El Raton

Ok so I asked Roberto to teach me a song in Spanish and he´s started me off on this song called "El Raton" -the mouse. I practised it a few times and he told me, "Don´t be timid and sing like a man". The "hechale semila.." bit is very fast and dificult but I love the "chacucha cucucuchacucha"!

Chords are Am C7 B7 E7

Mi gato se esta quejando
Que no puede vacilar
Si donde quiera que se mete
Su gata lo va buscar
Esto si es serio mi amigo
Oye! oye que lio!
Que lio se va formar

Cuando mi gatito sepa
Cuando mi gatito sepa
Es tan simple la razon

De cualquier malla
Sale un raton. Oye!

Hechale semilla a esa maraca pa´ que suene
chacucha cucucuchacucha!!


Here are the Fania All Stars performing it in Africa featuring a Santana guitar solo.

Carlos, Tango and the Bandoneon

Met up with Carlos Viggiano today. This guy is a bandoneon teacher and I asked him questions about Tango and the bandoneon. In fact I recorded a 20 minute interview with him in Spanish. Quite daunting stuff but I think it will be easier next time. In the audio clip he is playing Decarisimo by Astor Piazzolla. He told me some interesting things about how the bandoneon was invented in Holland as a portable replacement for the church organ. As if to demonstrate this he picks it up and plays a few bars of "organ music". Throughout the interview we dunk bread in strong coffee. He is an expressive guy and gets his point across with drawings, a few chords on the bandoneon or with gesticulation but generally speaks slow enough for me to catch the drift. He seems to me a bit like an Italian. More about this at a later date I think. But it was pretty cool. Unfortunately I could not have a bash at playing the thing because it is too precious and my hands are probably too weak. Shame.

First recordings and face stuffing

Last night I stayed up drinking with the guys in the hostal. I think it was really beneficial for my Spanish and its great to chat to interesting people too. One Columbian guy got his guitar out and played a couple of songs. I´d like to learn a song in Spanish as an ice breaker for when you get passed a guitar. I will have to get someone to teach me.
Other than that there was a girl from Ushuaia who says the snowboarding is excellent there all year round, but I´ll probably miss out on that. This morning I was nursing a smallish hangover but took the recorder into town and went and bought my flight ticket. Its a strange system. I had reserved a seat online but you can´t pay online so to be honest there wasn´t much point. Hope I don´t get stung too much on the excess luggage.

The folk stage near Obolisco continued today with a lady in a swooshy red dress. Her dancing and dress were more attension grabbing than her singing but the band were decent. Piano accordian, violin, guitar, bass and percussion (well, a man banging a box with a pair of maracas strapped to his leg). I recorded one song, stayed and listened to another one and then went off for the flight ticket. On the way back I took in Florida again and the band from a few days ago were back. They are called El Metodo. This time without the clarinet player. I recorded a couple of songs. I got their email address so will send them some questions too. They played quite a few tango tunes this time but also a couple of jazz clasics.

Back at the hostel some of the guys had bought some facturas, which means pastries. I tried churro (a deep fried donut thing) and alfajor (a chocolate and dulce leche sugar rush) but my favourite was vigilante. Yum. Also learnt that croissants are called media luna - half moon. Makes sense, no? They say I can´t leave Argentina without having tried an asado which is a barbeque. Every part of the cow is eaten apparently and (please keep that "apparently" in mind) red meat is supposed to be good for healthy sperm. Not sure if bicycle saddles are...

Ok, this is the folky chica.

And El Metodo

A few more days in Buenos Aires

I´ve decided to stay here a few days longer to rest up the foot some more (its heaps better though), and soak up a bit more sunshine before heading to Ushuaia. I´ve not been too active the last couple of days but I did try mate for the first time. Mate is the national drink of Argentina. Its a kind of tea but tastes a bit like coffee. Its odd but not in a bad way and bitter but not unpleasantly so. The most interesting aspect is that it is drunk with a metal straw which has a filter at the bottom and is called a bombilla. The drink is popular with all ages and is a sociable activity. There is an etiquette that goes along with it, a bit like handing round a spliff I suppose. Also a really cool thing happened this morning for breakfast. The hostal receptionist baked an apple crumble!

Day Three. Went to visit the Museo del Tango which is in the famous Cafe Tortoni. Was mostly a load of old tat really. Some faded photos, Carlos Gardel´s hat, some old record covers and manuscripts. The cool thing was that a tango group were practising at the back. They were rehearsing a particularly dramatic passage from the end of a tune and the pianist (a guy in early twenties with a tasteful afro and goatee) was argueing with the singer (a cross between Pavorotti and Hulk Hogan, sorry folks, no photo!). I stood listening for a while, whilst pretending to look at the exhibits, and then sat down to rest the foot. At this point they began to play the whole tune through, rather than practise sections. Its powerful, seductive, sophisticated stuff this tango. Do you know it origionated in brothels and was the favouite music of thugs and gangsters? I guess a lot of good music has started off with an underclass (blues, hip-hop, jazz). The leggy style of dancing today is quite an evolution because to begin with it was only danced by men. The band I watched are what is known as an orquesta tipica and are formed of piano, double bass, two bandeons and two violins. Oh and Hulkavotti.

Also caught a few more street musicians today (Day Four!) including a folk group. There was a blonde lady with a bowler hat and a piano accordian and a clarinetist with a black moustache and a beret. They made a bit of a racket but not entirely unpleasant. Then I saw a small man (or possibly a child) playing Guns and Roses and Joe Saturani riffs. Not for me.

Back at the same place as before on Florida street I found another group doing some really dancable tunes. I guess they have a caribbean or ska influence. Anyway I managed to video a little bit this time (got to start taking the audio recorder with me).

A guy comes over whenever your sat down somewhere (on the metro, or at a cafe) and puts something in front of you (a pair of sissors, a pen, a book, a torch, a screwdriver) then in a few minutes he comes and picks it up. The idea is you have become so attached to it you want to buy it. Also a kid came up to me with some juggling balls. I thought he was trying to sell them to me so just said "No gracias" but he shaked his head and then started to do the most half-hearted juggling you can imagine. I asked him "Quieres dinero?", he nodded, but I decided to say "Lo siento, no."

I´m going to fly to Ushauia on Saturday I think. It´ll be a damn site more comfy than 36 hours on a bus (which only goes as far as Rio Gallegos) and as the bike is already packed up it makes sense. Hope there is a bike shop there but if not I should be able to assemble the thing.

Day Two

Pretty cool day today. Went out to the Boca area where there are some attractive multi coloured buildings. Then caught a bunch of street musicians on the main tourist drag. They did a pretty cool rendition of "Minor Swing". Then had a few beers in Plaza Dorrego and watched people dancing the Tango.

Day One: Buenos Aires

Despite all the horror stories I have read, flying with a bike seemed to go fairly smoothly. The box has a few knocks and I havn´t opened it yet, but its a hardy bike it´ll be ok. Not really decided the best way to get to Tierra del Fuego. Bus or plane.
Buenos Aires is a lovely city with many tree lined streets with the Jacarandas in blossom at the moment a vibrant purple. Had a bit of a look round today but foot is still a bit sore. Saw the presidential palace, a giant pink building, the parliment building and the phalic Obolisco. Also, Plaza San Martin was nice with lots of people sunbathing, kids playing football. There is a big statue of San Martin on his horse and loads of weird and wonderful trees with enormous roots.