How Meng brought to my attention a wonderful piece the other day. He saw on youtube Maria Plazaola dancing this piece with an old milonguero.

He asked if I knew which orchestra it was. I heard and danced this song many times but I didn't know exactly which song or orchestra it was; but the heavy rhythm of the bandoneon clued me in that this might be a D'Arienzo piece .

But How Meng and I had doubts because the whole mood of the song was a bit too subdued to be D'Arienzo.

In the end with the help of Royce, we got the name of the song, 'Amarras', by Juan D'Arienzo.

With my half past six spanish I thought it must have been something to do with love. Because 'amar' means 'to love' in spanish.

But by chance Javier was playing this song and he explained to me 'amarras' describes the securing points of at the port where the ship ties themselves to. It also means to tie up, to bond.

So here goes the translation of the song.

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AMARRAS
Letra de Carmelo Santiago
Musica de C. Marchisio

Vago como sombra atormentada
bajo el gris de la recova,
me contemplo y no soy nada...

(Lazy like the tormented shadow
below the grey of the market,
I contemplate and I am nothing...)

Soy como mi lancha carbonera
que ha quedado recalada,
bien atada a la ribera.

(I am like my carbon boat
that have stayed grounded,
well tied to the bank.)

Yo también atado a mi pasado
soy un barco que está anclado
y siento en mi carne sus amarras
que me muerde, que me agarras.

(I'm also tied to my past
I am a boat that is anchored
and I feel in my flesh your bonds
that bites me, that seizes me.)

Lloro aquellos días
que jamás han de volver;
busco aquellos besos
que ya nunca he de tener,

(I cry those days
that never will return;
I search for those kisses
that already I will never have,)

soy como mi lancha carbonera
que ha quedado en la ribera,
¡no partir más!

(I am like my carbon boat
that have stayed in the bank,
to part no more!)

Aquellos besos que perdí
al presentir que no me amaba,
fueron tormentas de dolor
llenas de horror.
¡Hoy no soy nada!

(Those kisses that I lost,
to the feeling that you didn't love me,
were torments of pain
full of horror.
Today I am nothing!)

Yo sólo sé que perder,
que caí y que rodé
al abismo del fracaso...

(I only know that which I lost,
which I fell and which I turned over
to the abyss of failure...)

Yo sólo sé que tu adiós,
en la burla del dolor,
me acompaña paso a paso.

(I only know that your goodbyes,
in the mockery of the pain,
accompanied me step by step.)

Ahora que sé que no vendrás,
vago sin fin por la recova,
busco valor para partir;
para alejarme... y así
matando mi obsesión,
lejos de ti, poder morir.

(Now that I know that you will not come,
lazy without end by the market,
I look for courage to part;
for moving away... and like this
killing my obsession,
faraway from you,
to be able to die.)

The singing ends here, but these are the rest of the lyrics.

Pero vivo atado a mi pasado,
tu recuerdo me encadena,
soy un barco que está anclado.

(But I live tied to my past,
your memories chains me,
I am a boat that is anchored.)

Sé que únicamente con la muerte
cesarán mis amarguras;
cambiará mi mala suerte.

(I know only with death
my bitterness will cease;
my bad luck will change.)

Vago con la atroz melancolía
de una noche gris y fría;
y siento en mi carne sus amarras
como garfios, como garras.

(Lazy with the atrocious melancholy
of a grey and cold night;
and I feel in my flesh your bonds
like hooks, like claws.)

Nada me consuela en esta cruel desolación.
Solo voy marchando con mi pobre corazón.
Soy como mi lancha carbonera,
que ha quedado en la ribera,
sin partir más.

(Nothing comforts me in this cruel desolation.
Only I go on marching with my poor heart.
I am like my carbon boat,
that have stayed in the bank,
to part no more.)

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The other day I was at Javier's house, talking about musicality, he talked about dancing for the women. The dance, it's not just making the women follow your lead, follow your musicality, execute your figures. But most importantly listening to the women, in the embrace, in her figures, in her embellishments, what she wants.

"Its like making love, he says, when the women is climaxing, you have to listen to her body, see how she responds, what makes her come in the end. Does she want it faster? Slower? Lighter? Harder?" Javier said. "In the dance, after getting use to each others' lead and follow initially, then the best part of the dancing is to listen to what the women wants in that particular dance. Does she want it fast, aggressive, energetic? Does she want to slow down?" "Its not all about trying to do what you want anymore. Its letting her body and her emotions lead you..."

"...Listen carefully and especially when she is in 'angustia'..." I paused and thought to myself, for a split second I thought he meant if the women are in anguish when dancing with me.

"... there are moments in the dance when the women are so moved by the music or the lyrics, or it makes them remember some memories and they are in 'angustia' (anguish). Those are special moments and you have to pause and let them be." He continued.

"If I dance a milonga or a D'Arienzo, Biagi, then I put on full gear and fly. But if its a Di Sarli, or Pugliese, it's impossible to keep moving and be highly energetic all the time. There are moments of dense energy and pauses."

In listening to this D'Arienzo piece. Listening to the light piano and fleeting bandoneon and winding violin. Especially if you understand the singing; I think its one of the D'Arienzo pieces which the less is said, the better it is.