Long After Midnight at the Niño Bien: A Review
Copyright © 2008 Karin Norgard
After graduating from college, Brian Winter was restless for experience and adventure. Wanting “to go someplace where the stars in the sky are different,” he chose an unlikely location: Buenos Aires, Argentina. Armed only with a handful of stereotypes, he flew across the globe and began exploring the city, the culture, and the tango. In Long After Midnight at the Niño Bien: A Yanqui’s Missteps in Argentina, Winter takes the reader on that journey and paints a vivid picture of his tango world.
I write his tango world because as with any travelogue, the character descriptions and cultural judgments he makes are necessarily influenced by his own worldview. His narrative, though educated, can be overly stereotyped, making his readers doubt the veracity of some stories. Despite this, he communicates his observations with a unique voice and beautiful storytelling that make Long After Midnight read like a novel. Most enjoyable are the ways Winter expresses his impressions of Argentine culture through the medium of American cultural references (“it was the Chicago Cubs of countries”) and laces his narrative with blunt humor that can’t help but elicit smiles and laughter (as when he receives instruction on how to give a cabeceo, “But not like a rapist!”).
For readers who are not very familiar with Buenos Aires, this book will make an engrossing read. Winter does an excellent job of weaving together his experiences learning the dance and the culture with snapshots of tango and Argentine history. As long as the reader recognizes that his caricatures are simplistic (though well-intentioned), Winter’s experiences promise to be entertaining and enjoyable. For readers who have traveled to Buenos Aires and are looking for more cultural depth, this book may disappoint. However, all readers should appreciate Winter’s journey from skeptical student of tango to affectionate lover of Argentine tango and culture.
Visit Joy in Motion’s Dance and Music Resources Store to purchase Long After Midnight at the Niño Bien and view more dance and music resources.
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