Camille Cusumano

Omar Vega is giving many workshops starting June 12 in the San Francisco Bay Area — check for details at www.batango.com or www.tangomango.org for details.

Photo, courtesy of TigersTango

This past Tuesday night I had planned to go to La Boca, a tango club in New York City on 54th Street near Eighth Ave. The reason I was going was to interview esteemed maestro of milonga Omar Vega, who’s been living in New York City. The interview had been arranged by Diane, a spokeswoman for Omar. I was dong it pro bono for our San Francisco Bay Area Tango association.

Although, as a professional journalist, I have done numerous phone interviews, I wanted to do Omar’s in person. I knew him well from milongas and classes while I was living in Buenos Aires and I knew that his English was, let’s say, inferior to my Spanish. So I didn’t want phone static to add to our potential communication difficulties.

I’ve been visiting with my big family in the east, and I was in Annapolis with my mother when the interview was set up on short notice. So in order to get to La Boca, I had to truncate that visit with my widowed 85-year-old mother, impose upon my brother-in-law, Vadju, to drive me Tuesday at 7 a.m. to the Metro in Washington, D.C. to catch the early, very fine DC2NY bus, which dropped me at Penn Station where, with two bags in 100 degree humid heat, I rushed to Port Authority, where I waited 1/2-hour for the next 123 NJ Transit to Union City, where my sister Grace lives, and where we grabbed a bite (delicious empanadas), before I showered, slipped into my tango clothes and was loaded for bear. Only Omar changed his mind about La Boca, and I learned the next day, about the interview.

I don’t want Omar to feel bad about my mother who said as I was rushing to leave, “I sure wish you could stay longer. I love when you guys (my nine siblings and I who live all over the world) visit.” I almost canceled on Omar at that moment. But I said, “It’s my work, Mom.” And as it stands, I’m going back to Mom’s this coming weekend. So no hard feelings, O. Of course, to get there, I have to catch the 123 NJ Transit from Grace’s home to Port Authority, hop a Beber Bus to Allentown, PA, where my sister, Tina, lives, and who will generously pick me up and lend me her car to drive back to Mom’s, who will be so happy. Hey, Omar, let’s be grateful that I have family living everywhere.

I’d like you to meet Mom. Click here.

I’m not sure why he canceled. Was it something I wrote? OK, I think the crack about having a Tony Soprano moment with Omar could be taken the wrong way. But James Gandolfini is a big star. . . Oh, wait a minute, he couldn’t have read that; my book isn’t out yet. Hmmmm . . .

So here are the questions in Spanish and English that I so diligently prepared for Omar on the cool bus from DC to NY, questions to which we will never know the answers, unless he reads this-or someone out there knows. Anyone?
DISCLAIMER: My Spanish is burgeoning - so please forgive the errors that will inevitably surface below - and I have not inserted any accents. Oh, and it’s actually not Spanish, but Castellano, hence some oddities.

Preguntas para Omar Vega - Questions for Omar Vega
• Comenzamos, brevemente, con tu historia personal, tu evolucion de bailar - como se pasa que sos bailarin, y bailarin insuperable del milonga?
Let’s start briefly with your personal history and your evolution in dancing-how does it happen that you are a dancer and an unsurpassed dancer of milonga?

• Donde naciste?
Where were you born?

• Sos el rey de ritmo. Cuando supiste que la milonga era la suyo?
You are the king of rhythm. When did you know that the milonga was yours?

• Se dice que “un hombre es sin honor en su pais” - crees que tenes mas “honor” afuera de Argentina?
It’s said that “a man is without honor in his own country.”

Do you believe you have more honor outside of Argentina?

• Disfrutas la popularidad?
Do you enjoy your popularity?

• Fue siempre facil bailar la milonga?
Was it always easy for you to dance the milonga?

• Que es la diferencia entre bailar aca y bailar en Argentina, Europa, y otras partes - cambio de pais a pais?
What is the difference between dancing here and dancing in Argentina, Europe, and other countries-does it change from country to country?

• Porque a tantos hombres no le gustan bailar el milonga? Prefieren el tango. Tienen miedo, mi parece. . . Es un talento special o non?
Why do so many men not like to dance the milonga? They prefer tango. They seem to be afraid . . . Is it a special talent?

• Mi parece que los cambios del peso con la musica es algo muy dificil para la mayor de los hombres. Que consejo ofreces para los bailarins - que tienen miedo pero que quieren bailar?
It seems to me that the weight changes with the music are something difficult for the majority of men. What advice would you offer for dancers-who fear, but want to dance it?

• Que es el secreto - hay secretos? Exercizios?
What is the secret-are there secrets? Exercises?

• Hay gente que no deben nunca bailar la milonga?
Are there people who should not dance the milonga?

• Que haces todavia para quedarte en buena forma - que entranamiento?
What do you do still to remain in good shape-what sort of training?
• Tenes una pareja ahora? O varias? Quienes?
Do you have a partner now? Or several? Who?

• Que pensas de Dany El Flaco - otro nombre que es sinonimo con milonga? Hay competencia entre ustedes?
What do you think of Dany El Flaco-another name that is synonymous with “milonga”? Is there competition between you?

• Que bailarines admiras mucho?
Which dancers do you admire very much?

• Como bailarin, cual es el logro por el que estas mas orgulloso?
As a dancer what is your proudest achievement?

• Que es proximo? Tenes un sueno todavia?
What next? Do you have a dream yet?

Barbara Walters alert:
• Tengo que preguntarte - escucho. . . se dice que te gustan mucho las mujeres - quizas, demasiado-es una reputacion que mereces? O es una exageracion? Chisme?
I have to ask-I hear . . . it’s said that you like women very much, maybe too much . . . is this a reputation you deserve? Or is it an exaggeration? Gossip?

Gracias/thanks to anyone who gets the answers-please share with me and I’ll post them.

previously: Viva la milonga!

Say what you want about him (and I have), he is the King of Rhythm.