Solstice Milonga and the Festival of Music by Jane Tolbert

. . . Nous déplacerons la
Milonga de la fête de la musique . . . au Forum Jacques Médecin ou, s'il n'est
pas libre, Place Masséna. Tango Siempre Tango


Summer Soltice Milonga,
Monday, June 21, 2010
7:00 pm to 10:30 am (Cocoa tango)

These were just two of the tango events scheduled for the solstice, known as the festival of music in many countries. Dancing and music are inseparable for me. I attended a milonga in Cocoa. The music ranges from sad (he loses the girl) to happy (she comes back). . . . The tango experience is something we continue to seek—that ultimate dance experience.

Tango is a dance of feeling. What is particularly significant about tango during the solstice is the dance connection with a partner, the connection with the broader musical community and the global connection people around the world. The experience of a worldwide music festival is similar to that of watching New Year’s celebrations occur around the world. I feel like we are one.

I first heard of the 24-hour music festivals when we lived in Garbejaire (Valbonne), France, in the 1990s for a brief period. My kids said they planned to camp out with friends near the stadium at Sophia Antipolis, a research park in the South of France. I was skeptical.

Really, a 24-hour music festival in a wooded research park of more than 6,700 acres! What would the kids invent next. Then I saw fliers and wondered, is it safe? Is it a French version of Woodstock? A mass camp out? But this festival turned out to be one of many held in France.

These festivities began in 1982 to promote music by organizing free concerts in public spaces. Not only did music flow on a 24-hour basis, but these venues also enabled little-known musicians to gain recognition.

The tango groups always organize events for the solstice. In Nice, France, Marie and Jacques planned a milonga on the Place Massena. In Cocoa, Fla., the El Tigre Academy of Tango also organized an indoor event (due to the humidity and heat). In checking the Web, I see that the French embassy and major US cities also organized solstice music events.

I had to leave early. June 22 was a work day, after all. But the music by Francisco Canaro with vocalist Ada Falcóne continued to play in my mind throughout the night.