Wer in Veranstaltungen und/oder Kursen Musik spielt, die frei von Urheberrechten ist, braucht dafür nichts zu zahlen. Danza y Movimiento verfügt über ein Paket von fast 500 Aufnahmen, bei denen jedes einzelne Werk von der deutschen Gesellschaft für Urheberrechte (GEMA) bezüglich der Urheberrechte geprüft wurde. Diese Musik stellen wir Veranstalter*innen, Tanzlehrer*innen, DJs und für eine Beschallung von Cafes oder Bars zur Verfügung.

Herauszufinden ob ein Werk wirklich frei von Urheberrechten ist erfordert umfangreiche rechtliche Kenntnisse. Und selbst wenn ich mir ganz sicher bin, dass ein Werk frei von Urheberrechten ist, habe ich in den vergangenen Jahren immer wieder erlebt, dass irgendeine multinationale Firma Rechte beansprucht, die sie eigentlich gar nicht hat. Aber mit solchen Firmen macht es nicht viel Sinn zu streiten. Diese umstrittenen Werke stelle ich entsprechend nicht zur Verfügung, auch wenn ich mir sicher bin, dass sie eigentlich frei sind.

Wer angibt urheberrechtsfreie Musik zu spielen wird meist aufgefordert, darüber eine Liste vorzulegen. Wenn die nationale Urheberrechtsgesellschaft hier auch nur ein einziges Werk findet, welches laut ihren Unterlagen NICHT frei ist, muss für die gesamte Musiknutzung gezahlt werden.

Ich habe mit urheberrechtsfreier Musik über Jahrzehnte Erfahrungen gesammelt und es gibt in Deutschland eine ganze Reihe von Tangoveranstalter*innen, die für Kurse, Milongas oder die Beschallung ihres Cafes durch den Abschluss der Nutzungsvereinbarung mit „Danza y Movimiento“ sehr viel Geld gespart haben. Das Projekt in Deutschland läuft seit 2012 und es hat nicht eine einzige Prüfung gegeben, die zu Ungunsten meiner Vertragspartner*innen ausgegangen ist.

Ausserhalb Deutschlands habe ich bisher in erster Linie Erfahrungen damit gemacht, einzelne Aufnahmen für Filme oder Videos zur Verfügung zu stellen. Aus diesem Grunde gebe ich Sonderkonditionen an Kunden aus Ländern, in denen ich gerne Erfahrungen sammeln möchte. Nimm also gerne unverbindlich Kontakt  auf, wenn Du Interesse an der Nutzung urheberrechtsfreier Musik für Deine Projekte hast.

Unter dem Link „Urheberrechtsfreie Musik“ findest Du weitere Informationen.

Zum oben abgebildeten Cover: 2003 har Danza y Movimiento ein erstes Album veröffentlicht, auf dem eigentlich nur urheberrechtsfreie Musik sein sollte. Eine tolle Zusammenstellung an Musik und dazu noch ein Booklet mit einer Erzählung aus der Tangowelt. Damals gab es noch einen Markt für Produkte, die man in die Hand nehmen konnte. Die Musikauswahl war von einem Tangokenner getroffen worden und ich hatte mich darauf verlassen, dass die Zusammenstellung wirklich rechtefrei wäre. Leider gefehlt. Spätestens zu diesem Zeitpunkt habe ich begonnen mich in die rechtlichen Untiefen des Urheberrechts hineinzuarbeiten.

Das Album „Tango y Literatura“ gibt es immer noch, allerdings nur digital. 17 von 19 Werken sind heute frei von Urheberrechten. 

Finally, “Danza y Movimiento” has published sheet music for tango, jazz, bolero, bossa and modern classical music. Some of the works have been arranged for solo instruments (piano, violin, cello, bass), smaller ensembles, small orchestras or even guitar and vocals. They are available worldwide as downloads on various platforms.

Click here for the current overview of sheet music editions.

Making music yourself is an emotional experience. This experience requires sheet music. The music publisher of “Danza y Movimiento” is called Ediciones La Palmera  and has built up a catalog of more than 800 original works over 25 years. Sheet music has not yet been published. Especially in the world of tango, there is a lack of good sheet music editions for small ensembles or individual instruments.

I have now decided to arrange 24 different works for different instruments and/or instrumentations in a pilot project with the support of a whole series of authors. This is a time-consuming and cost-intensive activity and I am grateful to those who have supported me. The current 30 arrangements are offered on these platforms:

Notendownload (prelistening, audio included with purchase)

Stretta (prelistening, audio included with purchase)

Apple Books (prelistening, audio included with purchase)

Score Exchange (Prelistening)

SheetMusicPlus (Prelistening)

Musicnotes

All platforms are linked on our overview page of sheet music editions. Purchasing from Apple Books is only possible when using an iPhone or iPad.

This sheet music opens up new possibilities for tango and jazz formations as well as for music teachers who want to offer their students something different. Especially in the accordion/bandoneon area, there was hardly any useful material in the past.

I would be delighted if you would spread this message within your personal network. By buying the sheet music, you are supporting creative people in music who work outside the mainstream and whose income has fallen sharply in recent years. When you buy sheet music, you can be sure that the money goes where it belongs.

And here is the current overview of the sheet music editions.

I would be grateful for any suggestions and comments on this project, especially so that I can incorporate them into further project planning.

This article provides information about the current options for buying music in high audio quality, i.e. uncompressed in file formats such as FLAC or WAV (download) or listening to it online (streaming).

MP3 is certainly familiar to everyone. It is the most widely used format for audio files. The recording of a music track consists of a lot of data. With MP3, this is compressed into a manageable package so that as many files as possible can fit on your device. During this compression process, certain frequency ranges are cut off, among other things. If you listen to music with a small speaker, you will not notice this. However, if you want to listen to your music on a high-quality system, you will need music files of a suitable quality.

In the days of vinyl, that was no problem. And even today, vinyl as an analog form of music reproduction is an unbeatable musical pleasure. When converted to digital format, a recording loses its value. Anyone who switched from vinyl to CD a few decades ago could see that. Nowadays, however, the CD is already out of fashion and the quality of the music has become worse and worse. As in many other areas, mass has taken the place of quality.

The recordings on a CD correspond to a format called WAV. WAV files are uncompressed audio in CD quality. The alternative to WAV is called FLAC. FLAC files are much smaller than WAV without losing any of the quality of the recording,

Anyone looking for high-quality audio usually listens in FLAC format.

But where can you get it? Unfortunately, there is currently no platform that offers high-quality recordings worldwide. In the following, I would like to introduce you to a few platforms that are interesting for collectors, DJs and connoisseurs of uncompressed music. You can visit the platforms to find out whether they are available in your country. I have included individual country examples below. Our entire catalog and of course all other music currently is available on these platforms:

7digital - Downloads in FLAC and MP3
Self-description: "Music enjoyment at the highest level - without loss of quality. Hi-Res offers you the opportunity to experience your favorite albums in a new way."  But first you have to find your favorite albums at 7digital. The easiest way to do this is to search for the music in our music store and enter the title and artist of an album in the 7digital search engine. The platform is available in these countries, among others: UK, USA, France, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and some more. As a rule, a browser recognizes the user's dial-up country and prompts them to switch directly if necessary.

Qobuz - Streaming and downloads in FLAC
Self-description: "When we founded Qobuz in 2008, our goal was to give the online music world what has always been important to us music lovers and music enthusiasts. That's exactly why we at Qobuz, completely isolated and single-handedly, convinced our labels to offer us something other than just that tiresome MP3! Qobuz was the first service in the world to offer its entire catalog for download in 16-bit/44.1 kHz CD quality." The search function is just as high-quality thanks to its filter options. For example, you can display all albums from our various labels (DyM Online, Danza y Mo-vimiento, ViaCancun, Krosskolor) or filter by genre, artist and other criteria. You can find this platform in the USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia and more. Qobuz is also well positioned in Latin America and has platforms in Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Colombia. Find a list of all countries here.

TIDAL - Streaming in FLAC and MP3
Self-description: "Experience first-class sound quality that shows every detail with HiRes Free Lossless Audio Codec (HiRes FLAC up to 24 bit, 192 kHz)." Well, unfortunately our audios don't have such a high quality, but you can find our complete catalog as FLAC 16 bit, 44kHz at TIDAL. TIDAL is a streaming platform that even DJs work with. If your reception quality is not optimal, you can also switch to MP3. The prices are moderate and there is even a family subscription. The platform is available in quite a few countries. You can find a current country overview here.

DEEZER - streaming in FLAC and MP3
The platform, which originates from France, is available in around 180 countries. With the subscription model, it is possible to stream the music as FLAC. It is also possible to save the files on your own device for offline listening.

It is interesting to note that platforms with high-quality music come exclusively from Europe. In contrast, market-dominating providers such as Google, Apple and Amazon primarily come from the USA. My guess is that the market leaders are once again waiting until the often very committed platforms with quality have convinced more people to buy quality. They will then enter precisely this market with price dumping. This has actually always been the case in recent decades.

If you are in a country where your favorite provider is not active, you can try to connect via a VPN. That should actually work ... If you are interested in WAV files, you can get this format from Danza y Movimiento. However, this is more expensive than with the providers mentioned above, as it involves manual effort.

I and certainly others would be grateful for up-to-date information and experience on this topic. The information in this article is current as of June 2024.

Tango is usually danced to recordings that are sometimes more than 100 years old. It crackles and rustles and some people experience a journey back in time to another world while dancing. But did people at that time really hear the music the way we hear it today?

Dedicated sound engineers often went to great lengths to reduce crackling and hissing to a minimum. In doing so, they usually overlooked the fact that many recordings were played at a different speed in the original than the original they had edited. DJ Mark John has dedicated himself to this extremely interesting topic. Based on his research, Danza y Movimiento is publishing a new series in which tangos can be heard as they were heard 100 years ago. And this leads to a new dance experience in which it is possible to immerse yourself even more deeply in the tango.

Why is the speed of many recordings wrong?

This requires a short but interesting look at the history of the bandoneon. A history of the tango without the bandoneon is unimaginable. Everyone has heard how the instruments are tuned at the beginning of a concert at a live music event. If not, it sounds strange. To be able to make music together, you need a common basis. And that is the so-called concert pitch A. The conductor listens to the concert pitch on his tuning fork and the instruments tune in. When A vibrates the same for all instruments, you're ready to go.

But when is A=A? This is the moment when all the instruments play the note A at a frequency at which it vibrates 440 times a second, for example. Played together in this way, it sounds good to the ear. But what do we do with an instrument like the bandoneon that you can't tune yourself? Tuning a bandoneon is more complicated than tuning a piano. Such instruments have to be tuned by a specialist so that the A vibrates just as often per second as the A of the other instruments in the orchestra. Or vice versa: all the other instruments are tuned to the bandoneon.

Until 1929, bandoneons were generally delivered with the note A vibrating 435 times per second. It was only after 1939 that the standard of 440 hertz was established. And what about the period between 1929 and 1939? Sometimes it's like this, sometimes like that. And to make things a little more complicated: There are also recordings with 440 bandoneons before 1929. And even after 1939 there were musicians who didn't want to have their bandoneon tuned to 440 hertz and only played when everyone else in the orchestra was tuned to their instrument.

This is where DJ Mark John's detective research begins, as he sets out to find out which concert pitch was used in the original recording. This requires extensive research: Harmonic analyses, an examination of the plausibility of the tone sequences, comparisons of singers' voices in recordings before and after the concert pitch change and much more. The notes of the original recordings are also helpful, if they still exist ...

The new series “Back in time to Tango” promises dancing pleasure with carefully sound-restored recordings that have been adapted to the original speed. So dance like 100 years ago and without stumbling because the orchestra plays too fast or too slow ...

The first 8 albums in the series contain the complete repertoire of all recordings by the Orquesta Tipica Donato-Zerrillo and the Orquesta Tipica Select. A click on the cover will take you to the respective album. You will also find a link to the platform of your choice where you can stream or download the complete album.

A note for collectors: You can get our releases uncompressed e.g. as FLAC in the stores of “7 digital”. Unfortunately, this platform does not sell in all countries. But you can get the music e.g. in UK, USA, France, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and some more countries.

Finns are enthusiastic tangueros. Tango is even called "Finnish national music" here in the north of Europe and Finnish tango has existed for more than 100 years. Of course, the Finns compose their own tango.

The Finns also like the south of Spain. In Malaga there is now a real Finnish colony. So it is not surprising that the first article about the album "Tango Malaga" appeared in the print magazine Suomalainen Espanjassa. This is a Finnish-language publication aimed at Finns living in the south of Spain. There must be quite a few of them if they have their own newspaper ...

So - Tango Malaga is Finnish tango and a little bit more, sung by opera tenor Harri Kaitila and produced in warm Spanish Malaga.

Life should not be taken for granted“, realized songwriter and producer Tapani Puranen in spring 2022. He had just begun to compose music for singer Harri Kaitila and suddenly got a cancer diagnose in Málaga, leading to an urgent operation and medical treatments. That changed the mood for the rest of the work. What if this was his last project?

The result is a collection of songs that reveal Tapanis experience with profound honesty. 

Harri Kaitila is a Finnish opera- and concert singer whose vocal field is a lyrical tenor. Since 1999, Kaitila dedicated himself to various concert tango projects and performed in various concert halls from The Slovak Radio Concert Hall to the Berliner Philharmonie in Germany. 

His professional career started during his vocal studies at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, Austria, and his early career Kaitila spent in Vienna and in Berlin, touring Europe and serving as the cultural manager of the Finnish Cultural Institute in Germany.

Tapani Puranen won the Absolute Winner Prize in the Film Music Contest 2022 for his score on film ”Casino.sk”. He also got three Global Music Awards prizes and one of his songs charting number one in France 1996 got more than 7000 radioplays. Puranen moved from Finland to Andalucia, Spain in 2018.

After hearing some of the earlier tango recordings of Harri Kaitila, Puranen decided to write his first concert tango for Kaitila. Spanish multitalent artist Pepe Gonzalez wrote the Spanish lyrics – so the opening track Mujer de Tango of Tango Málaga had been born. Puranen wrote his songs first in Finnish and Kaitila translated the lyrics into Spanish. Kaitila also wrote songs. For example the tango  Aunque Se Acabara El Mundo.

Music like this can’t be created quickly. The process „takes a stupid amount of time“, laughs Tapani Puranen who programmed the orchestral parts using some high-end music software. Three songs were programmed by arranger Ari Ismälä as well. The Finnish versions were recorded in summer 2022 and Harri travelled to Málaga in May 2023 once more to record the Spanish versions.

As a teenager Puranen once received a postcard that said: ”Work as you would live forever. Love like you would die today“. This aphorism served as inspiration for the salsa Reloj de Arena. The sand in the hourglass does not stop flowing.

Every grain of sand matters – let’s use them wisely.“

On our website you can prelisten to the music. And you will find links to various platforms where you can stream the album in full or download it.

A note for collectors: You can get our releases uncompressed e.g. as FLAC in the stores of “7 digital”. Unfortunately, this platform does not sell in all countries. But you can get the music e.g. in UK, USA, France, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and some more countries. 

Danza y Movimiento is happy to present this new expansion to its catalogue. Compiled by teacher, DJ, and translator Jake Spatz, each of these albums matches a volume in the Librotango series of books---a bilingual presentation of tango lyrics in singable English translations. Aimed at veteran dancers and newcomers alike, the selections offer a mix of classic dance tunes and lucid renditions by solo singers, highlighting the role of lyrics in the genre.

The books themselves are available internationally through Amazon and other retailers. The translations convey the sense and follow the melody of the originals, and their extensive notes present research on the songs and their authors, detailing the role of stage plays and movies in Golden Age's "industry of song." Every book opens with a unique introduction on the themes and images of the tango, and also includes bios of all featured lyricists.

Spatz's work as a translator has been widely praised for its grasp of the original content, its sensitivity and nuance of wording, and its singable poetic approach. These DyM companion albums now give readers a tour of the vast tango catalogue, connecting the text to the sound of memorable vintage recordings. Those new to tango will be enchanted by the depth and quality of the genre, and diehard dancers will discover some new gems not played at milongas---some of them danceable, some for listening, all of them unforgettable.

A click on the cover will bring you to the respective album.

A note for collectors: You can get our releases uncompressed e.g. as FLAC in the stores of “7 digital”. Unfortunately, this platform does not sell in all countries. But you can get the music e.g. in UK, USA, France, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and some more countries.

Tango professionals from all over the world present their 22 favorite titles. This is the motto of the latest series on the label of "Danza y Movimiento". DJs, promoters, teachers and all those who are professionally involved with tango are part of the show.

The first edition of the new series includes 12 albums, compiled by tango DJs and promoters from the USA, Sweden, Great Britain, France, Germany, Holland, Iceland, Czech Republic and Montenegro.

What criteria did the tangueras and tangueros use to make their selection of titles? It is exciting to read what the respective motivation has been to present the recordings the way they can be heard now. Most of the compilations are danceable, but just not all of them.

DJ Biki from Utrecht has been inspired by her tango mentors - every single track is associated with a certain person for her. DJ Bianca Vrcan (La Montenegrina), like most others, had a problem: how to choose 22 works among more than 5000 recordings available for selection? Since she had sorted the database on which the selection was based alphabetically, she only got as far as "D". So please don't be surprised if the titles of her compilation all start with "A", "B", "C" or "D".

But even with the completely danceable compilations there are different approaches. DJ Hlynur " El Arce " Helgason from Reykjavík, for example, took as a basis a format he had developed for his online milongas during the time “when Covid shut us down“. 2020 was the birth of the "mini-milonga" for him.

But look and listen for yourself. With each album you will also find links to the various platforms where the albums can be streamed in full length and of course danced.

The next releases are in preparation. If you are passionate about tango, you can apply for a presentation of your own Top22 in one of the following series right now!

A click on the cover will bring you to the respective album.

A note for collectors: You can get our releases uncompressed e.g. as FLAC in the stores of “7 digital”. Unfortunately, this platform does not sell in all countries. But you can get the music e.g. in UK, USA, France, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and some more countries.

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Travel is possible again. But many things have changed. No reason NOT to travel to Cuba. You can now get recommendations for good operators and group tours at "Danza y Movimiento".

Salsa dance trips in November and February

These days I got in contact with an operator who offers dance trips in November 2022 and February 2023, where you can get to know the life in Cuba first hand. If you want to know more, feel free to get in touch via the contact form.

"Danza y Movimiento" itself is no longer a tour operator, as we could no longer afford that luxury in the context of a world situation known in new parlance as a "pandemic", given the regulations imposed by the authorities. However, I am trying to find out who is currently offering tours that are related to our previous offering.

A few thoughts on the current situation in Cuba ...

There is not much positive to report at this time. For my impression gained from conversations and reports, the leadership of the country has failed with their policies of the past years. Apart from the problems that have existed for decades as a result of the omnipotence of the U.S. neighbor, considerable resistance from within the country is to be expected.

A large part of the population wants Coca Cola, Whatsapp and Google. There is hardly any awareness that the economic misery of most people in the country will only grow along this path. A Cuban who considers himself progressive already communicates via the software of the king of manipulators. This refers to Mark Zuckerberg, who pulls his invisible strings in Cuba as in many other countries. Anyone who does not have Zuckerberg software on their mobile monitoring device is often lost in terms of communication in Cuba (as in many other countries) today. For Mr. Zuckerberg, the embargo obviously does not seem to apply ...

At the same time, the following happens(s):

The scenario of a covid threat was staged hardcore in Cuba. The population was locked up in their homes for months. The most important source of income, tourism, was suspended. Today in Cuba, about 90% of people over the age of two are vaccinated, often economically ruined, and trying to leave the country if possible. To this day, I have not understood what the Cuban regime wanted to achieve with this staging. Perhaps the country was counting on exporting its protein-based vaccines developed in Cuba to provide an alternative to mRNA gene shots. In doing so, however, the Cubans probably underestimated the embargo imposed by the pharmaceutical companies on anything that is not rMNA and does not come from their own stable.

The most important issue, however, is currently (once again) the energy supply. In the provinces, the power is sometimes switched off for 10-15 hours at a time. Even the best refrigerator becomes a sauna. Further consequences in a tropical country in summer can be imagined by everyone. A major fire at the supply depot in Matanzas could be the straw that breaks the camel's back in terms of discontent. Here, at the beginning of the month, about half a month's worth of fuel for the whole of Cuba went up in flames.

The causes of the energy crisis are well known. For me, it is incomprehensible that, to my knowledge, more or less nothing has been done to prevent this foreseeable development. Cuba has enough other energy reserves in the form of sun and wind as an alternative to decades-old combined heat and power plants fueled by heavy oil, which incidentally have contributed to the abundant respiratory diseases in some regions over the past decades. But it was only a few years ago that Cuba began to take a serious interest in alternative energy production. Too late?

Even if nothing draws me to Cuba anymore and my apartment in Havana is still for sale - I enjoyed my time in Cuba. Cuba is simply worth a trip. Even if the spirit of Cuba is getting more and more lost with the renewed colonization by digital media, there is still an incredible amount to discover and experience that is simply different from the world we have become accustomed to in our own everyday environment. This uniqueness was a major reason for me to start offering cultural tours to Cuba 26 years ago.

And even in 2022 I can still say - even if the country is economically fucked, it still has great wealth to show in other respects.

(Photo: Sabine Jacob)

El Hierro is located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and the seventh and smallest of the main Canary Islands. Here, a project is currently being created for retreat and reflection, to breathe deeply and get in touch with nature. The island is sparsely populated, has no international airport and no wide sandy beaches. These are ideal conditions for people who want to take some time out, especially in this day and age. Our time needs people who are willing to stop and contemplate ...

In this sense, we are in the process of transforming a former agricultural finca in the heart of the island. The soil offers ideal conditions to grow our own vegetables and fruits. The existing houses will be gradually transformed into foundations for a retreat alone, as a couple or even with children.

In communal facilities it will be possible to meet other guests, eat together or simply do one's laundry. A group room will be designed for yoga, meditation and dance. Fast Internet will be available in the digital area of the community center. There will be offers to participate in movement and meditation events. And you will have the opportunity to take advantage of the individual offers of Eylin (healthy cooking, astrology) or Matthias (individual trainings for living in the fullness of your individual potential). Upon arrival you will receive an introduction to life on the finca and information about everything that might be important for you, so you feel comfortable and well during your stay on El Hierro.

Some of these offers are already available, others will be added step by step. Information about the current state of affairs can be found at any time on this page.

A few days ago a three-part film was published, in which you can get an impression of the current state of the project, our ideas, offers and perspectives. We - that are Eylin and Matthias, who are looking forward to hearing from you.

In front of the small, somewhat crooked wooden house, Alvarado is sitting in the shade of a palm tree with two musicians; they play the son „Tic Tac“ in honor of Antonio, who has just arrived. Alvarado calls his 80 year old friend Tic Tac, because you can hear his cane from afar: tic tac tic tac.

The other two musicians are friends who happened to be passing by. A former cop who plays the tres guitar. And a rum-loving neighbor who can make music on empty bottles. Antonio sits next to it contentedly, sometimes clapping along with the rhythm.

Alvarado almost always works like this - spontaneously and surrounded by the people of his hometown. His lyrics reflect events from his everyday life. Living in Pueblo Nuevo, a district of Mella in Eastern Cuba.

The big old sugar cane factory stands in the center of the settlement and towers above everything. It looks a bit like an old cathedral with two towers. “Antonio J. Mella” is written on the chimneys, the name of the co-founder of the Communist Party of Cuba.

Of course, Alvarado wrote a song about the Central, – that‘s what they call the sugar cane factory, and almost everyone makes their living by it. His song is always played at the opening and at the end of the Zafra, the sugar cane harvest, – at a small celebration on the premises of the Central. The song is praise for the workers, praise for the rhythmic sugar cane factory, without which Mella would not exist.

The German filmmaker Hans Böffgen got to know Alvarado when he was looking for local musicians to make music for his documentary “El melao de cana”. A documentary about life around the Central. His attention was brought to Alvarado. Böffgen uses his song about the Central in the film.

This was also the beginning of a friendship. Both are painters, and painting together deepened their friendship. Alvarado‘s wooden house, especially the shady place in front of it, became the common taller (workshop). Neighbors came by, sat down for portraits and a glass of rum, musicians came and left. Many children come here again and again to paint.

Later they were invited to do a joint exhibition in the state gallery in Santiago de Cuba.

Everyone in town knows Alvarado. Especially since he also composed and wrote Mella‘s “Hymn”. “Soy de Mella compai”. Every child there knows it. And again and again, when Alvarado strolls through the streets with his guitar, people shout „Soy de Mella compai ...“

But you also know him in the neighboring towns, and even in Santiago de Cuba, 80 kilometers away. And every now and then the local radio station plays a song by him.

Once, when Alvarado and Böffgen were looking for oil paints in Santiago de Cuba, a man shouted from a car “Hey, Alvarado!” He stopped and they greeted each other warmly. It was the creator of the monumental Revolution Square in Santiago de Cuba and one of Cuba‘s most famous artists, the internationally known sculptor and painter Alberto Lescay. He asked the two of them to come into his studio. He raved about Alvarado‘s art, his music, his painting and his personality.

Every now and then, art collectors, mainly from the USA and Canada, come to Mella, which is an important place for “naive art” in Cuba. Alberto Lescay founded an artist group many years ago. They exhibited together. Alvarado has also sold some paintings but now he despises the „brand“ naive art. He believes many artists simply recreate this artform.

Alvarado does not call himself a naive artist. Sometimes, at exhibitions, when children say: I like the picture, then he gives it away. But when a prospective buyer makes an offer, he sticks to his price. In an art book published in France, Alvarado was presented as one of the most important Cuban “naive artists”. He has a tattered copy of this book from the 1980s. Unprinted parts of the page are covered with sketches for new pictures. Paper is scarce in Cuba.

Alvarado wrote „a few hundred“ songs. In histaller there are pieces of paper with lyrics and ideas for songs. This can be the about an argument with a friend, the memory of a past love, or a song of praise to a friend, like „Tic Tac“.

Alvarado is also the leader of a sextet, which are all brilliant musicians from Mella who perform at festivals all over the area. He‘s also an excellent entertainer, with an incredible stage presence.

Alvarado says he likes living in Mella. But sometimes he longs for the big wide world. Then he thinks of his time as a seaman in the Cuban fishing fleet. He knows the oceans, the ports in Africa, Asia, the USA. He drank rum in the docks in Gran Canaria, Panama and Luanda. He spent his life on ships for 12 years and his guitar was always with him. His mother had promised him the guitar when he became seriously ill as a teenager. Recovered, he immediately began to compose his first songs.

Alvarado‘s great love is his Trio son Alvarado, with the virtuoso Tres guitarist Jorge Luis Reyes de Bro, and his son, the bongo player Rubisley Alvarado Ramirez.

In 2018 the trio recorded their first CD in a studio in Santiago de Cuba: “Una mirada fraternal”. The producer is Hans Böffgen. At the same time, Böffgen and Alvarado made two films and several music videos.

In October 2019 Alvarado came to Germany for the first time, exhibited his pictures in a Frankfurt gallery, and made a small tour of Germany, small concerts and exhibitions. A second, larger tour with his entire trio was planned for 2020. Due to the Corona crisis, the appointments could not be kept.

Anyone interested in “Una mirada fraternal” hystory of origin - the one-hour film with the same title can be seen here:

(Text based on a template by Hans Böffgen; Photos Hans Böffgen)

In this article about the third and fourth album of the miniseries “Con Saludos desde Europa” you get a little insight into the current events of the first decades of the past century, which strongly influenced the lives and formations of the tango musicians on these albums. Family connections within the tango scene and musical developments of individual musicians are mentioned, as well as the author‘s personal assessments of individual titles. The photo shows Rafael Canaro.

The third album presents recordings with Quentin Verdu, the unforgettable Alina De Silva and Auguste Jean Pesenti.

With his interpretation and the fresh arrangements of the Tango classics „Torrente“, „Malena“, „Sur“ (for me the best interpretation ever) and „Cancion desesperada“ Quintin Verdu is a pleasure to listen to and presents the skills of the French singers in an impressive way.

Unfortunately, tango lost its popularity quickly in Europe after the war and with the beginning of the 50s the musicians had to earn their living with other musical styles.

Regarding Alina De Silva: I think all of Argentina would have been willing to adopt her as an Argentinean. But this wonderful Tango singer is Peruvian and eventually died in her home country Lima. In 1925 she came to France together with her husband Alfonse de Silva and his orchestra. They lived there for about 15 years before they returned to their native country.

The European press was full of praise such as „The best stylist of the Argentinean Tango“ or „The most popular and beautiful Argentinean singer“ and as I think this judgement is well deserved.

There are as well exquisite interpretations of tango hits from the early 30s, which were often played in cabarets and nightclubs. Unfortunately, the singers are not clarified here and are not printed on the records.

The fourth album presents the Orchestras Bianco-Bachicha, Bachicha, Bianco, Horacio Pettorossi, Rafael Canaro and Brodman-Alfaro.

Juan Bautista Deambroggio (nicknamed Bachicha) was undoubtedly one of the pioneers of tango in Argentina. He played since 1911 with Roberto Firpo as the duo „Taka Taka“ in various cafés in Buenos Aires and when Roberto Firpo made debut with his orchestra in 1914, Bachicha was his bandeonist. He is playing on the first recording of „La Cumparsita“.

In 1923 he accompanied a theater troupe to Spain. Among the members were Emilia Garcia, his later partner and mother of his children, Mario Melfi and Horacio Pettorossi. 

After that Bachicha, Pettorossi and Melfi were invited to Paris by Eduardo Bianco and the the Bianco Bachicha Orchestra was founded. During the whole time in Spain, Bachicha taught Pettorossi and Melfi to play the bandoneon. Together they had great success in Europe in the 1920s and made recordings in different countries.

In 1924 Eduardo Bianco founded an orchestra together with Bachicha and opened the Cabaret Palermo in El Garron. Their recordings are mostly excerpts from the Cabaret Shows. The Tango humoristico is often found among his recordings. The aim was to entertain the audience with humor. Eduardo Bianco toured all over Europe and spread the Tango in Switzerland, Turkey, Greece, Poland, Austria, Bulgaria and the Middle East.

Among the singers, Teresita Asprella, César Alberú and Juan Raggi are especially worth mentioning. 

Horacio Pettorossi also sang together in duet with Bianco. He started playing the guitar at the age of five and continued his studies after primary school. His journey to Europe led him as a guitarist in the orchestra Bianco-Bachicha and later with his own orchestra on a European tour through Romania, Greece and Italy. In Italy he also recorded several tangos in Italian with Teresita Asprella („Come una sigaretta“). Back in Paris he accompanied Carlos Gardel and also played at the recordings for his movies in France till they returned together to Argentina in 1932.

(The contribution is an adaptation of a text by Matthias Kroll. Despite careful research, we were unable to identify the photographer of the photo used for this article. We ask possible copyright holders to contact us directly, e.g. by e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

Well-known and less well-known tango orchestras from the late 20s to the late 40s are presented on a total of four albums entitled „Con Saludos desde Europa“. All titles were recorded in Europe. In addition to orchestras based in Europe, there are others who have only toured Europe for a short time. Some of them have been completely forgotten these days. This article provides background information on the orchestras and the musicians of the four albums. This music is also suitable for DJs when putting together tandas on a milonga.

The first album of the small series includes recordings by the orchestras of Quintin Verdu, Jose M. Lucchesi, Francisco Alongi and Rafael Canaro.

Quintin Verdu was born to Spanish parents in Algeria and came to Paris at the age of 10, where he attended the conservatory. At 21, he met Rafael Canaro and Miguel Orlando, who hired him as a pianist. He went on a European tour with Rafael Canaro until 1935 and later accompanied Tino Rossi, whom he soon left to form his own orchestra.

With their distinctive style, they were very successful until the outbreak of war. He was captured and released in 1941. His orchestra later became the house band of the famous “Olympia” in Paris. There are four tracks on this album that present the distinctive style of this orchestra.

José Marcos Lucchesi came to Paris from Brazil as the son of a Corsican family and, following the zeitgeist, also fell in love with the tango in the 1930s. After the war he switched to popular dance music with his works.

Francisco Alongi came to France from Tunisia in 1921 and became a pianist for Manuel Pizarro and later for Tano Genaro. He often accompanied the famous tango singer Rosita Barrios. In 1932 he founded his own orchestra.

Rafael Canaro, the little brother of the great Francisco, was also known as Argentina‘s tango ambassador to Europe. The recordings with Luis Scalon are from 1938 and were taken in Paris. Due to the outbreak of war, Rafael Canaro then returned to his native Argentina.

The second album presents Felice Verrecchia, Manuel and Salvador Pizarro, Rene Pesenti and Auguste Jean Pesenti.

The Argentine Felice Verrecchia Orchestra was a family company that made its first recordings in late 1937. The family originally came from Italy and made a living in the Tango stronghold of Paris. The young singer Bianca Meri later Bianca Verrecchia bewitches by the beauty of her singing.

Manuel Pizarro was one of the pioneers of tango in Europe right from the start. He landed in Marseille for the first time in August 1920 and three months later was a member of the Filipotto ensemble in the cabaret „El Garron“ in Paris. From 1923, he successfully maintained several nightclubs with his brothers Domingo, Salvador, Alfredo, Tanga, Jose and Miguel, which were the starting point for many Argentine tango musicians.

In this album, the only two remaining recordings of Roberto Maida can be heard during his stay in France with Manuel Pizarro.

Little is known about Rene Pesenti and there are only few recordings preserved. The dreamy violins are formative in his arrangements. Auguste Jean Pesenti was also an all-rounder of the night clubs and cabaret industry in Paris. This is shown by numerous recordings with the orchestras of the Parisian „Coliseum“ or the „l‘Empire“. His „Poema“ recording from 1932 is one of the most successful interpretations for me. In 1936 he founded a jazz tango formation for the „Moulin Rouge“ ball.

All recordings have been published by the MKR label, which guarantees the highest sound quality.

(The contribution is an adaptation of a text by Matthias Kroll. Despite careful research, we were unable to identify the photographer of the photo used for this article. We ask possible copyright holders to contact us directly, e.g. by e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

A tango dancer has sent me her thoughts with request for publication:

Yeah, I'm selfish. And I stand by it.

 Because I'm tired of hearing from well-meaning "altruistic" people about how important it is for all of us to shut everything down so that we can all stay healthy and the hospitals don't get overloaded... I should enjoy life, resume neglected hobbies, clean up my apartment or do yoga and wait and see...

 These are the things I am already doing regularly.
I don't need a stupid virus for that.
They have always been part of my life.

I just don't want to be placated/criticized/silenced/made ridiculous by people whose lives are hardly affected by the shutdown because

1) they can & may continue to work
2) they continue to receive their salary
3) they cannot and will not lose their job even if they are now in short-time work
4) can teach and go to school because they are a public educational institution but private educational institution (like mine) are not allowed to
5) they do not risk that their work, which has been built up over a long period of time, is prevented or severely impaired by a stupid virus
6) they can continue to take care of their house and garden, while mine is ruined because nobody can take care of it
7) can be together with his*her partner
8) can have sex when they want it
9) can get comfort in the form of human contact because they do not leave alone
10) are not prevented from travelling to their home countries, where they partly live and work
11) they will probably not have to give up their beloved hobbies very long after the shutdown (Tango dancers)
12) they simply have a different mental state

Yes, I am also sorry that so many over eighty years old people with various pre-existing deseases have unfortunately left this earth BECAUSE OF Corona.

But may I also say it, please, they have lived their lives until today, and that for quite a long time already...

If the shutdown continues like this, many - younger people - will have a lot of problems and possibly leave this earth much earlier ...

In the end... If someone could come up with the idea to tell me that I benefit from the shutdown, because then I would have an intensive bed with ventilator, if necessary, I want to say to these people: I signed a living will many years ago in which I clearly say that I DO NOT WANT TO BE KEPT ALIVE ARTIFICIALLY, so I don't need your intensiv beds with ventilator. You can use it for somebody else.

Thanks for reading this!

(The name is known to the editor of this blog)

What did it sound like when a tango was recorded in the 30s or 40s of the last century? For several years Matthias Kroll has been dedicating a lot of time to  get closer and closer to the original recording in his sound restorations.Recently he has founded his own label. "Matthias Kroll Records" (MKR), which is distributed exclusively by Danza y Movimiento. In the following text Matthias Kroll himself tells how he became a tango restorer: 

The Argentine Tango has a distinctive charm and once you have succumbed to it, you can usually never get away from it again. Like many, I first came into contact with it in the 90s when the Gotan Project started in Paris and hybrids like Tanghetto were played in the clubs. The free way of dancing to this music fascinated my wife and me and we had to learn it. After a longer break we got back into the milonga scene and I became more and more involved with the tango music of the past. I started to search for old recordings and to translate the lyrics. Once you are immersed in the world of the 20s/30s and 40s, there are so many forgotten tangos/texts and people to discover. Our dance style changed quite fast and we actually only dance in close embrace, where both partners feel and dance the music together as an inseparable unity.

I have always been bothered by the partly bad quality of the transfers that were played on the milongas.

I was more and more occupied with technical issues, such as recording techniques and the production of the shellac record and later vinyl records. I became a collector of old records. Unfortunately, most of the originals of the record companies were destroyed in Argentina in the 60s and 70s and today we have to fall back on copies that were sometimes badly damaged.
For my approaching retirement I have set myself the goal to digitally rework and restore as many old recordings as possible. This is partly quite costly and time-consuming. Fortunately, the development of the software is going through a constant advancement in rapid speed and I am confident that one day an AI can restore the old tangos true to the original. Until then I will continue to work and share my results with you.

You can find the whole colection in our Music Shop. This sample search will show you all titles and albums published so far.

The economic basis of musicians, dancers, concert organizers, venues, cafés, milongas, tango and salsa teachers and many more is being compromised by the worldwide measures to contain Covid19. These measures are lacking any sense of proportion and are destroying everything that has been built up over many years in many countries, especially by the self-employed and small and medium-sized entrepreneurs.

At the current time more and more scientists and doctors show the courage to express their doubts about the effectiveness of curfews and contact bans. They assess the danger of the measures taken as much greater than the danger posed by the virus itself.

We have a worldwide problem. That is why it is currently important to create a counter-public in every country in the world and to inform people about what is being concealed in the media. The website of Swiss Propaganda Research, which publishes its information in various languages and links to external information sites, is very helpful in this respect:

Deutsch
English
Francais
Espanol
Hungarian
Italiano
Dutch
Norwegian
Polish
Russian

The more intensively the SARS-CoV-2 virus is being studied, the clearer it becomes that it is supposed to be less dangerous than a normal influenza virus. We must break the spell under which the world (for whatever interests) is at the moment. Please forward the following information, which is not shown on television, to friends and acquaintances. So that we can continue dancing tango and salsa and live as self-determined a life as possible!

The following text are excerpts from original articles published in the blog of the German website „The Meditators“:

Since the beginning of this year I have been observing what is happening in the world in connection with the discovery of a micro-organism called SARS-CoV-2. New viruses appear every year and corona viruses have been known for many years. But this year was different. It had to be a really dangerous pathogen when the Chinese locked 60 million people into their homes for their own protection. I followed the development primarily through the renowned German news magazine „Der Spiegel“ and its online site. After all, until recently I believed that Der Spiegel was a more reliable source than many other media.

Further the virus spread around the world, the more my doubts about media coverage grew. After all, the virus did nothing other than what all influenza viruses do year after year - it went on a journey. SARS-CoV-2 has become the biggest viral media star of all time and will probably go down in history as a milestone for political, social and economic changes in this millennium that has just begun. The world is spellbound by SARS-CoV-2 and does not allow any other opinion on the subject than what is conveyed when we turn on the television or read the newspaper.

I know that it is risky to write what I am writing here. In the past few days I have experienced that many people in my environment, with whom I have been friends, despise me because I have a different opinion than they do. In their opinion, there is only one opinion on this subject. I would like to ask you to turn off the television, step aside, take a deep breath and check if what you think is not in a foreign-controlled mode. I am grateful for any factual information that supports or contradicts my thoughts and theses.

Hamburg

I live in Hamburg. This city has almost two million inhabitants. According to official figures from 19.03. there are 506 patients in this city, with SARS-CoV-2 was detected. On April 2, 2437 people were infected. This is far from the exponential curve that was predicted. Unfortunately I am not being told how many people are already well again.
On 19.03.2020 18 patients were being treated in the Hamburg hospitals, who couldn‘t cope with the consequences of corona flu at home alone;
a city of over a million people has been is shut down because of eighteen critical cases. On 02.04. there are 180 people with Covid19 in the Hospitals. Many doctors are out of work, because they are supposed to wait for the big wave of infections...

The specialist

Medical professionals on this topic: The flu occurs every year. Different viruses attack i.e. the respiratory system. In unfavourable conditions, pneumonia can also occur. Viruses are micro-organisms that, like all living things, have to adapt to circumstances. As humans are developing immunity the viruses adapt as well. Viruses create new variants that the human defence system does not yet know. Corona viruses have been known for many years. They have also accounted for a percentage of the viruses that cause flu-like infections for many years. This year, as in previous years. However, this is the first time that corona viruses and especially SARS-CoV-2 have been tested. Since today nobody was interested in these viruses. SARS-CoV-2 is therefore a completely normal procedure from a medical point of view - the same procedure as every year. But obviously it is not the same procedure because we see loads of coffins being transported from old peoples homes to the crematory. I believe this is a constructed reality.

Italy

Of course I have asked myself why the chaotic conditions in Italian hospitals are currently occurring. The way I see it , a whole range of factors are adding up to it;

The figures from Italy say nothing about how many people have died of Covid19 in that country. As Angelo Borelli, president of the Italian Civil Defence declared already on March 20th, there is no investigation in Italy whether someone died of Covid19. However, deceased people are being examined to see if they have the virus. If they do, they are included in the Covid19 statistics, even if the cause of death was completely different. (2)
Only about 12% of deaths are due to Covid19 , according to Prof. Ricciardi, scientific advisor to the Italian Ministry of Health. In other words, 88% of the deaths in Italy are people whose main cause of death is due to factors other than Covid19. So only a fraction of the deaths in Italy that appear in the statistics are due to Covid19. (3)
Italy has the second oldest population in the world after Japan. As early as 17th March a report by the Italian authorities revealed that 90% of the deceased counted as Covid19 were over 70 years old. In this report there are almost no deaths without pre-existing conditions, to be precise 0.8% of the deaths recorded in the Covid19 statistics have no pre-existing conditions. 99.2% have pre-existing conditions. (4)
The north of Italy has an extremely high level of air pollution. This results in a very high rate of respiratory diseases in this region. (5)
Italy has very high levels of antimicrobial resistance. This makes it difficult to use antibiotics on people who become infected by these resistant germs after hospitalisation and die as a result. (6)
The Italian health system has been in a completely dilapidated for years. It already collapsed during the last wave of influenza in 2018, when there were more than 25,000 influenca victims. But borders were not closed. There was also no curfew. (7a)
Also the average occupancy rate of the intensive care beds in the relatively well-equipped clinics in the north of Italy is 85 - 90% in the winter months. So it does not take much for a collapse. (8)
In Italy, staff shortages are part of everyday life in the health sector. However, if thousands of symptom-free health workers suddenly have to be quarantined because of positive Covid19 tests, even if they do not show any symptoms, the consequences are shattering.
The numbers of test positive individuals in Italy should be treated with caution.

9.1 In Italy, as in all other countries, tests are used that have not been scientifically validated. It is not known what else these tests (except for SARS-CoV-19) react to.

9.2 The figures on Covid19-infected people presented to the public do not indicate to what extent there has been an increase in positive test results due to an increase in the number of tests carried out. In other words, if you test twice as much today as yesterday, you will get twice as many infected people with the same infection rate.

9.3 Initial tests on a broad population group show that already in the first half of March the population in the region tested here is 50-75% symptom-free test positive for Covid19. This means: In the completely irresponsible presentation of figures by the media, everyone who dies from whatever cause from these 50-75% of people is considered to be Covid19 dead! (9)

(The sources of all details you can find below this post in German language.)

The numbers

In addition to images, we are supplied with figures by the media on a daily basis. Most of the figures are completely useless on closer inspection, as they contradict any scientific basis for collecting statistics. Numbers only make sense if there is a comparison. Corona numbers are almost always without comparison in the media. I would like to know how many deaths there have been in the comparative period of a country from the following diseases:

- the known variants of influenza
- Infections with resistant germs
- other diseases
- in traffic
- during previous years‘ flu epidemics

The current deaths attributed to corona flu are recorded in detail. With so much statistical effort, I also wonder why, especially in the first weeks of the spread, no further data is published regarding these deaths. Where were the statistics on the age and previous illnesses of the deceased?

I also ask myself,

- how many people become seriously ill when the virus is identified because of the fear that has been created around it. (It is scientifically proven that fearing a disease increases the chances of becoming ill oneself many times over).

- how many people become ill or die as a result of the governmental coercive measures taken in many countries

- how many freelancers and small entrepreneurs will get ill or even commit suicide because they are deprived of their income and have to watch their economic existence go down the drain.

An increase in domestic violence is now documented in Wuhan as well as in Italy.

The defensive measures

I take the issue of influenza (whether with or without SARS-CoV-2 in the virus cocktail) very seriously. For people with a weakened immune system or other diseases a flu can be fatal. This is the case this year and it was the same in previous years. All my life I have heard from doctor and scientists that one of the best ways to fight the flu and colds is to be out in the fresh air and exercise. Currently, government measures are preventing people from taking care of their health: in many countries they are not allowed to go for walks or exercise in the fresh air. Sports studios and all other health facilities are closed. Children are not even allowed on the playground. Parks are closed.

The experts

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is the highest institution in Germany for risk assessment in connection with epedemas such as a wave of influenza. Although the RKI emphasizes its independence, suspicions of close links with the pharmaceutical industry have been repeatedly voiced in the past. I have visited the website of the RKI several times in the past months, also when there were already quite a few corona cases in Germany. I was surprised to find no information at all about the new virus. This changed abruptly at a time when it became clear what economic potential there was for the pharmaceutical industry to combat the virus through vaccination. Suddenly the warnings from the RKI came thick and fast and contributed significantly to the current standstill in Germany. Before this point in time, SARS-CoV-2 seemed to be completely irrelevant to the RKI. This makes me think. However, I would not ask you to draw the conclusion from these observations that I believe that the pharmaceutical industry initiated the current disaster. I am definitely not of this opinion. But the pharmaceutical industry will do everything it can to cut itself off the cake. If you want to know more about this, please feel free to read up on topics like „swine flu“, „bird flu“ or BSE.

A few more thoughts

From one day to the next Wuhan did not report any new corona cases. China reports only a few new cases, all of them foreign travelers. In other words: In a country with 1.4 billion inhabitants the virus has suddenly disappeared! Here something else becomes clear: The virus only exists as long as it is in the spotlight (coronate tests). If we would stop testing in other countries, we would not even notice that this virus exists at all. This is the opinion of the German Respitory specialist Wolfgang Wodarg, among others.

Helpful for understanding the current situation is the reading of Naomi Klein‘s book „Die Schockstrategie“ (The Shock Strategy) published in 2007. What is analysed there in detail can currently be experienced in a new form.

The first winners of the crisis have already been determined. Besides pharmaceutical companies, they include Amazon, Facebook and the medical technology division of Alphabet, Google‘s parent company. In addition, there are many other companies whose business is in the field of surveillance capitalism. Further information on surveillance capitalism is provided by Shoshana Zuboff‘s book of the same name.

Become part of the counter-public

We now urgently need a stronger counter-public, which will help humanity to wake up from its paralysis. We also need more experts in all countries who dare to make their expertise available. For many freelancers and small companies it is already too late and I am concerned about the expected death rate through suicides and the expected social tensions, if the line taken by politics in almost all countries is continued. Fortunately, there are more and more experts who dare to oppose the mainstream opinion. However, these statements are hardly ever spread by the media. My full appreciation also goes to Wolfgang Wodarg, a medical doctor and specialist for respitory deseases and epidemiology from Flensburg, who concludes – based on the facts – that the course of Covid-19 is hardly different from a normal wave of influenza. All the contributions I have heard so far from experts who have been engaged by the media to make counterstatements have come to the conclusion that the facts listed by Wodarg are correct. What remains to justify the current measures is that we cannot yet say definitively whether SARS-CoV-2 would pose a particular threat because it is too early to do so. Does this argumentation justify even the slightest bit of action by governments worldwide? Let us be clear: Measures are being taken worldwide on the basis of the assessments and projections of a small group of virologists! Exponential growth rates result from more tests and more scare tactics. And the tests have not even been scientifically validated ...

Become part of the counter-public and spread the information which is suppressed in almost all media, over your personal networks. This is the only way for everyone to come to their own conclusions. If we are not intimidated, maybe we can save something ...

Your opinion

After the publication of the first articles in the blog of „Die Meditierer“, I received many many comments, most of them by mail. I am shocked how many people are already affected - not by the supposedly dangerous virus, but by the social consequences. The number of those who think I am mentally ill and my posts are dangerous to the public is limited. Thanks to all who are in the process of creating a counter-public! If you would like to write a comment below, please concentrate on a statement with factual additional information. Of course these do not have to share my opinion. But references to films showing coffins piled up in front of a crematorium fail to recognize that television is staging its contributions. I have worked long enough in this medium myself.

Further contributions, additions and regular updates can be found (in German language) on the website of „Die Meditierer“.

All facts mentioned in the articles are based on carefully researched sources. You can find the sources under the original contributions of „The Corona Hypnosis“, „Corona - the Media“ and „More Tests - more sick - more panic - more dead“ in German language.

The websites linked for information purposes do not reflect the opinion of the operator of this blog.

Sometimes music and dancing also have something to do with politics. This is rare, but music can only be created if the social conditions are in place. And this includes musicians, authors, producers, publishers and many others who create music getting something for their work. These days the waves are boiling, because the vote is about a new copyright law in the EU. Let me start by saying that I can only congratulate any Member who dares, in view of the mobilisation against this reform, to give his vote to this draft law!

I run a small music label myself. Since the turn of the millennium my income has gone down the drain. A major reason for this was the use of music on the Internet. Since there were (and still are) no legal regulations in the field of copyright adapted to the digital age, the large Internet platforms¹⁾ on which you can listen to music have dictated their own rules for the use of music. On many platforms this meant that for a long time nothing (!) was paid to those who created this music. Until today, minimal amounts are paid with several zeros behind the comma for streaming. No musician can live on it, no music label can live on it.

Shortly after the turn of the millennium I released the last self-produced CD on my label. In 2007 I released the last album, where the musician had financed the recording himself. I closed my shop in Hamburg at that time, I stopped the internet trade with music later as well.

The legal situation played a significant role in all these decisions. There was no justice. While a company that has become known to us through its search engine has achieved billions in revenues from the use of music¹⁾, those who created this music have remained outside.

Now, at the end of this month and after many years of negotiation, a law is to be finally passed that would, for the first time, enable music creators to demand financial compensation for their creations. And already at this point the free Internet is threatened for many.

I do not want to go into further detail at this point as to whether there is still a free Internet at all. I would even like to question whether we have a free Internet. I see rather a dictatorship of some dominant companies¹⁾. They play out their power over and over again. At the moment, this is clearly evident in the propaganda against the draft law, in which the company with the search engine¹⁾ is using its power to manipulate opinions .

There is talk of "upload filters"²⁾ and the associated restrictions on freedom of expression. First of all, EU copyright law does not contain a single word about upload filters. It states that a platform can be held responsible for its content. Since large Internet platforms¹⁾ will draw the consequence from this to filter with artificial intelligence what the users (e.g. on Youtube) upload is to be assumed. It can also be assumed that artificial intelligence will not always recognize whether a contribution is satire, for example. It can be assumed that thousands of uploads, e.g. from Youtube, will be rejected every day without justification.

Yes, I agree with many net activists that there will be censorship. But who censors? In my opinion the censors are the big platforms¹⁾ and not the new law.

If artificial intelligence is not clever enough, teams have to be formed that react promptly to user complaints and check the content! Yes, teams - real people that you can write to or call! Unfortunately, however, such a model contradicts the business policy of the major platforms¹⁾, which are concerned solely with maximizing their earnings.

A copyright law adapted to the digital age could set a milestone for the Internet giants¹⁾ who have been ruthlessly exploiting their power in the lawless space of the digital world³⁾ for years to throw a small stick between their legs.

Admittedly, I personally am not happy with all aspects of the new EU copyright law either. This work is a compromise that has been worked out over years of dispute between the parties involved. But it is an opportunity to do something against the greed of the big platforms within the EU.

A "YES" to copyright reform would be a step that would call on the platforms that dominate the Internet to subordinate themselves to the principles of democratically elected bodies. In my opinion, this would be a step towards more democracy and thus more freedom on the Internet.

With this in mind, I would be happy to support any Member of the European Parliament you know in finding the courage to vote for the new copyright law!

¹⁾In this article I deliberately do not mention any names of internet dominating companies, especially not the name of a big search engine, on which this website is dependent to be found at all. This search engine is not controlled by anyone but the company that runs it. For me it is not unthinkable that this company will represent its own interests and that this will be reflected in the programming of its algorithms. When I last made a search query under Article 13 of EU copyright law, seven of the first 10 hits were against the new copyright law, two were balanced in terms of content, only one was for the new copyright law ...

²⁾ Background to the "Upload Filter": Every day, vast amounts of data are uploaded from users to Youtube or other platforms. If, under the new copyright law, the operator of a platform should be responsible for the legality of its content, it can be assumed that large platforms (such as Youtube) will use software that filters out content that has not been approved by the authors. The name "Uploadfilter" stands for such software. It can be assumed that there is currently no software that will recognize a satire video as satire, for example. Since such a video would be rejected by the filter, critics of the copyright reform speak of an encroachment on freedom of expression.

³⁾ I like to refer to the Internet as a lawless space, since legislation has not lagged behind here in recent decades. Since there were and are hardly any regulations, the major players on the Internet have been able to set up a gigantic surveillance apparatus that has never existed before and which hardly any user of digital media is aware of.  

Please note that English is not my native language and that I used www.deepl.com/translator to translate the original German text. But maybe not everything is as I could express it in German.

Photo: Susanna Rescio

On 16 November 2019 Havana celebrates its birthday. In Cuba people are dancing Salsa on this birthday. You can dance with them at this unique celebration in 2019!  And on the price of our group trip in November you get now* a discount of 155 Euro!

Havana was founded on 16 November 1519 and is now 500 years old! The city is just cleaning itself up. Everywhere is being painted and repaired, new buses for public transport are being purchased, rubbish is being removed - Havana wants to show its best side. And since the Cubans are world champions in celebrating, the celebrations for the 500th have already begun a few months ago.

Of course there's dancing, too. And if you want to be there and dance with them, you now have the opportunity to register for a unique group trip. Our guests will be accommodated in the very centre of Havana and just around the corner from the newly renovated Capitolio. The old town is right on your doorstep - Cuban life, where you feel like you are in a different time ... Bars, street cafés, small shops, art, music - a colourful mess.

Since we are not the only ones to celebrate the birthday of Havana, our Cuban hosts ask for confirmation of accommodation. This is what we would like to do, especially as we accommodate our guests as close as possible to each other, i.e. in nearby houses or apartments. Living close to each other and at the same time completely independent of the group makes it easier to arrange a date with the others. The following photo is the view from the terrace of one of the accommodations. From here you can study life in Havana from a bird's eye view:

The trip has not yet been confirmed. We would like to confirm. To give you a little push, if you book now, you will get booking right now* a discount of 155.- Euro on the price of the trip!

A further reason to confirm the trip as soon as possible are the air fares. Booking your flight for November in the coming weeks can save you a lot of money ...

A few more words about why this trip is unique. In our groups you will not meet people for whom salsa dancing is a kind of competitive sport, where it is important to learn techniques for as many figures and turns as possible. New York or L.A.-Style have brought salsa from the body to the head. For me, the growing influence of these styles was a reason to retire from the salsa scene years ago. Cubans have also become more technical in their way of dancing salsa. But their relationship to rhythm has remained a sensitive one. I appreciate the fact that our Cuban teachers are deliberately confusing the minds of their students. And when nothing works anymore, the dancing really starts.

No matter what previous knowledge the participants of the groups of Danza y Movimiento had in the past years - after one week at the latest all, but really all, danced a Rueda together. And this Cuban circle dance, in which the men change from one partner to the next, is not exactly easy ...

With us you will find people who enjoy movement and express their individual potential. It's about an experience from within and only secondarily about learning technical details. This does not mean that no steps or figures are taught in the dance classes. But the focus is different, especially since the environment of the course gives a lot of impulses to get in touch with oneself more deeply. Participants in Danza y Movimiento's courses come from all age groups, although there are usually more women as well as people who live their lives consciously. The people in these groups have a great openness and willingness to get involved in life. This often leads to a very creative exchange. In the dance courses each participant has an individual Cuban partner.

*This offer is valid until the trip is marked as confirmed on our website when the minimum number of participants is reached.

Click here for a description of the trip to Havana from 2-16 November 2019.

Photo of the popular marathon in Havana: Susanna Rescio; photo of the terrace overlooking Havana: Sabine Jacob 

Mindfulness means recognizing the moment and living it. Dancing, meditation, yoga and massage support this. Also to find a place apart from dayly life where you can be completely with yourself is an even greater support.

In 2019 there are currently two travel offers where you can gain deeper access to yourself by benefitting the help of guidance. This strengthens the connection between body and mind and allows you to live your everyday life more authentically.

Canossa, Italy, 28.08. – 12.09.2019 (Core Program 31.08. – 07.09.)

Here you will find the full spectrum where you can arrive at the present without going into stress and effort. The magic word for it is TANTRA and has little to do with the common ideas associated with this word.

In Canossa 2019 there is a core week with group dynamic processes. But you are welcome to come a few days earlier and let the experience of the core week linger on in the days after. We have rented the entire house for two weeks and offer you a flexible arrival and departure time.

TANTRA awaits you in Canossa - that means meditating together, dancing, breathing, contact and massages. Maybe you can get an idea of what a tantra massage really is ...

Further information on our travel page Tantra.

Havana, Cuba, 02. – 16.11.2019

This is a group travel offer that you will not find with any other travel agency. We have been working with Cubans for more than 20 years. This time has created a unique infrastructure that we make available to our guests. In this group travel program you will take a deep look at life in Cuba. And through the special history of Cuba you will experience something you will never experience anywhere else in the world. And that again can fundamentally change your view on your everyday life in Europe or wherever you may live in the world. This is exactly what many of our travel participants have experienced and reported back to us in recent years.

During the two weeks in Havana Salsa dancing is very essential. We dance Salsa like the Cubans do. We also go dancing together with Cubans. We meet Cubans and learn something about their everyday life and how they see the world. In the group we share our feelings and what we experience. And of course we also go to the beautiful beaches near Havana ...

Also in this journey there is a focus on actually experiencing what is happening in each moment. Guided meditation-offers support this process, in which body and mind can be centered in silence or in movement. You take part in these offers when and how often you want.

You can learn more about this on our travel page Trip to Cuba

The journeys offered and also guided here are journeys of mindfulness. As a participant you are encouraged to find out what your wishes, needs and limits are ... and what you can do to take care of yourself and to discover what wealth and abundance is available for you in life ... dancing, breathing, meditating ...

This is an insider tip to end the summer in a special way in the mountains of Italy this year. Book your individual stay during the period from 28 August to 27 September 2018 now!

Our seminar house in the mountains of the northern Italian region Reggio Emilia is waiting for you! This area of Italy is not well developed for tourism. You find yourself in the middle of nature and have a gigantic view. It is an ideal place to meet yourself and others. The house is at the end of a street. Hiking-trails to the villages and the surrounding nature are marked. You can relax by the pool or in the sauna and enjoy creative, vegetarian, wholesome food. Every single day is waiting to be noticed and enjoyed by you!

Between August 28 and September 27 we have opened the space for people who want to spend time in this beautiful location. Minimum stay is 5 nights.The daily price of 110 euros includes your overnight stay in a shared room, full board and participation in a daily recreational programme.

Every morning and every evening you will find offers for a guided meditation practice. There is yoga, breathing, dancing, quiet and moving meditation. You decide for yourself which of these offers you would like to take advantage of.

The seminar room with professional music system is also available for your individual dance practice or for practicing Qi Gong, Tai Chi or movement meditations for you alone or with others.

This is an insider tip, as we do not advertise this program publicly, but only through our own channels. We would be pleased if you would pass the information on to all interested friends in your community.

You can have a look at our German website for this offer. If you do not understand German you can use a  translater like f.ex. https://www.deepl.com

I will be happy to answer your questions in English, Spanish or French by mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). 

You might ask why I am writing so little. The answer is easy – I  am busy with lots of projects. Some of them might be interesting for you if you are interested in Cuba or if you want to hear about a new tango project.

First of all Cuba. Every time you think it is the last time, but it is not. When I was announcing the group travel which took place in February 2017 I really thought it would be the last time that I would go to Cuba with a group. In the end this trip was so full of life and individual experiences for everyone who came with me, I decided to make a new offer for coming February 2018. And here it is – you can still join this group for a unique experience in contact with Cuban people, with their life and with their way of dancing. (I know, everyone says that his trip is unique – but mine really is …) In 2018 I will even offer some possibilities to practice yoga and meditation together. This is new and this way we will be able to go to deeper levels together … Read more and book the trip right nowand book the trip right now …

For all lovers of Tango music a sneak preview to our next project: in 2018 we will start a new series which will include complete recordings of some orchestras, lots of “unknown” titles and much more titles than you can find on our albums we have produced until now. Stay in touch and you will get all information as soon as the first albums will be available next year.

Have a nice Christmas time

Matthias