Miranda France
Raunchy Rhythms
Long After Midnight at the Niño Bien: The Tango and Argentina
By Brian Winter
Heinemann 272pp £16.99 order from our bookshop
I’m in favour of writers travelling abroad to do something other than research books. Perhaps there has been enough mere observation. Gimmickry must also have run its course – what’s the point of travelling around Ireland with a fridge?
In this puritan, work-motivated age, it’s good when travel writers have more strings to their bows. Jason Webster practically killed himself infiltrating a band of drug-using gypsies in order to learn flamenco guitar – but at least now he has a useful skill. Similarly, Brian Winter may be able to earn money teaching the tango when the credit crunch bites.
I envy Winter this skill, having spent nearly three years in Buenos Aires myself without ever learning more than a few steps of tango. The reason is that Argentine teachers tend either to be beautiful young women, or curmudgeonly old men who wear a lot of pomade. I got fed
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