Dancing Queen.

So... since my last post it's been dancing, music, parties... and more dancing. The recording of the album is moving along splendidly, I can't wait to have something to show you all. Soon enough. In the mean time, I'm really enjoying being the in studio and filling my days and nights with work, friends, classes and down time in my apartment - which is hands down my own little piece of paradise.

I had my very first "housewarming" party last weekend. It was a total blast. I invited fellow singer/songwriter Agustina Paz and her band the "peacemakers" and all 7 of them showed up. They are such "buena onda." Having them, plus my various friends and peeps from the recording studio... it was a good group. And...aside from the fact that in my drunken, nostalgic state I leaned up against a cactus on my balcony and wound up with microscopic and impossible to locate and/or remove splinters for a week - it was altogether a great night.



A couple of weeks ago I was invited to this underground tango orchestra. We show up at this warehouse which was completely hidden from the street... and I swear everyone in this dark hole in the wall knew each other somehow. The orchestra was impressive. Granted, if I were to listen to this music on a daily basis I would slowly slip into a suicidal coma - but as a show it was definitely something to see. Dark, brooding, very intense. here's a clip to give you an idea...



Anyways... on to the dancing...I wonder if some people really live there entire lives like this. I mean, dancing almost every night. It's really easy to do in this city where there are fabulous opportunities monday through sunday... I think I'll keep it up as long as I can :)

A couple of weeks ago one of my neighbors got a few free tickets to a big Tango show at a fancy auditorium in Recoleta (Super chic barrio). . . The show featured Miguel Angel Zotto and his company who are the top of cool and have done various world tours. Here are a couple of video clips to give you an idea of the caliber of these dancers... granted, this is tango for show, you wouldn't see anything this acrobatic in a real life milonga. If a woman tried to kick her leg that high she would without a doubt impale numerous couples dancing around her. But, for entertainment's sake... these tricks are way fun to watch.




As far as my own dancing pursuits go, I've worked my way up to the Tuesday night advanced Salsa class, which basically has given me a free pass to the "popular crowd" - I even got invited out for drinks with a group of advanced salseros and after a couple of hours of chatting and drinking over a picadita, we are now planning a party next Saturday in my apartment. Fun people. Great dancers.

Here's a video of me dancing a few weeks back... I have improved quite a bit since this was taken.



I suppose that's all for now... I hope that those of you reading this are happy, healthy and enjoying everyday of this crazy mixed up and utterly beautiful thing called life.

TJ

Song and Dance in BA...

Well it's been a few fabulous weeks since my last post. Here's the run down... I was lonely and a bit homesick my first weekend in my new apartment - so I took a deep breath, put on my big girl dress - and went dancing.

I pretty much haven't stopped since. Monday nights it's Parakultural at Salon Canning for Tango class and milonga. Tuesday it's Salsa at La Viruta (the teachers are hot) - Wednesday I like to vary it up with either live music somewhere or the Maldita Milonga in San Telmo. Thursday and Friday I'm typically in the studio recording, Saturday it's out again - maybe Salsa at Azucar or else where - then Sunday night Milonga at La Viruta.

These places vary as I'm constantly checking out new clubs and there is just so much to explore when it comes to the dancing scene here. Furthermore, I meet new people and learn new hot spots almost every time I go out. I don't have a crew - I pretty much fly solo to these events, but It's nice sometimes and gives me the freedom to decide when and where I want to spend my time.

Last Wednesday Luli took me to the Maldita Milonga in San Telmo - this place is pretty well known. I took the tango lesson - which was a joke as it was obviously for people who had never ever ever even heard of the Tango before. I skipped out and drank wine at the table with my three Argentinean girlfriends. When the live Tango band took the stage - I was floored. The three bandoneón (kind of like an accordian) players were seated a step below the three violinists and they would stomp and move violently as the dynamics of the song changed. It was so moving... I must admit I got a little teary-eyed at one point. The Tango is just so violently passionate and sad and beautiful. AAAAHHHHHHH. I love Buenos Aires.



Anyways - when the dancers started to take the floor - I was mesmorized. Specifically there was this one couple that I couldn't take my eyes off of. The man was obviously very young and his partner was an older woman (maybe in her 40's) the way he moved - it was unreal. It was kind of like across between Fred Astaire and Scarface. This mixture of strength, poise, and utter classic musicality. I was seriously glued to this couple. Furthermore (even though I was no where NEAR advanced enough to take this guy on) I was desperate to dance with him. So I shamelessly stared at him all night - taking the "cabaceo" to a new level of desperation (Cabaceo: slight nods between potential partners from across the room) The night carried on - I danced only a couple of times - being a newbie... I was getting ready to put my street shoes on when this young dirty-blonde pony-tailed mini-god caught my eye and nodded. My heart skipped a beat and I shook my head up and down so hard it almost fell off my shoulders.

I approached him - and asked him his name - he responded (in broken Spanish) "Robert" I was like - woah woah woah - wait a minute - my little Argentine dancing prince is ... AMERICAN. I was shocked. Apparently Robert is a 20 year-old from Saint Louis Missouri. Yea. I was just as shocked as you are. The illusion was toootally complete. His mom was a champion ballroom dancer (and also the woman I saw him dancing with earlier in the evening) they run a dance studio together in the midwest and come to study Tango every year here in Buenos Aires.

Back to our one moment on the dance floor...

Dancing with him is more like floating really. It was one of those moments where even though it didn't matter that I wasn't very advanced (his lead is stellar) I really wished that I was so that I could take advantage of all of his subtle leads and musicality... someday maybe.

I invited him to come Salsa dancing with Luli and I that Saturday (yes, he also teaches Salsa) . . . Fast forward to Saturday night - awesome night of dancing with Robert, Luli, and her two Panamenian friends. My feet hated me by the end of the night - but I was in heaven. And Robert and I danced this one Bachata that I will be dreaming about for weeks to come i'm sure. It was a fantastic night. Alas, Robert was leaving the city the following day, but he'll be back - and i'm hoping my dancing will have improved by that time.



Rewind two weeks - Luli was making a guest violin appearance with a local rock band at a club near my house. The place was cool - and packed. Luli played like the star she is - however, what really made the night worthwhile for me was the second band that played "Agustina Paz and the Peacemakers" - Agustina is kind of like an Argentinean Sarah Bareilles - and I really dig her sound, show, songwriting. I bought her CD that night and introduced myself as a fellow female singer/songwriter. She was gracious and almost a bit timid - way cool. We talked a bit via myspace and decided to get together in the near future to jam and "talk music" . . .

The night before last I headed to a local cultural club "Club Matienzo" to check out another one of her shows. This place is totally intimate - old french residence turned restaurant club. I didn't know anyone - but Agustina spotted me and invited me to sit at the table with the band (gracias a Dios) the band was rad, gracious, sweet, fun - even her manager was there and she was also rad. I have been invited to share a couple of dates with them in October... I didn't come here to perform, but hey - how can I turn down that offer :) Plus I'm DYING to perform some of the new songs we've been recording in the studio. So all together... a really good connection I have found in Agustina and hopefully a friend as well (I'll let you know how our pending date pans out) check her out.

http://www.agustinapaz.com.ar - also here's a video from the show the other night..



Hmmm. Oh yes, I must tell you about my night at the Hotel Faena. This place is where rich people come to talk about their money over martinis. It is BEAUTIFUL. If I ever get married (it's not looking promising :) this would be a great place for the event. So... There's this man named Pablo Bañares whose album is also being recorded by the team at Control Z - which is where we met. His story is as follows: while his parents wanted him to go to medical school, he wanted to be a rock star. Some thirty years later he is a doctor by day and the "Love Doctor" by night - as the front man for 90's rock cover band "Bañares." I'm not sure that I can appropriately explain this scene to you, however I will say that I got my fill of tits and ass for, like, the century. He invited me to come and sing (apparently alongside his two scantily-clad back up singers) I felt entirely out of place and WAY over-clothed, but I didn't want to let the opportunity to pass me by - so I took a deep breath (once again - are we noting a theme) and when he yelled into the mic - Tiffany, venís para cantar??? I jumped up and sang my sexiest rendition of "Mustang Sally" ... It was well-received and I may even consider his invitation to come to a rehearsal and work up a couple of "Actual" songs with the band... will keep you posted.



Well, I suppose that's all for now - I'm heading out to a see a Live Tango Orquesta perform - "Astillero" . . .

Besos.
TJ

My happy home.

My whole life I have dreamed of this moment. To be all wrapped up in a fluffy robe after a bath and sitting in my very own living room (ok maybe not the robe part, but you get the point)... there are candles burning, music playing, and this serene feeling of home. My home. Where I control the temperature of the rooms, the emotions, the smells, the sounds. I have the power to create my space, and what a priveledge it is.

I am so happy. Content. At peace. And after what a whirlwind the past two months have been it feels really really good to just be and enjoy my space.

I suppose that's all I have to say really. All is well. I am living the life of my dreams and it just keeps getting better.

TJ

STUDIO TIME - Real Joy - Buenos Aires, 2009

I can't really put into words what it's like to be here. It's like a thousand thoughts and a trillion dreams all bundled together and wrapped up tight with a beautiful little bow. So filled to capacity with contentment, disbelief and utter utter joy, I find this beautiful little bow quite frequently just seconds from bursting open to release colors and light and sound...

Ok, I've wafted poetic - you can blame it on the damn good dinner I just cooked myself, the half bottle of Malbec I've just consumed and the luxurious bath I've just emerged from.

I've been in Buenos Aires for three weeks now - it already feels like a lifetime - yet today it is officially... home. I'm writing to you from my apartment. To which only I have the keys. It's warm, safe, bohemian and everything I ever imagined it to be.

But I'll talk about my apartment later - I want to tell you all about the recording sessions. We've had three so far, and we have recorded the pre-production (reference tracks) for four songs. This basically means that we've gone through each song as an "equipo" (team) starting by me playing them acoustically - then laying down basic guitar and vocal tracks, then... we begin to "play". With timing, structure, rhythms, different instruments. Seeing how I'm recording in a somewhat trafficked sound/video engineering studio (and this is Argentina) often times people decide to join us for a session and as we pass the Máte around they come up with ideas. If it's good, we throw them in the booth and ask them to record it. For example, Cristian who edits video upstairs (and with whom I composed a song with back in November) sat in on our session yesterday, and wound up laying down the most catchy guitar riff, I swear, it makes the song.

It's futile for me to attempt to express my contentment - as words will just not suffice - but let me try to paint a picture for you. Martin and Fernando and I sit around like giddy little kids, throwing out ideas, and testing stuff out and at the end of every session Fer screams - "Es un HIT" (It's a hit) which makes me laugh every time... seriously, it never gets old.

The fact that I'm watching these songs that I truly believe in come to life alone is fantastic, to be doing so in a Spanish - Speaking environment. Absolutely, positively dream turned reality.

I guess the most fantastic part is that it doesn't even matter if this album wins a grammy or earns a penny... the day to day experience is just so fun, it's totally and completely worth every second.

San Bernardo, Buenos Aires, Argentina... July 19-24th

This week I headed to the coast with Martin's family... It was windy, rainy, and the polar winds were flowing - but I still had a blast. Just being able to see that much of the Argentine countryside was a thrill for me. We drove nearly 6 hours without ever leaving the "Province of Buenos Aires." I had absolutely no idea it was so ginormous. It went on forever. Truthfully, it wasn't so lovely due to the fact that outside of the Capital Federal - Buenos Aires is generally very poorly governed, dirty and somewhat desperate. There is so much poverty and waste... I even saw a man drive up along a service road in his beat up pinto, pull over, get out of the car, and dump 5 bags of garbage into the yellow-green countryside. It made me a bit sick, but alas, this is Argentina. And despite all of its downfalls, I love it just the same.

The coolest part about staying in this sleepy little beach-town called San Bernardo is that it is in no way at all an international tourist destination. On the contrary, it is a common go-to place for nationals - especially people trying to escape the capital. I was without a doubt the ONLY non-Argentine person staying in the hotel (I don't think anyone knew this, however). We had one night out at a Pizza joint. Diving, divine pizza.
It was low season so the streets, shops and clubs were dead, but I got the basic picture and I can see how much fun it must be (especially for hormone raging teenagers) during the summer.

We spent most of our time indoors enjoying the extremely heated "Pileta" (pool) and hanging out in the hotel apartment.


Seeing how there was little to do, Martin and I also saw a couple of movies at the local theater. My favorite: La era del hielo 3 (Ice Age 3) Why was this fun, you may ask? A few reasons, I shall answer.One: it was overdubbed in Spanish, making it entirely the more amusing. Two: we smuggled in contraband "Prontos" - kind of like a smirnoff ice made from the local favorite liquor "Gancia." Three: the movie theater was a riot in and of itself as on either side of the screen there were two turbine jet propelled heaters which looked as though they might set the theater on fire at any moment, their sound greatly overshadowed the meager speakers and a couple of times I felt as though we might be orbiting into space.



Ah, yes, it was quite an experience. We also drove to Mar de Plata one day - which is a huge city located just a couple hours farther down the coast. It was so stormy it was hard to get a great idea of what it was all about - but I gather it's pretty much a lot like the Capital... except on the coast. Fun none the less :)



Another patch of experience to add to my grand Argentine quilt.