"A lot of tango traditionalists feel that Piazzolla was the end of tango, that he killed the old traditions," Kelly says. "But from our perspective here in North America, we see him as one of the foremost exponents of tango. Most Americans didn't know the tango tradition before Piazzolla."
According to Kelly, the traditional and modern styles coexist here, and do so more and more in Buenos Aires, "not so much among the dancers but among the aficionados of tango music. Here almost all of the market for tango is dancers, but in Buenos Aires there's a cafe society and people who go just to listen to the music, like you would have a jazz club here, with no dancing at all. And there are also concerts in major halls."
Siempre Tango sometimes appears in concert -- as they did with the McLean Symphony in February. The area's other major tango group, QuinTango , featuring two violins, cello, bass and piano, is primarily a concert ensemble. Founded in 1995 by classical violinist Joan Singer , QuinTango gained national attention in 1999 after a White House performance with actor and tango fanatic Robert Duvall, Jaurena and actor Pablo Veron, star of "The Tango Lesson" and "Tango Argentino." Next month, QuinTango performs in Mexico with a symphony, and they've even gone to the source, performing in Buenos Aires.
"I'm told they were very well received there," says Kelly, pointing out that "QuinTango doesn't play for dancers as much as we do. We're pretty much the opposite -- we play more for dances and less in the concert format."
As the makeup of both groups suggests, many tango musicians come from classical backgrounds.
"In the early years of tango, it was mostly street musicians, although frequently the leaders had classical training," Kelly says. "These days, the pianists and violinists are all conservatory trained, and now even the bandoneon players go through four years of music school."
Siempre Tango's Tutto Bene gig isn't the only place to get a tango fix, of course. For tango lessons, milongas and other events, check the Capital Tangueros Web site. Charles Kelly recommends these regular milongas featuring live music or tango DJ:
? CocoCabana Bar and Grill (2031A University Blvd, Hyattsville; 301-431-1882). Mondays. Lessons 7:30, milonga to midnight. "There used to be two good tango locations on 14th Street that were pushed out by redevelopment -- Diversite and the BA Lounge," Kelly says. "The same guy who ran Diversite moved to Langley Park and he does salsa and hip-hop and other forms of dance music on the big-money nights, and tango on Mondays."
? Meze Restaurant & Lounge (2437 18th St. NW; 202-797-0017). Mondays. Lessons 7 to 9, practice 9 to 10. Candlelight milonga to 1 a.m.
? Agua Ardiente Restaurante (1250 24th St. NW; 202-833-8500) Tuesdays. Lessons 7:30 to 8:30, milonga to 10 p.m.
? Ascot Restaurant (1708 L St. NW; 202-296-7640). Tuesdays. Lessons 7:30 to 8:30; milonga to 11:30 p.m.
? Divino Lounge (7345-B Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda; 240-497-0300). Wednesdays. Lessons 8 to 9; milonga to midnight. Also hosts occasional tango concerts.
? Market 5 Gallery at Eastern Market (Seventh Street and North Carolina Avenue SE; 240-372-5134). Thursdays. Classes at 7 p.m., milongas from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
? Frascati Ristorante Italiano (4806 Rugby Lane Ave., Bethesda; 301-652-1492). Live tango dinner music resumes in May.
? Chevy Chase Ballroom (5207 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase) will host all-night milongas Saturday and April 30 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. with Cleveland DJ Timmy Tango, a midnight dance show and a 2 a.m. breakfast. Call 301-664-9690 or visithttp://vivianatango.com. Instructors Viviana and Isidoro Levinson usually hold milongas at the Chevy Chase Ballroom the fourth Sunday of each month, as well as the second Sunday of each month at Du-Shor Dance Studio (7800 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda).
? At the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park (7300 MacArthur Blvd.), milongas are held on the second Sunday of each month, though the May event will move to the third and fourth Sundays (May 15 and 22). Lessons at 7 p.m., milonga from 8 to 11 p.m. Visithttp://www.flyingfeet.org.
