştü Efe, 1928
We assume that Buenos Aires is the tango capital of the world. But Istanbul seems to be catching up as tango has been the ‘hype’ of the city in recent decades. There is a growing number of people who are ‘into’ tango. There are more and more dance schools that ‘teach’ tango, tango student clubs at universities, growing number of milongas, tango weekends and an Istanbul Tango Festival that invites leading dancers from across the globe. What is surprising is that tango schools are spreading round the city from central locations to suburbs and people of all ages are ‘pouring’ in these schools.
Many would assume that tango is a ‘thing’ of the past but very similar to the birth of tango in Argentina, the current suffocating zeitgeist in Turkey and especially in Istanbul with its political, social and economic dimensions are motivating people to find a ‘refuge’ and tango seems to be that very refuge with the intimacy, concentration and passion it promises. It seems to compensate for all that we lack in real life.
Covid-19 has halted the spell of tango for Istanbulites but it is back again with full force.
If you are a tango lover, check out the weekly milongas across Istanbul in which you can get a chance to dance to Turkish tango pieces composed in the 1930s and 1940s which is a fully nostalgic experience and even consider visiting Istanbul during the Tango Festival. Milongas usually take place in special venues, dance schools or luxurious hotels. Googling it is enough is to see how many options there are in the city,
The first Turkish tango to be recorded on in 1928 and sung by Seyyan Hanim. The name of the song is ‘past is a wound in my heart’
There is a Sultans of Tango Marathon in Spring between 26th of April and 1st of May so you might consider being a part of it.
Let’s end with two of my most favorite tango dancers who were in Istanbul for the Istanbul Tango Festival: Mariano Chicho Frumboli and Juana Sepulveda. They deserve a big applause for the magic of tango they recreate each time.
