Two women in a tight tango embrace glide across the dance floor of Susurro, a large space where cartoon-graffitied walls contrast with the classically-dressed dancers, mostly aged between 30 and 50. Avoiding the cabeceo—a short, clear look with which you invite your desired partner to dance—is not easy if you want to take in the atmosphere and observe the people blending with tango on a Saturday night.
Barcelona has long had an intimate relationship with the tango. The dance dates back to 19th-century Buenos Aires, but crossed the Atlantic in the early 20th century, easily seducing European audiences with its brazen sensuality. Barcelona at that time was a major city of culture in Europe, known for its progressive thinking and cosmopolitan way of life. It was a keen adopter of the Argentine dance, becoming the leading city in Europe for tango, after Paris. The dance’s popularity in Barcelona further grew in 1925, with the arrival of Carlos Gardel, tango’s most famous singer. He debuted in the Teatro Goya, and was a frequent visitor to the city. In recent years, the large number of Argentine immigrants has given the scene a fresh boost, resulting in a wealth of tango clubs, classes and milongas.
Back at Susurro, a serious-looking woman is sitting on one of the sofas, waiting for an invitation to dance. In the world of tango, it is men who do the inviting. If asked to dance, she will spend the next four songs—the duration of a tanda of classical tango—with her partner, who may well be someone she knows from one of the city’s many dance nights. Here, the usual rules of communication give way to a system of nods, embraces and steps.
The usual rules of communication give way to a system of nods, embraces and steps
After four tandas, there are three milongas, the fastest of the three tango rhythms. The dance floor empties and only the brave or quick-footed remain. Looking at the couples it is easy to see differences in the way they interpret the music, but the levels more or less match. On average, it takes about two years for a man to learn tango well and about six months for a woman. The dance evenings—also called milongas—are usually attended by people who have several months of classes under their belt.
At 1am, an hour or so before it closes, a woman with a dog walks into Susurro to remind the dancing couples that, despite it feeling like an alternative universe, we are still in Gràcia.
At around 10pm on a Monday, Omar, a tall man in a suit with a lilting Argentinean accent, finishes giving a class to around 20 people. There are empanadas on wooden plates and white sweets in a basket. The teacher becomes the DJ, and moves from the dance floor to the stage. A man with a long ladder changes white light bulbs for red. A sweet darkness comes over the parquet of the Centro Gallego in the lower part of the Raval. As the students take out their wallets to pay the €6 entrance fee and other people start to come in, organiser Claudio Frost makes sure that all the tables are ready for the start of the milonga. “It has been running for 12 years and the ratio of 70 percent local residents to 30 percent foreigners reflects the cosmopolitan spirit of Barcelona,” he said. Frost likes to keep things dynamic. There is a different DJ every Monday and the teachers change on a monthly basis. The clicking of dance shoes mixes with the early 20th-century tango melodies. Elegant women talk to their friends, and men talk to men.
A red-haired woman sitting next to me takes off her shoes and socks and puts on high heels, an integral part of the female tango wardrobe. Standing up, she removes her glasses and assumes a tango pose. A few moments later, she puts her glasses back on, perhaps to see if anyone is inviting her to the dance floor with a cabeceo. Although the age range of the dancers is similar to that of Susurro, the milonga at the Centro Gallego feels more formal. Diana, a woman in her late 20s, is here every Monday. She says that she is a regular not only because of the quality of the milonga, but for something far more comprehensive. “We are a community, everybody knows everybody. To someone on the outside, it would be hard to understand why we skip birthday parties, dinners and going out with friends just for this feeling of togetherness.”
Nou Pipa Club is located in Plaça Reial, up a winding flight of stairs and through a small red door. Until 2015, this was the home of the mythical Pipa Club, which welcomed Barcelona’s pipe smokers for more than three decades. A barman opens the door to a set of large rooms that are empty on a Wednesday evening. Beyond the glass and sliding wooden door there is a room where the black-grey ceramic floor reflects the black ceiling adorned with golden decorations. Inside are a man and a woman giving instructions to five couples. They show a simple step and talk about the angles of the elbows.
Barcelona’s longest-standing milonga takes place in Casa Valencia in Gràcia on Thursdays. “We have played only the classical tango since we began in 1999, and those who expect a more traditional atmosphere come here,” said Antonia Barrera, the organiser. Despite there being mainly couples in their late 50s, she said that the younger visitors come after midnight when the older dancers start going home.
Although each milonga, club and class has a different atmosphere, the tango community of Barcelona finds its coherence in the mixture. It enriches Barcelona evenings in a way that unites friendship, dance and music, and opens the door to a place where people from different backgrounds can share the beauty of tango.
WHERE TO DANCE TANGO
Milonga Susurro
Sala Susurro. Quevedo 29
Milonga: every Saturday, 10pm-2am
Centro Gallego de Barcelona
Rambla 35-37 Pral.
Milonga: every Monday, 10.30pm-1.30am
Classes: Beginners on Monday and Tuesday, 8pm-9.15pm
Intermediate and advanced on Monday and Tuesday, 9.15pm-10.30pm
Courses last 10 weeks and give free entry to the Monday milonga.
Milonga Casa Valencia
Còrsega 335 Pral.
Milonga: every Thursday, 10pm-1.30am
Classes: Beginners on Thursday 8pm-9pm
Intermediate and advanced on Thursday, 9pm-10pm
For more information, tangoenbarcelona.es lists milongas and classes throughout the city.