The Thematic Tango Bar

Introduction

Back in 1952, when he was still a child, he was filled with tango passion seeing his teen brothers learning how to dance with the help of a book, while drawing the steps on the floor with a piece of chalk. They tried to do the tango, bolero, samba, as well as other rhythms.  Later on, as a teen, the boy used to sing sentimental songs in his "serenade" and bohemia nights accompanied by his friends,  in his hometown Alem Paraiba in the interior of Minas Gerais. His preferred ones were tangos, boleros and Paraguayan "guaranias". 

In 1966 he came down to Rio de Janeiro to study Engineering. At that time he met a Bolivian friend who also was keen on tango. From him he learnt some tango lyrics such as Mano a Mano, Tomo y Obligo, Caminito and other titles which he used to sing in his bohemia nights. Following a public examination, he was appointed to work at CEDAE in 1967, making his first steps at University.  As a result, his tango passion remained latent, as all his time was devoted to his studies and his job. In 1972, after dating for three years, he married Lea, his work-mate. His son Ricardo was born one month before he graduated as engineer in December 1974.

He used to sing his tangos and boleros now and then, in parties and familiar gatherings. However, he wished to visit Argentina to see tango at its birthplace and learn how to dance it. His own referential was his elder brother Romulo, a well-known and excellent tango dancer.

Very busy with his work and family, his spare time was devoted to football, volleyball and swimming. He continued to dance in his "cheek-to-cheek style" and to sing tangos and boleros at family parties, mostly at Club 17 (the CEDAE sports and social club). However, his real hope was to see and learn how to do the Argentine tango.

His dream started to come true in 1987, during his first trip to Buenos Aires and Bariloche. As he would later report in his book, his first emotion was to accompany the singer and the bandonion player at Caminito, in a cold afternoon in Buenos Aires, arm-in-arm with his 12-year-old son. His wife was also nearby; he could hardly control his emotions, longing to share them with his wife and son.

Precisely at that moment he made up his mind to learn tango, but he wondered… would it be possible at Brazil at that time? His desire was fulfilled only two years later, when he started to learn tango in Brazil and started to travel quite frequently to Buenos Aires, giving him a chance to practice with the best porteño teachers. He learnt his first steps, however, on his first trip to Bariloche in 1987.  From that moment on, tango and ballroom dancing superseded his old passion for football and volleyball.

As years went by he learnt more, practiced more and developed his tango culture. He moved to Barra da Tijuca in 1993 and decided to set up, in the upper floor of his own apartment, the Thematic Tango Bar, where he started to form a collection of articles and goods related to tango, in several media. Her also started to organize tango parties with his wife and partner, and when his collection was big enough he decided to share it with his friends, also tango lovers, making the information available at his Thematic Tango Bar to all of them. Later on, in December 2000, he published his first book "Tango Uma Paixão Porteña no Brasil" ("Tango, a Porteño Passion in Brazil"), and now in his site on Internet <Bardetngo.com.br>. 

The photographs which follow are a tribute to his dear late wife and companion of long years and also his tango partner, who passed away on January 28, 2000, leaving vivid memories of a happy and joyous person. This is portrayed in the tango milonga composed in her honor, the title being "Milonga da Estrela Tuca" (Milonga of Star Tuca).

English translation: Cristina Otálora